Nebraska’s basketball team is learning the hard way that exhibition season can be messy, even when the ceiling is high.
The Huskers led BYU at halftime on Friday, then watched the game slip away in the second half as the Cougars poured in 44 points after the break and won 72-61. Nebraska has now opened its two exhibition games with a first-half lead and a second-half fade, and there’s still one more tune-up left before the real thing begins.
Fred Hoiberg is not treating these games like a dress rehearsal for the rotation. He’s using them to give his bench more run, and BYU was playing for the result. That showed late, when the Cougars even went back to their starters in the final moments to finish off Nebraska’s backups.
The turnover count didn’t help either. The Huskers gave it away 18 times against BYU.
In their 79-74 loss to Saint Louis, they had 12 turnovers. Nebraska gets one final exhibition shot on October 26 against Kansas State before the regular season opener against LeMoyne on November 2.
There’s a much bigger football spotlight waiting Saturday night, when Nebraska takes on Oregon at 10 pm. On Friday, the Ducks revealed that third-string quarterback Brock Thomas will start after Dylan Raiola was benched last week.
Oregon’s availability situation is also worth watching. The Big Ten report said starting quarterback Dante Moore is out, while top receiver Evan Stewart is doubtful and trending toward missing the game.
Across the Big Ten on Friday night, Washington opened conference play by beating Purdue 38-26. The name to watch there was quarterback Elijah Brown, who filled in for injured starter Demond Williams and put up big numbers: 21 completions on 27 attempts, a little over 300 yards, and three touchdowns.
That matters for Nebraska because Washington is next on the schedule. The game comes in Lincoln after both teams have their bye, and Brown’s stat line was impressive even with three interceptions. He carved up a Purdue defense that hasn’t stopped anyone this year, leaving the Huskers with a quarterback question to monitor.
Will Nebraska see Williams or Brown on Halloween? Even Washington doesn’t know yet, but the Huskers should be preparing for the junior, especially after how much Williams has struggled.
Meanwhile, Nebraska volleyball keeps rolling. The Huskers are unbeaten and will host No. 13 Purdue in Lincoln on Saturday afternoon.
The bigger number there is 25 straight sets. Nebraska has not dropped a set since September 20, and the only set loss in that stretch came when FGCU took the third set against the Huskers. Since then, Dani Busboom Kelly’s team has looked every bit like a juggernaut.
In Other News...
Nebraska Still Waits On One Key Piece For Oregon Game
Nebraska enters its matchup with Oregon carrying a familiar week-of-game injury report, and the biggest name to watch on the defensive side remains Riley Van Poppel. The Cornhuskers have several moving pieces heading into the showdown, with Jamir Conn and Rex Guthrie already ruled out and Preston Taumua listed as probable, leaving the staff to sort through availability as kickoff approaches.
Oregon has its own uncertainty to manage, with receiver Evan Stewart also listed as doubtful and the Ducks trending toward Brock Thomas at quarterback. For Nebraska, the waiting game is less about surprise than it is about whether one more key piece can be available in time, and that decision could shape how the Huskers try to match up in a game that already has plenty of lineup questions attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Already Has An Early Problem To Clean Up
Nebraskas preseason tune-up has already produced more questions than answers. The Cornhuskers dropped both of their exhibition games, falling 79-74 to St. Louis before a 72-61 loss to BYU, and the early results have underscored how much work still remains before the games start to count.
Senior guard Cale Jacobsen tried to steady Nebraska against BYU with a team-high 15 points, but the offense never found enough rhythm against a Cougars group that got double-digit scoring from newcomers Collin Chandler and Jaxon Koehler. With one final exhibition against Kansas State set for Oct. 26, Nebraska still has a chance to smooth out the rough edges before the real season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Already Has A Problem Fans Feared Might Return
Nebraskas exhibition slate has already offered an uneasy reminder of one of last seasons recurring headaches. After dropping a second straight tune-up game, this time against BYU following the earlier loss to Saint Louis, the Cornhuskers have been pushed around by bigger, more physical opponents and have not yet found a reliable answer for the glass. The result is a familiar preseason concern for a team trying to build some early momentum before the games start counting.
The offense has not provided much cover, either, with Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager still waiting for the kind of production Nebraska needs from key pieces. Combine that with the steady stream of offensive rebounds the Huskers have surrendered, and the early warning signs are hard to ignore. Exhibition losses do not count in the standings, but they can reveal problems a coaching staff would rather not have hanging around once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]