Nebraska
Four Observations From Nebraska Football’s Loss to Iowa
LINCOLN—Nebraska and Iowa met for a Black Friday battle with both teams at 7-4.
By the end of the day, Iowa was 8-4, and Nebraska’s 7-5 record felt like a gut punch from another rivalry loss to the Hawkeyes. Below are four observations from the game.
“That’s unacceptable.”
– Nebraska coach Matt Rhule after the loss
Let’s begin with a couple of notes that went Nebraska’s way.
The Blackshirts opened the game with a pair of three straight three-and-outs, even with the latter ending in a field goal. In the first quarter, Iowa managed just 2.6 yards per carry.
On special teams, Nebraska recovered a kickoff that Iowa mistakenly let fall. Kyle Cunanan made all three of his field goals.
With those out of the way, oof. Bad misses galore.
On Nebraska’s first kickoff, head coach Matt Rhule and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler elected to challenge Iowa returner Kaden Wetjen. Through 11 games, he averaged nearly 30 yards a return on kickoffs with one touchdown, adding three more scores on punt returns.
Wetjen took that kickoff 51 yards. A penalty moved it up another 15 yards, which meant the three-and-out by the Blackshirts still resulted in Iowa points.
“Certainly, the kickoff return and the field position tilted in the first half against us,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said after the game. “At one point, they had 10 points, and they had nine plays or something like that. I said, ‘Calm down; just keep playing.’”
In the second quarter, Iowa was picking up more than seven yards on every run. From the second quarter on, the Hawkeyes picked up 7-of-10 third downs, staying on the field longer against an increasingly tired Blackshirt unit.
That defensive unit had to spend extra time on the field in the third quarter. With Nebraska having just a pair of three-and-outs for drives in the quarter, Iowa had the ball for 12:38. The Huskers could have had another drive, but Jacory Barney Jr. got blown up while attempting to return a punt, and the ball sputtered into the end zone, which Nebraska did recover, but resulted in a safety.
The Blackshirts were eaten up by another quarterback who can make you pay with his legs. Mark Gronowski rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw just his eighth touchdown pass of the season. Gronowski’s 166 yards through the air are his most since throwing for 186 yards at Rutgers back in September.
In the punt game, Archie Wilson was forced to do most of his work into a strong south wind. The Australian averaged just 32 yards a punt, with a long of 35.
Despite a good start by the defense and moments where the special teams offered sparks, the field constantly tilted in Iowa’s favor. That’s what the Hawkeyes do under Kirk Ferentz, and they did it well again on Friday.
“To me, today was about big plays,” Rhule said. “They had control, and they ended up running. The play action off the run game and just having to do too much to sell out.”
In the same week Emmett Johnson was left off the finalist list for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back, Johnson showed that he was snubbed and should have been included.
Johnson finished with a career-high 217 yards and one touchdown on the ground. That’s the first 200-yard game by a Husker since Ameer Abdullah (225 yards) in 2014.
“I was just trying to leave it all out there on the field,” Johnson said after the game.
On the year, Johnson is up to 1,451 yards rushing. That’s good for eighth place on the NU single-season rushing chart. He also passed Abdullah (1,103 yards in 2013) for the most rushing yards in Big Ten Conference games, picking up 1,125 yards in the nine league games.
Johnson also passed Abdullah for career receiving yards, now up to fourth with 702 yards.
With 22 yards receiving, Johnson had 229 all-purpose yards on the day. He now has 1,821 all-purpose yards in 2025. That moves him onto the NU top-10 list for a single season, passing Marlon Lucky (1,743 yards in 2007), and Mike Rozier (1,790 yards in 1982) for eighth.
Johnson almost single-handedly had Nebraska in the game at halftime. He had already rushed 19 times for 177 yards and his touchdown. Within those rushing yards was his 70-yarder to set up the only touchdown Nebraska would get in the contest.
