Maybe it’s the Colandrea effect. Maybe it’s something else. Either way, Nebraska walked out of nonconference play looking a whole lot sharper than a team that was merely checking boxes.
The Huskers opened with 49-21, 56-7 and 34-7 wins over admittedly lower-level opponents, and the numbers have been doing plenty of the talking. Through three games, Nebraska’s offense has piled up 521 yards per game, mixing power with enough explosive plays to keep defenses guessing.
That’s been the headline all month, and it hasn’t come only from padding stats against overmatched teams. This offense has looked different.
A big reason is the line in front of the quarterback and the skill talent around him. Another is the simple fact that Anthony Colandrea has played a lot of football. Dana Holgorsen’s offense has leaned into that, and the result has been a unit that looks more physical and more dangerous than Nebraska has shown in recent seasons.
North Dakota was the game that made the defense matter more in the conversation. The Fighting Hawks came in averaging 50 points and 500 yards, and Rob Aurich’s Blackshirt defense shut them down.
That mattered just as much as the points Nebraska put on the board. The Huskers weren’t just winning games; they were showing a defense that could carry its weight when the opponent offered a real challenge.
That’s why the trip to Michigan State next Saturday at 4 p.m. Central time suddenly feels like the first true checkpoint.
Nebraska’s offense has been limited a bit in the run game with Colandrea, and the defense has been relatively vanilla so far in 2026. Those are details worth watching once the level of competition changes.
Michigan State already had its own measuring-stick night, falling 27-10 to Notre Dame after staying close for a while against one of the best teams in the country. Nebraska will find out soon enough whether what it has shown so far travels into Big Ten play.
For now, though, there’s real reason to be encouraged. Nebraska finished 3-0, the defense handled North Dakota, and the offense kept flashing the kind of balance and confidence that can make a season feel different.
I don’t know what the next nine games will bring. It could get rough.
It could get fun.
What’s clear is that this Nebraska team has already given off a different vibe, and that’s something Huskers fans haven’t had much reason to say for a long time.
In Other News...
Nebraska Commit Trae Taylor Just Delivered Another Eye Catching Statement
Trae Taylor kept adding to his already considerable reputation Friday night, and the Nebraska commit put on another show in Millard Souths 55-40 win over Cardinal Ritter. The five-star quarterback was everywhere for the top-ranked Patriots, throwing for 350 yards and five touchdowns while also running for 143 yards and three more scores as Millard South moved to 4-0.
For Nebraska fans, it is another reminder of why Taylor has become such a prized part of the class. Millard South has now won 16 straight, and with Taylor driving the offense at this level, the Patriots keep looking like a team built to play deep into the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Handled Business But One Big Ten Concern Still Lingers
Nebraska took care of business against North Dakota, rolling to a 34-7 win in a game it controlled from the opening stretch. The Huskers piled up 496 total yards, held North Dakota to 205, and spent most of the afternoon looking every bit like the more physical, more organized team. Jamal Rule set the tone on the ground with 119 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Nebraska scored on five of its first eight drives before the reserves finished things off in the fourth quarter.
Still, even in a comfortable victory, there was one Big Ten-sized question lingering in the background. North Dakota did not cross the 200-yard mark until the final play, which speaks well of Nebraskas defense, but the bigger concern is whether this kind of efficiency and control will translate once the competition tightens and the margin for error disappears. The Huskers handled this one cleanly enough, but the real test of how far they have come is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Defense Shows A Pregame Twist Fans Will Want To See
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade were among the familiar faces at Memorial Stadium as Nebraska took the field, but the more interesting pregame note for Cornhuskers fans came on the defensive side. Edge defender Jordan Ochoa was out because of injury, while Caleb Benning is expected to be available on special teams after working his way back from his own injury, giving Nebraska a little more stability in one area and a notable absence in another.
Beyond that, the defensive lineup had a mix of starters and rotation pieces worth watching, including Williams Nwaneri, David Hffken, Dexter Foster, Owen Chambliss, Vincent Shavers, Dawson Merritt, Victor Evans, Andrew Marshall and Danny Odem. For Nebraska, those names matter because the front and the depth behind it have become a weekly test, and the way that group settles in before kickoff can shape how the game unfolds long before the offense gets a chance to make its mark. [Read more 🡒]