Tag: 2023 Nebraska Football Season

Huskers lose 13-10 heartbreaker to No. 17 Iowa

It all came down to this for Nebraska football.

It all came down to this for Nebraska football. A Black Friday game at home on Senior Day against No. 17 Iowa. Both teams found ways all season to either win or lose. That didn’t change today as the Huskers and the Hawkeyes found a way. For Nebraska, it was a way to lose, and for Iowa, it was a way to win.

For the third time this season, the Huskers watched as their opponent kicked the go-ahead field goal to take a 13-10 win. Yet somehow, this one was the most remarkable. Tied 10-10 with less than a minute to go, Tommi Hill picked off Iowa’s Deacon Hill to give Nebraska an opportunity to get into field goal range. But then a few plays later, Chubba Purdy threw an interception, putting the Hawkeyes in field goal range.

Purdy’s lone interception, along with his second-quarter fumble, resulted in both of Iowa’s field goals on the afternoon. He finished the game with 189 yards passing and a touchdown pass.

Freshman Jaylen Lloyd once again was on the receiving end of Purdy’s touchdown pass, this time hauling in a 66-yard bomb and turning on the jets to take it for the score. Freshman Tristan Alvano went 1-of-2 in field goal kicking, nailing a 44-yarder with the wind to his back and missing a 44-yarder into the wind.

Nebraska’s defense put together another big showing, despite once again coming up short. The Blackshirts held Deacon Hill to 94 yards passing, along with picking him off once. Though it surrendered 163 yards rushing, Nebraska’s defense made up for it in field goal blocking. The Huskers blocked two field goals in the loss, keeping them in the game. However, Iowa found a way to sneak off with the win.

The Huskers finish the regular season at 5-7, their best season since 2019, but will not be bowl-eligible. If Nebraska isn’t selected, it will be the seventh straight year without a bowl game trip.

Nebraska falls in overtime to Wisconsin

Based off the first two drives, it seemed as though Nebraska came to dominate on offense against Wisconsin.

Based on the first two drives, it seemed as though Nebraska came to dominate on offense against Wisconsin. But those hopes were soon extinguished on a gutsy fourth-down call by head coach Matt Rhule. Instead of attempting a 50-yard field, the Huskers went for it on fourth and one, only to be halted by the Badgers.

Then everything changed. Wisconsin outscored Nebraska 24-3 from there on out, resulting in a 24-17 overtime win for the Badgers.

Chubba Purdy earned the start for the Huskers and delivered the best showing by a Nebraska quarterback in the last few weeks. Purdy threw for 169 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown. Purdy’s touchdown pass saw him throw a dot to freshman Jaylen Lloyd, who broke a tackle and took off for a score.

But Nebraska never found its way into the endzone after that. Tristan Alvano sent the game into overtime with a 30-yard field goal after missing a 42-yarder earlier, but the inconsistent offensive play resulted in the loss.

Despite surrendering 24 points, the defense made big stops on the night, including back-to-back fourth down stops and holding Braelon Allen to just 62 yards rushing. Allen did score two touchdowns as Wisconsin slowly but surely worked its way into the endzone each time.

Nebraska falls to 5-6 on the season and will return home to host Iowa on Friday afternoon. The Huskers need to win their season finale to become bowl-eligible. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on CBS.

Turnovers doom Nebraska football in 13-10 loss to Maryland

The Huskers spent the entire season struggling to perform on offense.

The Huskers spent the entire season struggling to perform on offense. Nebraska averaged under 20 points and over two turnovers per game, with two quarterbacks heading into its Saturday showdown with Maryland. Somehow, the Huskers’ offense hit rock bottom, losing to the Terrapins 13-10.

Nebraska saw three quarterbacks sit under center throughout the game: Heinrich Haarberg, Jeff Sims, and Chubba Purdy. The trio combined for 86 passing yards, 66 rushing yards and five turnovers. Haarberg got the start but was benched after an interception and an injury. Sims took over and helped Nebraska score all 10 points. But he threw two interceptions and fumbled once.

Purdy then came in on what would be Nebraska’s final drive and almost led the Huskers to a game-winning score. But threw an interception in the endzone, which ended up being the play of the game for Maryland. The Terrapins marched down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal on the next drive for the win. They only scored six points off the five turnovers, but it was enough to secure a win.

This overshadowed the rest of Nebraska’s play in the game, as they rushed for 183 yards and held Maryland to its lowest-scoring scoring performance of the season, as well as forcing three turnovers.

The Huskers now stand at 5-5 on the regular season and will travel to Wisconsin next Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be viewed on NBC.

Matt Rhule gives honest answer about Scott Frost’s tenure

Scott Frost went 16-31 in his four-plus seasons on the sideline in Lincoln.

Since becoming Nebraska’s head football coach, Matt Rhule has been asked multiple times about the previous man in charge, Scott Frost. The current head coach has always spoken positively of the former Husker, even referring to him as a friend at his introductory press conference.