The Husker junior now has a couple of decisions to make: whether or not to play in the bowl game and whether or not to go early for the NFL draft.
“I’m just going to go back home and talk to my family and let God take over that,” Johnson said. “I’m going to take this time to just pray about everything. I love this place a lot, so I just got to go pray about it and let God decide what I’m going to do.”
November has been a tough month for Husker football fans for some time.
Nebraska is just 2-10 in the month under Matt Rhule. The Huskers have not won more than one game in November since 2016.
Since joining the Big Ten Conference, Nebraska is just 21-37. That includes going 4-0 in 2012.
“When you end the season the way we have the last two games, it has to rest solely on me,” Rhule said in his postgame opening statement.
Against Iowa, Nebraska is now 30-23-3 all-time. That includes going 3-1 in the first four years of being conference foes in the Big Ten.
But over the last decade-plus, it has been all Hawkeyes. Iowa has won 10-of-11 Black Friday contests. The lone win for the Huskers came under interim coach Mickey Joseph in 2022. The last full-time head coach for Nebraska to beat Iowa was Bo Pelini.
Nebraska’s only win over Iowa since joining the Big Ten was in the first year of the game, becoming a rivalry: 2011.
The talk from many (most? all?) of us surrounded the almost mythical boost Matt Rhule’s teams have taken in year three under him. Temple went 2-10 and 6-6 before posting back-to-back 10-win seasons. Baylor jumped from 1-11 to 7-6 to 11-3.
Nebraska has made improvements each season under Rhule. The 6-7 2023 was followed by a 7-6 last year. The Huskers are 7-5 and heading to a second straight bowl game, but these seven wins feel much further back compared to the seven wins in 2024, where Nebraska was getting over the hump by finally getting back to a bowl game and even winning it.
Hindering the potential for more wins down the stretch were injuries at the quarterback position. Dylan Raiola was lost midway through the USC game. TJ Lateef filled in admirably, leading the Huskers to a win at UCLA before struggling at Penn State and having a tough day against Iowa, which included tweaking his hamstring and limiting the type of playcalls that could involve him moving around.
“TJ got hurt early on in the game, and that limited a lot of the things that we wanted to do,” Rhule said. “(Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen) was like, ‘Hey, I’m not going to be able to move him around.’
“One of our big thoughts this game was, in the drop back game, he’d scramble around because sort of the way that they play, and we had to kind of abandon that early.”
Lateef finished 9-for-24 for 69 yards and no touchdowns through the air. This comes after another week of speculation and increased reports about Raiola’s future in Lincoln.
Ask Husker fans and media about Lateef being able to take the reins after the UCLA game? You’d have definitely received favorable answers. After the Iowa game? It might be better to roll into 2025 with some experience at that position, barring a major offseason of improvement for Lateef.
Nebraska was also playing a bunch of underclassmen all over the roster. The depth chart seemingly got younger by the week. That’s another place where another year of development could pay off handsomely for the program.
The year three bump didn’t happen, but some could also argue this was really year two (Scott Frost got a year zero!). That’s not the camp that I’m in, but whether that’s the case or not does not change how expectations lead into 2026.
Even if the record didn’t take a jump, the trajectory of the program looks improved. Questions remain ahead of signing day next week and the transfer portal in January. If the Huskers can get to next fall with this young talent making offseason jumps, the real Rhule bump could be just around the corner.
“I think people have a right to be upset with how (the season) ended,” Rhule said. “I’m going to work as hard as I can, as long as I can. I’m going to surround myself with really positive people, not toxic people, and try to continue to move the program forward.”
Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.
Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule
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They say all roads lead home, and for Daniel Kaelin, that remains true as he returns to Lincoln after a year away from the program in 2025.
The former four-star Belleview West (NE) star heads into his sophomore season in his second stint as a Husker, ready to compete for an impactful role. Though he’ll likely be on the outside looking in, in terms of earning the starting job, after gaining starting experience at his previous school, he won’t go down without a fight.
