Nebraska had Oregon right where it wanted it, then let the game slip away in the fourth quarter.
The Ducks turned a 14-9 deficit into a 17-14 win by leaning on a Nebraska defense that had spent most of the night holding firm, then suddenly had nothing left when it mattered most. Oregon put together a 17-play march that chewed up more than half of the final quarter, and the Huskers never answered. On the other side, Nebraska’s offense couldn’t buy relief for the Blackshirts, managing only conservative calls before punting the ball back and setting up the decisive Oregon drive.
That finish turned a tense, low-scoring battle into another frustrating collapse for Nebraska, which had already dropped a similar game the week before. The Ducks won the fourth quarter 11-0 and piled up 151 yards to Nebraska’s 34 in the period, leaving the Huskers to head into the locker room staring at a familiar kind of damage. Oregon also controlled the clock down the stretch, owning the fourth-quarter time of possession 12:45 to 2:15.
For a while, the game looked like a pure struggle between two defenses and two offenses trying to find any rhythm at all. The teams combined for 15 possessions before halftime, and 13 of them ended in punts. The other two trips produced turnovers: an Oregon fumble and a Colandrea interception.
Then Nebraska finally found a burst. The Huskers had already shown signs they might be close to breaking something open, and late in the first half they did it three times.
The biggest play came with four seconds left when Anthony Colandrea hit Kwazi Gilmer in the back of the end zone for the game’s only score at that point, giving Nebraska a 7-0 lead. The touchdown went to review, but the call stood after Gilmer’s foot appeared to come down cleanly enough for the score, drawing a loud reaction from Oregon fans.
Before that, the Huskers had put together a 31-yard completion to Gilmer on third-and-22 and then a 17-yard Colandrea scramble to get into range. Nebraska carried that 7-0 lead into halftime and had the ball to start the third quarter.
That advantage vanished fast.
Nebraska opened the second half with a three-and-out, and the sequence got worse when a bad snap forced Archie Wilson to take a knee and kill the punt, handing Oregon the ball at the Husker 19. The Ducks stalled and settled for a field goal, trimming the lead to 7-3.
The Huskers then had to punt on their next two possessions. Oregon answered the first with a 39-yard drive and another field goal to make it 7-6.
Around that stretch, the student section started chanting, “We want Dylan!” because they’d seen enough of Brock Thomas.
On the next drive, Thomas threw a pass that was tipped into the hands of Dwayne McDougle, who returned it 15 yards to the Duckie 37.
The crowd kept getting louder, and not in Nebraska’s favor. During the break before the fourth quarter, the student section broke into a spirited, “F*CK NEBRASKA!”
A personal foul and an attempted targeting call, which was overturned on review, gave Nebraska a fresh chance. The Huskers used it, too, going 6 plays for a touchdown. The big plays were a 22-yard Colandrea run and a 26-yard run by Isaiah Mozee, pushing Nebraska ahead 14-6 with seven seconds left in the third quarter.
That should have been enough to settle things. Instead, it set the stage for the fourth-quarter collapse.
Nebraska’s offense shut down again, and that left the defense on the field until it finally cracked. Oregon took over the period, won it 11-0, and battered the Huskers repeatedly on the ground, especially on third and fourth downs. Nebraska had spent much of the night stuffing the run, but by the end the Ducks were getting what they wanted with too much ease.
Dylan Raiola came in to try to steady things, but he wasn’t the night’s answer. He finished 11-of-18 for 59 yards, and Oregon never seemed interested in letting him attack downfield. The Huskers kept going conservative, couldn’t extend drives, and never gave their defense the rest it needed.
By the time the final whistle blew, the result fit right into the same uneasy pattern Nebraska fans have seen before. The responses afterward ranged from cautious optimism to outright fury, with some pointing to progress in close losses and others calling for Matt Rhule to be fired immediately.
The bye week now gives Nebraska a chance to reset before the final five games begin with Halloween’s matchup against Washington. If the Huskers can finally get over the hump, nine wins is still there. If they can’t, six or seven looks a lot more likely.
In Other News...
Matt Rhule Sends Clear Message After Nebraskas Painful Oregon Finish
Nebraska came up just short against Oregon, falling 17-14 in a game that turned late when junior quarterback Dylan Raiola entered in the fourth quarter and hit tight end Jamari Johnson for the winning touchdown. Afterward, Matt Rhule made it clear he was not interested in turning the loss into a referendum on his quarterback or his program, instead framing it as the kind of game that can teach a team where it still needs to grow.
Rhule pointed to fatigue and Oregons effective run game as part of the reason the Cornhuskers were unable to close it out, while also brushing aside any notion that the late kickoff was an excuse. For Nebraska, the bigger takeaway may be the standard these matchups provide, since Rhule emphasized the value of lining up against strong programs even when the result stings. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Gets A Clear Opening As Nebraska Brings Real Concerns
Nebraskas latest loss was another frustrating one in a season that keeps slipping at the edges, with the Cornhuskers falling 17-14 to Oregon after letting a fourth-quarter lead get away for the second straight game. The timing only adds to the concern, because the issues have started to look familiar: special teams havent been steady, the rushing attack has faded in recent weeks, and the injury list has made it harder to patch things together.
A bye week now gives Nebraska a little breathing room before Washington comes to Lincoln, but it also leaves a clear set of problems to sort through. The Huskies will see a team that has been competitive late into games and still found a way to lose them, which makes the next stretch feel especially important for a group trying to stop the slide and reset before the home matchup arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Defense Did Enough But One Problem Still Cost Them
Nebraska had every chance to turn a solid defensive effort into one of its biggest wins of the season, but the offense never quite matched what the defense gave it. The Cornhuskers led entering the fourth quarter and kept Oregon within reach for most of the afternoon, yet the Ducks were able to survive a tight, physical game and leave with a 17-14 victory.
The issue for Nebraska was up front, where the offensive line struggled to consistently hold up and let the game slip away despite the way the defense kept battling. Oregon got late help from Dylan Raiola, who came off the bench and sparked the comeback, leaving Nebraska to wonder how different things might have looked with even a little more protection and consistency on offense. [Read more 🡒]