Nebraska
Donovan Jones Urges Huskers to use Bowl Prep to Set the Tone for Nebraska’s Future
Nebraska football has entered a three-week runway of bowl preparation, and for one of the youngest rosters in the country, it’s a critical window for growth.
Every rep matters, and this month offers the team a chance to reset and respond after a discouraging close to the regular season.
For redshirt freshman cornerback Donovan Jones, it’s a second go-around with bowl prep, but the stakes feel different now. A year removed from using this same stretch to make his own jump, Jones enters December 2025 with starting experience and a much deeper understanding of what these practices can mean for younger players. Meeting with the media earlier this week, he broke down the progress he’s made in his expanded role and outlined what still needs to improve heading into 2026.
With that in mind, here’s everything the up-and-coming cornerback had to say during his time at the mic.
For Jones, bowl preparation has already proven to be more than just extra practice time. After redshirting in 2024, the weeks between the regular season and the bowl game became a turning point in his development, offering a volume of reps that simply weren’t available once the season was underway. With a single game to prepare for and a sharper focus on individual growth, that stretch provided Jones a runway to refine his skills and build confidence across multiple roles in the secondary.
“I’ve told a couple of the younger corners, I was playing both safety and corner during the bowl prep, just getting a whole bunch of reps. And that’s where I made my little jump. And then obviously when I got put in the bowl game, it showed,” Jones said. The versatility he gained during that stretch allowed him to transition more comfortably when his number was called. And 12 months later, Jones has already started 10 games in his collegiate career.
Now, on the other side of that experience, the Omaha native understands the value of the process better than most. Rather than viewing bowl prep as additional work, he sees it as an extension of the season itself and one that younger players can take advantage of, if willing. With a starting role already secured this fall, Jones is approaching this go-around with purpose, hoping the same formula that sparked his initial jump can serve as a springboard towards even more growth in 2026.
While looking forward to his team’s next test, Jones didn’t shy away from addressing Nebraska’s late-season struggles, pointing directly to a lack of physicality as the defining issue in the losses to Penn State and Iowa. For the Huskers, the breakdown wasn’t necessarily schematic. The soon-to-be sophomore said it was about tone. When Nebraska failed to control the line of scrimmage, the results quickly followed.
“We were just getting beat physically. That’s just not how we can be at Nebraska,” Jones said. “We need to be the one beating on people. We need to be the most violent team in the country. We didn’t do that those last two games, and it showed.” The blunt assessment reflects a growing maturity within the underclassmen and a player learning what the standard must look like on a weekly basis.
That mindset has carried into bowl preparation, where physicality has become a focal point rather than an afterthought. From Jones’ words, practices have emphasized a sustained effort from everyone on the field. For a defense trying to find its identity under new leadership, the lessons from November now serve as fuel, reinforcing what Nebraska must become if it expects to take the next step in 2026.
As Nebraska prepares to face Utah, Jones views the bowl game as a measuring stick for how much the team will grow over the next month. With a physical opponent on deck and a national stage awaiting in Las Vegas, the opportunity to respond comes now. For the Blackshirts able to return next fall, it’s a chance to apply the lessons learned late in the season and show tangible growth before turning the page.
For Jones specifically, bowl prep represents another milestone in his development. A year ago, extra reps helped kickstart his rise. Now, with a full season of starting experience behind him, he’s entering this stretch with clearer expectations of what it takes to play at a high level in the Big Ten. The focus is no longer on earning opportunities, but maximizing them.
That progression mirrors Nebraska’s trajectory as a program. With a young roster, new leadership across the staff, and an offseason ahead filled with competition, moments like these carry added weight. How the Huskers finish will help shape the foundation for 2026. And for players like Jones, the bowl game serves as both a test and a preview of what’s to come.
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The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 2.
Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing
02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing
21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing
7-5-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing
03-08-09-17-25
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 2 drawing
Red Balls: 14-26, White Balls: 17-18
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from March 2 drawing
Month: 05, Day: 03, Year: 23
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing
28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
NioCorp announced Monday that it plans to start work on its critical minerals mine in southeast Nebraska.
The project, which the company is calling its mine portal project, will involve building a main entrance to the Elk Creek underground mine and will serve as the primary access point for personnel, equipment, and materials for the underground mining operations. It also will include excavating bedrock, drilling and blasting to establish the twin mine ramps, on-site access road construction, and construction of on-site supporting infrastructure.
The project, which will cost nearly $45 million, is set to get underway before the end of the month. It marks the first time Colorado-based NioCorp will actually start any significant work on the main mine, from which the company hopes to extract niobium, scandium, titanium and other minerals.
“Given the size of this excavation work, the portal project really marks the beginning of a major pre-construction activity at the Elk Creek Project site and is an important step toward preparing for underground development,” Scott Honan, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said in a release.
Mark A. Smith, Niocorp’s chairman and CEO, called the project, “a significant milestone.”
Niocorp has spent more than 15 years trying to develop the mine on land in Johnson County, about 65 miles southeast of Lincoln.
The company still needs to raise a significant amount of money to make the $1.2 billion mine a reality, though. In December, NioCorp said it had raised about $360 million, or a little more than a quarter of the total cost. It is still waiting for approval of a $780 million debt financing application from the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 1.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 1 drawing
7-6-5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 1 drawing
04-20-28-30-39
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 1 drawing
Red Balls: 02-10, White Balls: 25-26
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from March 1 drawing
Month: 11, Day: 28, Year: 38
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing
10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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