Nebraska didn’t exactly cruise past Maryland, and that’s probably the point.
On a crisp Oct. 3 night at Memorial Stadium, the Huskers pushed through a messy, penalty-filled 48-23 win over the Terrapins and moved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play. The 16 penalties for 132 yards made the night feel anything but clean, but Nebraska still got to a place it hasn’t reached since 2016: five straight wins to start a season.
Senior quarterback Anthony Colandrea was at the center of it all. With freshman running back Jamal Rule out, Colandrea carried the offense with 108 rushing yards, including a 51-yard burst in the third quarter. He also kept Nebraska moving through the air, leaning heavily on junior wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer in a connection that kept Maryland on its heels all night.
Gilmer finished with 11 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 17 targets. Those 17 looks made up just under half of Colandrea’s total targets.
“Honestly, I missed him a lot,” Colandrea said postgame. “I really didn’t play good; I missed a lot of throws.
That can’t happen. Kwazi does a great job at getting separation and getting open.”
Junior running back Mekhi Nelson added 53 all-purpose yards and two rushing touchdowns, giving Nebraska another steady layer in a game that swung wildly before the Huskers finally took control.
The turning point came after a rough opening stretch on both sides. Nebraska scored 21 points in the second quarter and then poured on 34 unanswered points against Maryland. The third quarter went scoreless, but by then the Huskers had already tilted the game hard in their favor.
It was not the kind of polished performance that leaves a coach relaxed afterward. Matt Rhule made that clear.
“I didn’t understand some things that happened; I didn’t understand why I didn’t have my guys more mentally locked in and prepared to play,” Rhule said. “I have to do a better job.”
Still, Rhule pointed to the way his team kept grinding through the chaos.
“I encouraged them to just continue to hang in there, just try and win the game one snap at a time,” head coach Matt Rhule said postgame. “Get to the third quarter, get to the fourth quarter and just continue to get play upon play.”
Nebraska’s defense helped turn the night into a runaway. The Blackshirts intercepted Maryland sophomore quarterback Malik Washington twice, and Dwayne McDougle III delivered the play that flipped the game for good with an 81-yard pick-six. It was the longest pick-six since Bo Ruud’s 93-yarder in 2007.
McDougle said the call gave him the chance to make a read and take it the other direction.
“We ran a bracket-man coverage, low rover; I was one of them,” McDougle said. “Seeing that it was 3x1, I was playing off the quarterback; as soon as he pulled the trigger, I knew I was taking it the other way.”
The crowd responded like it knew the moment had changed everything.
“I was just like, ‘Wow, we got the best quarterback in the nation,” McDougle said about Colandrea’s third-quarter hurdle.
The home atmosphere was loud enough to draw a comment from Maryland coach Mike Locksley, who said Nebraska’s home turf doesn’t get “super loud.”
There was one more defensive highlight that stood out in a big way: sophomore defensive lineman Kade Pietrzak picked off a pass for the first interception of his career. Rhule called it “unbelievable” and tied it directly to Pietrzak’s pressure.
“Obviously, Pietrzak’s interception was unbelievable on his own pressure,” Rhule said.
For all the sloppiness, Nebraska’s response mattered. The Huskers had spent the first four weeks winning without ever trailing by more than three points, but this one tested them in a different way. It may have felt like a wake-up call, but it also showed a team that kept finding answers.
“Its really just mental mistakes, mental errors; we just got to clear it up during practice,” McDougle said. “We’re going to be way better next week.”
Next up is Indiana, the reigning national champions, on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m. CT at Memorial Stadium. The Big Noon Kickoff crew will be in Lincoln with coverage beginning at 9 a.m.
In Other News...
Nebraska Stayed Unbeaten But This Win Raised A Bigger Concern
Nebraska moved to 5-0 for the first time since 2016 with a 48-23 win over Maryland, and the record still looks as good as it has in years. The Huskers shook off an uneven first half and then rolled with 34 unanswered points after the break, getting notable contributions from Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee as the offense found its rhythm and the game got away from Maryland.
Even with the unbeaten start intact, the bigger question is what Nebraska will need to clean up before the schedule tightens again. The next test comes Oct. 10 against Indiana in a ranked game at Memorial Stadium, and the Huskers will have to show they can bring the same second-half punch from the opening whistle if they want this start to mean more than just a fast beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Defining Reality Check With National Respect At Stake
Week 6 brings a familiar kind of pressure to the college football calendar, with heavyweight matchups like Alabama against Georgia and Texas against Oklahoma drawing the biggest spotlight. Around those games, the broader board is full of tests that will help sort out where teams truly stand, from the Big Ten to other major conferences, and the betting lines reflect how tight the margins are getting as the season settles in.
For Nebraska, the wider picture matters because the Cornhuskers are still trying to turn respect into something more durable than early-season optimism. This is the point in October when a good start can start to mean something, or when a stumble can quickly reset the conversation, and the games around the country are only sharpening that reality for a program still looking to prove it belongs in the national discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska's Maryland Win Didn't Silence The Worries Fans Still Have
Nebraskas 48-23 win over Maryland offered the sort of response the Huskers needed after a rough opening stretch, and the coaching staff deserves credit for the in-game fixes that helped turn things around. The defense settled in, several players made notable contributions, and the result showed a team capable of recovering when the first half goes sideways.
Still, the victory did not erase the issues that have followed Nebraska around this fall. Penalties remain a problem, the offense can still look predictable at times, and there is a clear need for a more balanced passing attack as Indiana approaches. A win helps, but for a fan base looking for something sturdier, the bigger questions are still waiting. [Read more 🡒]