Just 18 days out from Nebraska’s 2026 season opener against the Ohio Bobcats, it’s a good time to take another walk through the Huskers’ most unforgettable moments since 2010.
There were plenty to choose from, but this list settles on 18 plays that still jump off the page.
At No. 18, Nebraska’s 2025 Hail Mary against Michigan gave the Huskers a lift right before halftime.
Facing the 21st-ranked Wolverines, the Nebraska quarterback connected with Jacory Barney Jr. on a 52-yard jump ball to tie the game at 17-17 heading into the break. Nebraska still fell 30-27, but the play flipped the mood in a hurry.
One spot ahead of that came another 2025 highlight, and this one had all the ingredients of a viral Nebraska clip. Nyziah Hunter turned a short opening into a 59-yard touchdown catch and run against Michigan State, a play that wound up being called the “knockout punch.” Hunter reached 21.9 mph and crossed the goal line with only one cleat after losing his left shoe on a missed Spartan tackle.
Emmett Johnson lands at No. 16 after making Nebraska history. He became the first Nebraska running back to post 100-plus rushing yards and 100-plus receiving yards in the same game, and his 56-yard screen pass touchdown down the left sideline put the Huskers ahead 14-7 in a 28-21 win.
Nebraska’s 2019 trip to Boulder produced another play that belongs on this kind of list. Maurice Washington ripped off a 75-yard touchdown against Colorado, answering right after the Buffaloes had trimmed the gap to three with a 96-yard touchdown of their own. The Huskers needed that one, and they got it.
There was also the wild regular-season finale against Iowa, when Nebraska dug out of a 17-point hole against the Hawkeyes. Tommy Armstrong Jr. helped fuel the comeback in what became a rare high-scoring meeting between the Big Ten rivals. Two long punt returns kept the Huskers alive, and Kenny Bell finished the job in overtime with his second touchdown of the day to end a two-game losing streak against the border-state rival.
Back in 2012, Nebraska walked into East Lansing needing a win to stay tied with Michigan in the Big Ten Legends Division. The Huskers were ranked 20th and sitting at 6-2 when Taylor Martinez hit Jamal Turner for a five-yard touchdown with six seconds left to beat Michigan State 28-24.
One year earlier, Nebraska was fifth in the national rankings and staring at a 20-6 deficit against Texas with a little more than three minutes left. Justin Tucker’s pooch punt set up Eric Hagg, who answered with a school-record 95-yard return that briefly gave the Huskers life in the highly anticipated matchup.
Jordan Westerkamp’s behind-the-back catch against Florida Atlantic didn’t carry the same weight as some of the bigger moments on this list, but it’s still the kind of play fans don’t forget. The body control and concentration made it one of the most eye-catching grabs Nebraska has had since 2010.
The top ten starts with Josh Mitchell’s 57-yard fumble return touchdown against Miami. Nebraska, ranked 24th and still unbeaten, used that score to push its lead to 10 late in the third quarter before going on to win 41-31.
Ameer Abdullah’s name shows up more than once, and it’s easy to see why. His 43-yard run against Illinois in 2013 featured the burst, balance, and broken tackles that made him such a problem for defenses. It came off an option pitch from Tommy Armstrong Jr. and ended in the end zone to stretch the Nebraska lead to 25.
Then there was Kenny Bell’s famous block in the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin’s Devin Smith. The hit was so violent it still gets talked about, even though it was eventually wiped out by a penalty that some still question.
In the 2014 Gator Bowl against Todd Gurley’s Georgia team, Quincy Enunwa delivered the kind of play that can define a game. He had two touchdowns, but the one that stands out most is his 99-yard score in the third quarter, the longest offensive play in program history and the one that earned him game MVP honors.
Taylor Martinez also authored one of the strangest and most electric runs on the list in a loss to UCLA. With Nebraska involved in an offense shootout, Martinez kept the read option and sprinted 92 yards through the middle for a touchdown, a run that put him second on the Bruins’ list for longest rushing touchdowns allowed.
Kenny Bell makes another appearance with his 99-yard kickoff return at Penn State. With a wintry mix falling and Beaver Stadium loud around him, Bell flipped the game by giving Nebraska a 14-13 lead on the way to a 23-20 overtime win.
The seventh-ranked Michigan State Spartans were stunned in 2015 when Tommy Armstrong Jr. drove Nebraska 91 yards in 38 seconds. The march ended with a 30-yard touchdown to Brandon Reilly, giving the Huskers a one-point lead with 17 seconds left. The score survived video review, and it remains Nebraska’s last win over a top-10 team.
Martinez shows up again from that same 2012 Wisconsin game, this time with a scrambling touchdown that looked almost impossible. He escaped pressure with all four Wisconsin defensive linemen eventually in the backfield, then took it 76 yards to the end zone. Nebraska was blown out that night, but the play stuck.
Ameer Abdullah’s 58-yard game-winning touchdown against McNeese State is another reminder of how dangerous he was in space. What looked like a routine checkdown became a last-minute escape, as Nebraska was tied 24-24 with less than a minute left before Abdullah turned it into the winning score.
And at No. 1, it has to be Jordan Westerkamp’s 2013 Hail Mary against Northwestern. Ron Kellogg III launched a 49-yard prayer, Westerkamp answered, and the redshirt freshman hauled in the tipped ball before falling into the end zone for the walk-off finish.
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