With Nebraska’s 2023 record standing at 5-4, Rhule was asked by Andy Staples of On3 about the process-oriented philosophy of the current roster. The head coach said that Frost and his staff played a significant role in creating that culture.

“It has been amazing. I think it’s a credit to Scott Frost and his staff. To me, if you’re a smart coach? You follow good staffs. I remember watching Urban Meyer, one of the coaches I look up to, and he followed Gary Blackney. He followed coaches that had taught guys the right things. So I try to emulate that. I have a lot of respect for Scott.”

Scott Frost went 16-31 in his four-plus seasons on the sideline in Lincoln. He is not currently coaching but has been linked to several possible head coach and offensive coordinator vacancies for next season.

Find a photo gallery of Scott Frost’s Nebraska coaching career below.

Nebraska football comes up short against Michigan State

The Huskers traveled to East Lansing, Michigan for a chance to punch their ticket to a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

The Huskers traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, for a chance to punch their ticket to a bowl game for the first time since 2016. This ended up being easier said than done. Nebraska hit the roadblock that was Michigan State. The Huskers battled the Spartans and saw numerous opportunities to win. The options fell by the wayside, resulting in a 20-17 loss for Nebraska.

The Huskers’ offense saw most of these opportunities but struggled to take advantage of them. Their biggest came in the fourth quarter. After scoring a touchdown to cut the deficit to three, Nebraska got the ball back with over two minutes left. The Huskers fumbled, resulting in a Michigan State takeaway. Nebraska got the ball one more time with under a minute left but once again failed to take advantage.

Heinrich Haarberg went 12-of-28 for 129 yards and two interceptions, his worst outing as Nebraska’s starting quarterback this season. Haarberg also rushed for 37 yards off 14 carries and a touchdown. However, they also fumbled twice, one resulting in a turnover and the other on the team’s final drive.

Freshman Emmett Johnson led the charge for the Huskers in rushing, going for 57 yards and a touchdown off 13 carries. This all culminated in just 17 points, an ongoing flaw that finally caught up with Nebraska’s defense. The Blackshirts held the Spartans to just 63 yards rushing but surrendered 232 yards passing and two touchdowns.

The Huskers fall to 5-4 and will face three difficult opponents for its remaining regular-season outings. They will travel back home to host Maryland next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on Peacock.

Nebraska Football vs Michigan State: Which Huskers are out for Saturday’s game?

One of the Cornhuskers top players on offense is listed as questionable for today’s matchup

Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Big Ten matchup in East Lansing between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Michigan State Spartans, the Big Ten released the player availability reports for both programs.

For the Cornhuskers, it’s another small injury report. Wide receiver Billy Kemp who was out last week has been upgraded to questionable for this week. If Kemp can go, he’ll step back into the role as the Huskers top wide receiver. So far this season, Kemp has totaled 21 receptions for 216 yards and one touchdown.

Listed as out this week for the Huskers is freshman defensive lineman Princewill Umanmielen as well as redshirt freshman Kaine Williams. Notably, Offensive lineman Nouredin Nouili who was listed as out for last week’s matchup against Pittsburgh is not listed on the injury report.

For the Spartans, 12 players are listed as out for Saturday’s game headlined by tight end Maliq Carr and quarterback Noah Kim. Carr has been one of the Spartans’ top receiving threats this season with 19 receptions for 201 yards.

With Noah Kim not at quarterback today, expect the Spartans to turn to Katin Houser as the likely starter but backup quarterback Sam Leavitt could see some run in the game as well.

The Cornhuskers and Spartans are scheduled to kickoff at 11:00 a.m. CT with the game televised on FS1.

Nebraska football overcomes miscues en route to 31-14 win over Purdue

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case.

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case. The Huskers delivered a strong showing in the victory over the Boilermakers, but it was anything but consistent.

The offense scored three touchdowns and a field goal, but also lost three fumbles, resulting in Purdue’s 14 total points. The second touchdown came off a fourth down strip fumble on Jeff Sims, which Purdue took 55 yards to the house. Special teams also put the ball on the ground a few times, losing the ball on the opening kickoff and nearly giving up the ball during a punt return. But despite the major miscues, Nebraska stood its ground.

Heinrich Haarberg went 6-of-11 in the air but threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas Fidone II and freshman Jaylen Lloyd were on the receiving end of those touchdown passes. Fidone hauled in a one-yard catch for a touchdown, while Lloyd was all alone for his 73-yard touchdown. Emmett Johnson scored the final touchdown, running up the middle for a 28-yard score to put the game away.

The Blackshirts were the shining light in the game once again for Nebraska. The Huskers held Purdue to under 100 yards in both rushing and passing. This is the first time Nebraska has accomplished this achievement since 2012 when it defeated Minnesota 38-14. The Blackshirts also recovered a fumble, snatched two interceptions and blocked a field goal and took it for a touchdown.

Tommi Hill hauled in both interceptions for Nebraska, while Quinton Newsome ran the blocked field goal back for a touchdown.

Nebraska is now 5-3 on the season, its first five-win season since 2019. The Huskers will travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Saturday, with a win punching their ticket to a bowl game. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on FS1.

