Tag: Nebraska Cornhuskers Football

Wisconsin versus Nebraska football series history

Will Wisconsin get a much-needed victory over Nebraska?

The Badgers football team (5-5) will host Nebraska (5-5) on Saturday night at Camp Randall at 6:30PM. The two programs have faced each other 16 total times throughout their football history with Wisconsin owning a 12-4 overall record against their Big Ten foe.

Over the last 10 matchups, the Badgers have gone 9-1 but they have won the last nine matchups including last year, when they took down the Cornhuskers 15-14.

The most notable storyline for the contest is the fact that the Badgers are coming in riding a three-game losing streak and they are now toeing the line of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2001.

Luke Fickell and his Wisconsin squad are in must-win mode in their final home game of the year, otherwise their bowl chances will come down to their road matchup with Minnesota next week.

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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.

Big 12 Bowl Projections: Sooners face Utes in latest from USA TODAY Sports

After two straight losses, the Sooners are headed to the Alamo Bowl in latest USA TODAY Sports bowl projections.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a good year. In the midst of a two-game losing streak, that may not be the thing we want to talk about, but they’ve been good. Good enough to get to the College Football Playoff? No. To make the Big 12 title game? That’s not completely off the table.

They’ve made improvements on the defensive side of the ball, in particular, that provide enough encouragement that this program is heading in the right direction. In 2022, the Sooners allowed their opponents to score more than 30 points seven times. In 2023, that’s only happened twice.

The Sooners still have a lot to play for. Drake Stoops, a player who’s become synonymous with “OUDNA,” said as much when he met with the media.

With three games remaining, the Sooners have a chance to make a statement. They can show off the resiliency that’s been a characteristic of this team in 2023. And in those three games, continue to make strides as a football program.

As for where their postseason fate lies, here’s where Big 12 programs are headed in the latest bowl projections from USA TODAY Sports.

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 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.

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.

Nebraska football falls to Colorado 36-14

Nebraska football falls to No. 22 Colorado 36-14

The Huskers faced a daunting task this week, travel out to Boulder, Colorado for a showdown against the Prime Time No. 22 Buffaloes. After blowing a 10-3 lead to Minnesota in week one, Nebraska once again suffered from its mistakes, resulting in a 36-14 loss.

The offensive struggles continued for Nebraska, despite moving up and down the field multiple times. Instead, it produced three fumbles, an interception and a missed field goal. This resulted in Colorado scoring 16 points off turnovers, which added to the 20 points given up by the Nebraska defense.

The Nebraska run game put up a solid performance, finishing with 222 total yards and having three different players rush for over 60 yards. But in the air, there were just 119 yards, 106 of those by Jeff Sims, who also had the three fumbles and interception.

Sims did rush for a touchdown on the first second-half drive, making it 13-7. But the offense couldn’t produce another touchdown drive until it was 36-7 with less than a minute to go.

Meanwhile, for Colorado, Shedeur Sanders put together another big game. Though he struggled in the first half, outside of Nebraska’s turnovers, he and the Buffaloes aerial game got things going in the second half. Sanders finished with 393 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown but finished with -16 yards on the ground.

Nebraska’s defense did come in fighting, even producing eight total sacks. But with the Husker offense not picking up steam and making costly mistakes, the defense caved in enough for Colorado to pull away.

Nebraska falls to 0-2 on the season for the first time since 2020. The team returns to Lincoln for its home opener against Northern Illinois next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. and can be viewed on Fox Sports 1.

Husker football falls to Minnesota in season opener

Despite all the new, it seemed to be same old Nebraska.

Nebraska enters the 2023 season with a new head coach, a new coaching staff, and many new players. But despite all the new, it seemed to be the same old Nebraska as the Huskers blew a 10-3 lead to Minnesota to fall 13-10 to open the year.

The Golden Gophers’ win came off the foot of Dragan Kesich, who nailed a 46-yard field goal as time expired. Kesich’s kick came following two straight Nebraska drives, resulting in turnovers and ten total points for Minnesota. The Huskers also suffered numerous penalties, suffering seven on the night, resulting in a loss of 55 total yards, including one on the goal line right before halftime.

Outside of that, it was a tense battle throughout. Only three points were scored in the first half, which was by Kesich to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead. Right before halftime, the Huskers attempted to score a touchdown with 11 seconds left. The choice resulted in an interception and no points, which came back to haunt Nebraska in the end.

But the Huskers opened the second half up with a bang. Rahmir Johnson kicked things off by returning the kickoff 65 yards to set his team up. Then, off a broken play, Jeff Sims took a botched lateral from Anthony Grant and found a wide-open Alex Bullock for a 34-yard touchdown.

Outside of three interceptions on the night, Sims went 11-of-19 through the air for 114 yards. He also rushed for 91 yards off 19 carries. Later in the game, Omar Brown snatched an interception, leading to Tristan Alvano extending Nebraska’s lead to 10-3 off a 27-yard field goal.

Then, with less than five minutes left, Grant fumbled, setting the Golden Gophers up near midfield. This led to Athan Kaliakmanis nailing a pass to Daniel Jackson on fourth down for a 13-yard touchdown, tying the game with 2:32 left.

Sims followed it up with a backbreaking interception with less than a minute left. It all culminated with a game-winning field goal by Kesich, sealing the defeat for the Huskers.

This is the fourth straight season Nebraska opens the season with a loss. The team’s next game will be at Colorado on Sept. 9. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on FOX.