Tag: Cornhuskers Football

Wake Forest wide receiver Jahmal Banks commits to Nebraska

Another Power Five wide receiver is transferring to Nebraska.

Another Power Five wide receiver is transferring to Nebraska. Jahmal Banks from Wake Forest announced on Twitter he is transferring to Nebraska for his final year of eligibility.

Banks played four seasons for the Demon Deacons before hitting the portal back in December 2023. Before Nebraska, the 6-foot-4, 205-pounder took trips to Wisconsin, Purdue, Notre Dame, Minnesota, and Michigan.

The former three-star prospect played in 44 games at Wake Forest and became a full-time starter last season. In the past two seasons, Banks hauled in 101 catches for 1,289 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Banks now joins a packed wide receiver room at Nebraska, joining Malachi Coleman, Jaylen Lloyd, and Jeremiah Charles, along with newcomers like Texas wide receiver Isaiah Neyor.
Along with Neyor, Banks also joins the growing number of transfers Nebraska picked up this offseason. Other transfers include running back Dante Dowdell of Oregon and offensive guard Micah Mazzccua from Florida.

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Frank Solich to be inducted into the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame

The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame added a former Husker to the class.

The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame added a former Husker to the class. Nebraska alumni Frank Solich will be the 22nd Husker to be inducted into the hall of fame and is Nebraska’s first inductee since 2022 when Zach Wiegert earned an induction.

Solich played and coached for Nebraska, serving as the Huskers’ fullback and head coach. As a fullback, Solich joined Bob Devaney’s first recruiting class and finished as a three-year letterman. In his final season, Solich was named All-Big Eight fullback and the Huskers’ 1965 team co-captain.

He still holds the school’s single-game rushing record for fullbacks, which he set in 1965 against Air Force. In the game, Solich rushed for 204 yards, which added to his season rushing total of 580 yards.

Following his playing career, Solich rejoined Nebraska’s football team as a coach in 1979, coaching the freshmen and then the running backs until 1998. Solich then took over as head coach upon Tom Osborne’s retirement and held the role until 2003 before being let go.

In his tenure as the Huskers’ head coach, Solich went 58-19, leading Nebraska to bowl games each year, including the Fiesta Bowl in 1999 and the Rose Bowl in 2001. Solich then joined the University of Ohio as its head coach and remained there until 2020, when he officially retired.

Solich finished his coaching career with a record of 173-101 in games and 7-9 in bowl games.

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Oregon running back Dante Dowdell transfers to Nebraska

Oregon running back Dante Dowdell announced that he is transferring to the Huskers for the upcoming season.

Nebraska football received its second big transfer in less than 24 hours after its first. Oregon running back Dante Dowdell announced that he is transferring to the Huskers for the upcoming season.

Dowdell enters the 2024 season as a sophomore after playing his freshman year at Oregon. The four-star recruit out of Picayune, Mississippi native came out of high school rushing for 5,301 yards and 65 touchdowns.

The six-foot-two 215 pounder competed in six games for the Ducks in his first year. Across the six games, Dowdell rushed for 90 yards off 17 carries and a touchdown. Dowdell’s big game came against Portland State, where he finished with 55 yards and a touchdown off eight carries.

Dowdell joins a deep running back room for Nebraska, who finished second in the Big Ten in yards per game. Dowdell is also joining Texas wide receiver Isaiah Neyor as big transfers coming to Nebraska.

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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.

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.

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.

Husker football pulls away in 17-9 win over Northwestern

The 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium saw a wild showdown.

The 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium saw a wild showdown. In the first few minutes of the game, Nebraska found itself in a disastrous position against Northwestern. The Huskers’ two first drives resulted in two straight interceptions, giving the Wildcats prime field position. But Nebraska stepped up and fended off Northwestern when it counted, resulting in a 17-9 2023 win.