Nebraska Football vs Purdue: What Cornhuskers are out or questionable?

The Cornhuskers will be without two starters for their Big Ten West matchup against Purdue on Saturday

Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Big Ten West clash at Memorial Stadium, the player availability reports for both Nebraska and Purdue were released by the Big Ten.

For the Cornhuskers, it is a small injury report this week with wide receiver Billy Kemp and offensive lineman Nouredin Nouili out for the game. Kemp suffered an MCL sprain in the Huskers’ win over Northwestern last week and is expected to miss a few weeks with the injury. Nouili is also expected to be out for a few weeks for the Huskers with an injury that has not been disclosed.

Kemp entered this week as the Huskers’ top wide receiver with 21 receptions for 216 yards and one touchdown while Nouili had been the starting right guard for the Huskers over the first seven weeks of the season. With Nouili out, sophomore Henry Lutovsky is expected to take over the starting duties at the right guard position this week.

For Purdue, the Boilermakers will be without wide receiver Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen. In six games this season, Yaseen totaled 25 receptions for 329 yards, averaging 13.2 yards per reception. Also out for Purdue are defensive lineman Damarjhe Lewis, offensive lineman Scotty Humpich, and offensive lineman Luke Griffin are all listed as out. Redshirt freshman kicker Julio Macias and offensive lineman Mahamane Moussa are both listed as questionable.

Mahamane Moussa has started all seven of the Boilermakers games at left tackle this season. His availability will be a key one to watch on Saturday afternoon. With Julio Macias out, the Boilermakers will look toward Ben Freehill to take over the kicking duties. Freehill is 10-for-11 in extra point attempts and 1-for-3 in field goal opportunities.

The Cornhuskers and Boilermakers are scheduled to kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT with the game televised on FS1.

Former Husker quarterback on Nebraska’s offense ‘your running back has to be your leading rusher’

What are the keys to a successful offense?

What are the keys to a successful offense? One former Husker quarterback has strong thoughts regarding the current Nebraska offensive philosophy and whether or not it’s a recipe for success long term.

Adrian Martinez appeared on Big Red Wrap-Up and was asked about the importance of a quarterback running game and how to create an offense that can experience success long term.

This is just my opinion, and it might upset some people but your running back has to be your leading rusher. Has to be, for sustained success. I believe in that. Now you find ways to win and that’s all good… to have the run game first it has to be the running back with a quarterback as a compliment and tie in play action because play action is the best pass game.

Nebraska’s leading rusher is QB Heinrich Haarberg who has amassed 424 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Anthony Grant is the leading rusher for the backs with 302 yards and three touchdowns. Martinez played at Nebraska from 2018-21 before transferring to Kansas State last season. In
his Husker career, he went 14-24 as a starter in Lincoln.

For his career, he would throw for 9,391 yards and 49 touchdowns with 30 interceptions. He also ran for 2,847 yards and 44 touchdowns.

He led the Huskers in rushing yards for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He would spend his first NFL training camp as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions. Matinez was cut following the preseason.

Find a photo gallery of Adrian Martinez’s playing career below.

Husker football fends off Illinois to win 20-7

Nebraska hit the road for a Friday night lights matchup with conference foe Illinois.

Nebraska hit the road for a Friday night lights matchup with conference foe Illinois. Both teams were coming off tough losses and were looking to right the ship. Mistakes plagued the Huskers and the Fighting Illini throughout the night. But Nebraska managed to make the most of them, pulling away from Illinois in a tense 20-7 win.

The Huskers’ defense returned to form following the blowout loss to Michigan, announcing it with a major goal-line stand on the first drive of the game. Illinois finished with just 21 rushing yards, forcing quarterback Luke Altmyer to throw 47 total passes. Altmeyer completed 29 of those passes for 289 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Issac Gifford led the charge for the Blackshirts, finishing the night with eight total tackles, four solo tackles, three pass breakups, and 0.5 tackles for loss. Gifford and the defense delivered big plays for Nebraska, including a forced fumble, an interception, a blocked punt, and even a kickoff recovery.

This gave Heinrich Haarberg and the Husker offense numerous opportunities to score. Haarberg finished the game 12-of-24 through the air, throwing for 154 yards and one interception. On the ground, Nebraska rushed for 158 total yards, with Haarberg leading the way with 82 yards and a touchdown. Haarberg’s touchdown came following the kickoff recovery, which came following a touchdown run by Anthony Grant.

But missed opportunities, ten penalties, and three turnovers by Nebraska’s offense kept Illinois alive throughout the second half. Following the forced fumble, Nebraska only produced a field goal, which made it the 20-7 final score.

Unlike its previous outings, Nebraska’s defense managed to fend off the Fighting Illini, forcing its third fourth-down stand on the night with under two minutes to play. The Huskers ran out the clock from there to seal their first victory over Illinois since 2019.

Nebraska, for the third straight year, stands at 3-3 through six games and enters its bye week. The Huskers will return from the bye week and host Northwestern to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Memorial Stadium. The kickoff time for the game is to be announced.