Nebraska’s defense is set to get a meaningful boost on Saturday, and it comes with Owen Chambliss back in the lineup.
Pete Thamel of ESPN confirmed Chambliss will be available, which means Nebraska will be getting him on the field for the first time in a Nebraska football uniform. Matt Rhule had already said earlier in the week that Chambliss was expected back, but that left a few loose ends. Those are gone now.
The biggest immediate benefit may be communication. Chambliss is expected to wear the defensive headset, and that should help tighten things up for a group that was still adjusting in Week 1.
The opening play of the game - a 68-yard bust - sparked plenty of noise, but the reality is Nebraska’s defense was solid overall. Even so, a first game in a new system is going to come with some growing pains, and Chambliss should help clean up those issues.
His presence matters for more than just getting everyone lined up correctly. Chambliss is the only Nebraska defender who was First-Team All-Conference last season, earning that recognition in the Mountain West after piling up 110 tackles, 62 of them solo, along with 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, an interception and five pass breakups.
Nebraska also needs help in the areas Chambliss can influence directly. Ohio averaged 4.2 yards per carry, and Nick Poulos’ scrambling was part of the problem.
He ran for 72 yards and lost just two, a sign the pass rush didn’t consistently get home. Chambliss can help there, too.
He brings pass-rush ability, but that’s only part of the package. He can cover, he can help against the run and he can be used to keep quarterbacks from escaping the pocket. That kind of versatility makes him a player Nebraska can lean on in a lot of different situations.
Rob Aurich probably won’t break out anything too wild before Big Ten play begins, but Chambliss gives him a piece he can move around. He can spy the quarterback, attack downhill against the run or drop into coverage. However Nebraska chooses to use him, the defense should look better with him on the field.
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Anthony Colandrea Just Sparked A New Nebraska Quarterback Debate
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The performance itself backed up the praise. Colandrea finished 18 of 32 for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns, and the combination of production and poise has a way of nudging a debate forward in Lincoln. When a quarterback draws that kind of endorsement from a former Husker who knows the position as both a player and a coach, the conversation around Nebraskas future at the position tends to get louder, even if the full answer still has to wait. [Read more 🡒]
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For Nebraska, the latest honor is another reminder that Evans is carrying real weight in the locker room as well as on the field. The Witten award will move through semifinalists and finalists later this season before a winner is announced in spring 2027, so the larger picture is still unfolding, but Evans has already put himself in a spot where his profile keeps rising for reasons beyond just offensive line play. In a season where the Cornhuskers are trying to keep momentum and credibility moving in the right direction, that kind of recognition is hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Wants A Sharper Nebraska Team This Saturday
Nebraska heads into Saturdays home game against Bowling Green with the confidence of a season-opening win and the clear sense that there is still work to do. Matt Rhules team handled Ohio in a 49-21 victory, but the Nebraska coach was quick to point out there were still areas that were not good enough, a reminder that opening week rarely tells the whole story for a team trying to sharpen its identity early in the season.
Bowling Green arrives after a loss to Tarleton State, and coach Eddie George has framed the setback as part of the Falcons growth process. The matchup also brings a bit of novelty to Memorial Stadium, since it will be the first meeting between the schools, giving Nebraska another chance to clean up its execution while avoiding the kind of sloppy stretches that can linger once league play draws closer. [Read more 🡒]