Now, after roughly a week and a half of spring football practices in the books, Kaelin met with the media Wednesday. During his time at the mic, the Nebraska native touched on a variety of topics, including his decision to come home, an ego-less quarterback room in Lincoln, and much more.
It didn’t take long for the will-be sophomore to get asked about his decision to return to Nebraska. After explaining the values he got out of his time away, Kaelin described it as something he’s as excited about as he is thankful for.
“It’s been really good,” said Kaelin. “Nebraska’s my home, and there are so many people on this team that I have a good relationship with. So, the transition has been really smooth. I’ve been enjoying being back, for sure”.
Leaving after the end of the 2024 season, Kaelin’s path towards competing for a starting job appeared to be full of obstacles. But a little over a year after he transferred to Virginia, the situation has changed dramatically. Back in the scarlet and cream, a year older and with more experience, the soon-to-be third-year player is enjoying his return, to say the least.
In his time as a Cavalier, the then-redshirt freshman saw action in seven games. Despite a sparing role, he still managed to throw for the first 339 yards of his career, while also scoring his first collegiate touchdown. Kaelin also proved to be a threat on the ground, with 12 carries for 72 yards.
In total, he amassed 400 all-purpose yards at Virginia and comes to Nebraska more battle-tested than before. Here, the 6-foot-3, 218-pounder will look to grow even more, but was asked to reflect on what he gained during his stay on the East Coast.
“It was my first time being away from home,” he said. “I think that year- doing things on my own- was probably big for me becoming an adult. I think I learned a lot about myself that way”.
Between personal development and his time on the field, Kaelin’s lone season at Virginia was not for nothing. Instead, a more mature version of the young quarterback is what the Huskers are getting back amongst their ranks. He also provides them with the third quarterback to have started a Power Four game in their career.
After discussing what he gained in his time away, Kaelin was then asked to explain how he landed back in Lincoln ahead of the 2026 season. To somewhat of a surprise, the Nebraska native suggested it wasn’t initially planned. Rather, the opportunity presented itself, and both sides agreed.
“I didn’t really even expect to be leaving the last school I was at,” Kaelin said. “Things kind of happened pretty quickly. When I got in the portal, I was able to get in touch with Coach Rhule, and when I knew that this was a possibility, it just made a lot of sense for me. It is really comfortable for me coming back home and being around people that I know”.
Using his past relationships with coaches and players such as Carter Nelson and Bode Soukup, the former in-state signal-caller is what you’d call back home. Confident, comfortable, and with a lot more to prove, he’ll look to make an impact on the field for the first time as a Husker this fall.
Kaelin was then asked to shed light on the dynamic within the quarterbacks’ room, and his response sounded similar to that of quarterback coach Glenn Thomas earlier in the day. Instead of pushing each other away due to competition, the position group is looking to help each other grow. In fact, Kaelin suggested it may be the most unified position group he’s ever been a part of, and something he views as a positive change.
“There’s egos,” he said. There’s money involved. I think that can create some tension or problems sometimes. There haven’t been any type of issues like that with the room that we have right now; it’s been great.”
While some suggest that his comment may be a back-handed dig at former signal-callers within the room, it’s clear that the Huskers no longer have an issue with competition in 2026. Instead, the group is pushing eachother to improve. And when spring ball and fall camp come to a close, the best man for the job will emerge with the others’ full support.
A big change since Kaelin was on campus in 2024 is NU’s retooled wide receiver room. After welcoming in a new position coach, the Huskers have been able to recruit, retain, and add several high-level players to the unit. When asked to offer his thoughts on the room, the will-be sophomore didn’t hold back his early praise.
“A big thing that we’ve noticed so far is we have guys that make plays,” Kaelin said. “We’ve been challenging them to- when the ball is in the air, it has got to be theirs. We don’t want 50/50 balls. They’ve got to go make plays. And so far, they’ve definitely been doing that. It’s been really impressive to watch”.
