Nebraska football walked into another game it had to have and walked out with the same old result.
The Huskers lost to Washington, 17-10, after a second half that offered almost nothing on offense. Nebraska managed just three points after halftime, Anthony Colandrea threw three interceptions, and for the second straight week a quarterback who came off the bench ended up beating the Huskers.
There were plenty of moments Nebraska can point to and regret, but the biggest ones were impossible to miss: the sack that led to a missed field goal in the fourth quarter, and the decision to allow a first down on fourth-and-18. In a game that felt like a must-win, those mistakes were fatal.
Here are three takeaways from a loss that landed hard.
Matt Rhule is out of runway
This is year four, and the progress just isn’t showing up in a way that matters. Six or seven regular-season wins is not enough, and Nebraska has had too many chances to finally break through only to end up in the same place. The last three losses have made that impossible to ignore.
The frustration around the program is rising fast, and this one felt different. Fans were throwing things on the field, which says plenty about where things stand. Rhule isn’t getting fired during the season, but this sure looks like a turning point.
Holgorsen has to fix the offense, or Nebraska has to change it
Nebraska’s offense can’t score, and while that isn’t all on Holgorsen, he’s not helping matters. Colandrea never looked settled. He seemed to leave the pocket too early, struggled to throw accurately downfield, and didn’t give Nebraska much as a runner.
The running game also disappeared too soon, and Holgorsen still needs to be willing to use Colandrea on the ground when things get tight. Over the last three games, Nebraska has scored only 38 points. That works out to less than 13 points a game.
Washington’s defense wasn’t supposed to be a dominant unit, but it kept Nebraska in check over and over again. That makes the earlier offensive success look more like a mirage than a breakthrough. Unless something changes quickly, Rhule is going to have to make a move on the offense.
A bowl trip is far from safe
Nebraska is back where it started: trying to scrape together six wins.
A victory Friday night in Illinois is possible, but a loss feels more likely. After that come Ohio State, Rutgers and Iowa, and none of those games look like sure wins. In fact, they all look like probable losses.
The Huskers are already out of the playoff picture before November, and the season is starting to slip away. After this defeat, it’s hard to see how Nebraska or Rhule bounces back cleanly from it.
In Other News...
Nebraska Still Has One Late-Game Problem A Former Champion Didn't Ignore
Clester Johnson has seen enough Nebraska football to know when a team is leaving something on the table, and in a recent podcast interview the former wingback and national champion returned to a familiar theme: finishing. Johnson talked about the importance of closing out games and the accountability that comes with it, while also looking back on how Tom Osbornes staffs handled those moments when the pressure tightened and the details mattered most.
Johnson also framed the challenge in a more modern light, noting that todays Nebraska has to navigate a different college football reality with retention and recruiting adding another layer of difficulty. He pointed to quarterback Anthony Colandreas ability, but said the offense still needs more balance around him, a reminder that the late-game issues are rarely about one player alone and usually come back to whether the whole operation can hold up when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Found Another Brutal Way To Waste A Winnable Game
For most of the afternoon, Nebraska and Washington played the kind of tight, low-scoring game that leaves every possession feeling heavier than the last. The Cornhuskers had chances to keep control of it, but quarterback Anthony Colandreas interceptions and a missed field goal from Kyle Cunanan kept turning manageable moments into wasted ones.
Washington finally broke it open late with a touchdown, then slammed the door with a pick-six off Colandrea to seal a 17-10 win. For Nebraska, it was another frustrating reminder that in a game there to be won, the biggest damage often came from self-inflicted mistakes. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Could Get A Huge Boost Before Its Blackout Showdown
Nebraska is getting healthier at just the right time, with defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel expected back for the Washington game after missing recent action because of injury. Running back Isaiah Mozee is also likely to be available, giving the Cornhuskers a little more depth as they prepare for a marquee blackout matchup that should draw plenty of attention.
The injury report still leaves some holes, though, with offensive lineman Gunnar Gottula and safety Jamir Conn ruled out. Washington is dealing with its own uncertainty as quarterback Demond Williams has gone from doubtful to probable, even if the Huskies have not yet announced a starter, so Nebraska may still have to wait until kickoff to see exactly what kind of challenge it is facing. [Read more 🡒]