Heinrich Haarberg stumbled out of the gate with the two interceptions. But he went the rest of the game without any costly errors. Haarberg threw eight completions off 17 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he ran for 72 yards and a touchdown off 16 rushes. Emmett Johnson led the Huskers in rushing yards in the win, going for 73 yards off 12 carries.

Though Northwestern finished with more total offensive yards than Nebraska, the Huskers’ defense kept the Wildcats to just nine points. The Blackshirts brought the pressure, delivering eight total sacks in the game.

But the Huskers also struggled to put points on the board. However, each time Nebraska scored, it was big. Haarberg’s rushing touchdown handed the Huskers the lead and his 44-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman extended that lead to 17-6.

With the win, Nebraska moves to 4-3. The last time the Huskers got to four wins before the last game of the season was in 2019, when they defeated Northwestern 13-10 to move to 4-2. Nebraska will remain at home next Saturday against Purdue. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and can be viewed on FS1.

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.

Nebraska football blown out by No. 2 Michigan 45-7

The Huskers fall to 2-3 on the season.

The Huskers entered the ultimate storm of the 2023 season, hosting No. 2 Michigan in a David and Goliath showdown. But the Wolverines’ first touchdown, a helmet catch from Roman Wilson, showed how stacked the cards were against Nebraska as it was blown out 45-7.

The Husker’s lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter. Senior receiver turned running back Josh Fleeks took his only handoff of the game and went 74 yards for a touchdown. Fleek’s only run of the game made him the team’s leading rusher, as the offense rushed for just 106 total yards. Heinrich Haarberg started once again for Nebraska at quarterback, finishing 14-of-25 with 199 passing yards.

This added to the offense’s total of 305 yards in the game. However, 126 came in the fourth quarter, with 74 yards coming from Fleeks’ touchdown run. In the first three quarters, Michigan tallied 368 yards on offense, leading to five touchdowns. The Wolverines ended the day with 436 total yards on offense, with 249 yards on the ground, the most Nebraska’s surrendered all season.

The Huskers fall to 2-3 on the season, but their most challenging game of the season has now passed them. Nebraska will travel to Champaign, Illinois, to face off against the Fighting Illini. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night and can be viewed on FS1.

Nebraska football takes down Louisiana Tech 28-14

The Nebraska football team hosted its second game of the season on Saturday afternoon.

The Nebraska football team hosted its second game of the season on Saturday afternoon. After taking down Northern Illinois to improve to 1-2, the Huskers welcomed in Louisiana Tech. Though Nebraska snatched win number two for the 2023 season, it was closer than last week’s victory, walking away with a 28-14 win.

Heinrich Haarberg started for Nebraska for the second straight week and led the Huskers both in the pass and ground games. Haarberg went 8-of-17 in the air for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 157 yards and one touchdown off 19 carries. Haarberg’s touchdown run came off a huge 72-yard option, which put Nebraska up 28-7 with over 11 minutes to go in the game.

Anthony Grant and Thomas Fidone II also found their way into the endzone for the second straight week. Grant scored on the ground off a two-yard run, adding to his 135-yard rushing on the day. Fidone had only one catch in the game but made a big one, scoring a 29-yard touchdown.

Billy Kemp IV finished as the top receiver for the Huskers, hauling in five catches for 62 yards. Kemp also scored Nebraska’s first touchdown of the game off a jet sweep, which came after a fake field goal by the Huskers. Louisiana Tech responded quickly to the score, running in for a touchdown on its next drive.

Nebraska’s defense, however, delivered another big showing in the run game, holding the Bulldogs to 46 total yards. The Huskers did surrender 292 passing yards, 146 of them coming in the fourth quarter, which led to Louisiana Tech’s second touchdown. Another significant factor in the game was the Bulldogs’ penalties. Louisiana Tech surrendered 12 penalties for 100 yards, which halted many of its drives and even kept some of Nebraska’s drives alive.

The Huskers improve to 2-2 on the season but face a significant task next week as they welcome in No. 2 Michigan. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and can be viewed on FOX.