If Nebraska is going to keep this season pointed in the right direction, the deciding factor may not be the defense or the offensive line anymore. It’s the running back room.
That’s a sharp turn from where the conversation started before the season, when the defensive line looked like the obvious group that could swing everything. Instead, Matt Rhule has a unit that suddenly looks like one of the stronger parts of the roster, even after losing Anthony Jones Jr. to a broken foot. Nebraska also appears to be getting Riley Van Poppel back at the right time, with the defensive lineman listed as “probable” on the injury report.
The offensive line was the other obvious candidate before Week 1. It hasn’t fully delivered on expectations, but it has done enough to avoid becoming the center of the storm.
Now, coming out of the bye, the spotlight has shifted to the backfield.
That’s because the running backs have been hammered by injuries. At this point, there may not be a fully healthy one in the group. Vince Genatone, who was expected to handle short-yardage work, is out for the season after tearing his pec.
And that matters because if Nebraska can’t run the ball with its backs, the offense gets a lot harder to trust.
The next three games are expected wins, which would put Nebraska at 8-2 heading into the Ohio State game. But if the Huskers can’t get production on the ground from the running backs, they’ll be forced to lean much more heavily on Anthony Colandrea - and that doesn’t sound like a long-term answer.
Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen didn’t exactly hide the urgency around the young backs, either. He basically challenged them to toughen up and learn how to play through being banged up.
That kind of message matters. It raises the bar for the room, and it makes the standard clearer.
Saturday should tell us a lot about whether they can meet it.
Nebraska’s injury picture did bring one positive note this week. In the initial report released Wednesday, Riley Van Poppel and running back Isaiah Mozee were both listed as probable. For a team trying to get itself right after the bye, that’s a useful development.
The timing matters too, because Nebraska’s next stage arrives under the lights. The Huskers host Washington on Halloween night in Lincoln, and the matchup comes with plenty of attention beyond the field. Head coach Matt Rhule and Nebraska will play in front of several Rivals300 recruits, and those blue-chippers are already buzzing about the chance to be around the program a couple days before arriving on campus for what will be a Blackout Game.
There’s also another Nebraska storyline making the rounds this week. Five-star quarterback commit Trae Taylor said the Huskers “should be 7-0.” He also said, “We should be 7-0 right now,” and added that he thinks Nebraska can run the table and stay in the College Football Playoff race.
Those comments came after Taylor experienced a loss for the first time in his lone season at Millard South High School, and they show the standard he’s setting for the program he plans to join.
Elsewhere, Nebraska is also dealing with bigger-picture scheduling talk. Troy Dannen’s 2027 scheduling plans are part of the conversation, along with Washington’s quarterback uncertainty and a bold prediction for November.
All of that is in the mix. But for Nebraska’s season to keep moving in the right direction, the clearest question right now is the simplest one: can the running backs hold up enough to matter?
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 🡒]