Not only are the Big Red’s pass catchers bigger, deeper, and faster than before, but it’s beginning to pay off for the offense this spring. There’s still plenty of time for the quarterbacks and wideouts to develop chemistry, but early reports suggest the relationship has started well.
For Kaelin, it was positive to see the metaphorical boy return as a man. Not only has he gained experience and found success on the field, but he’s also come back with a deeper understanding of what it takes to lead a team. By all accounts, it appears his teammates have taken a liking to him, so don’t be surprised if he sees the field in some role this upcoming fall.
Again, he’s far from guaranteed the starting job here in Lincoln and will have to beat out two players with more experience than he has. Still, it is more than likely that he will take his first snaps as a Husker at some point in 2026. Were he to take meaningful reps, the third-year sophomore has already been tested before, and that gives Nebraska reason for optimism about the room.
Overall, he sounded as if he was preparing to be more than ready when his opportunity comes. Returning home did not come without a price, but don’t expect Kaelin to remain silent his second time around. The Huskers are looking for a player who can reliably make plays, and it’s hard to argue that there would be another player in his position group who cares more about the program than he does.
Still, he’ll have to prove his skill is worthy of deserving that chance. Spring should tell a lot about where he stands.
Nebraska
In a first for Nebraska, federal judge awards attorney’s fees to immigrant who was detained without bond hearing
For the first time, a federal judge in Nebraska has awarded court costs and attorney’s fees to an immigrant who prevailed in a lawsuit challenging his detention without bond.
Senior U.S. District Court Judge John Gerrard, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, issued the ruling on Tuesday and awarded $1,535.23 to Edgar Eduardo Cadillo Salazar. Gerrard had previously ruled that Salazar’s detention at the Cass County Jail without bond was unconstitutional and ordered the government to provide him with a bond hearing or release him from custody.
Under the federal Equal Access to Justice Act, individuals and businesses that prevail in civil lawsuits against the federal government can file a motion to hold the government liable for attorney’s fees and court costs. Judges can order the government to cover those costs unless they find that the government’s position was “substantially justified,” or if “special circumstances make an award unjust.”
Before last summer, when the Department of Homeland Security revised its longstanding interpretation of statute, only immigrants who were encountered at the border or other ports of entry were subject to mandatory detention. Immigrants encountered after residing in the U.S. were typically subject to discretionary detention and eligible for a bond hearing.
The new interpretation has led to detention without bond for tens of thousands of immigrants who would have previously been eligible to bond out – and it’s led to an endless stream of wrongful detention lawsuits in Nebraska and around the country. A Reuters investigation found that federal courts have ruled against the mandatory detention policy more than 4,400 times.
In Gerrard’s order granting Salazar’s request for attorney’s fees, he said the government’s position that all undocumented immigrants are ineligible for bond hearings was not substantially justified.
“This ‘new understanding’ of a decades-old statute has resulted in the government detaining hundreds of thousands of nonviolent individuals, often without due process or other constitutional protections,” Gerrard wrote. “It has also sparked thousands of lawsuits where courts have ordered release of those wrongfully detained, for which neither immigration courts nor the Department of Justice have seemed prepared.”
He continued: “The government has not provided any justification, let alone a substantial one, for its radical departure from the historical treatment of noncitizens who entered the United States without inspection. Its arguments rely purely on statutory interpretation; the government apparently expects it can transform an entire area of administrative law because it unilaterally decided that, for thirty years, everyone was wrong about what a statute meant.”
Salazar was later denied bond by an immigration judge and remains in custody, according to his attorney, Alexander Smith.
Two similar motions were denied last month by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bazis, an appointee of former President Joe Biden. In both cases, Bazis had ruled in favor of the detained immigrants, and they were later released on bond per her orders. But in her opinions denying attorney’s fees under the EAJA, she found that the government’s position on mandatory detention was “substantially justified.”
“The Court cannot say that the Federal Respondents’ pre-litigation decision to treat [the respondent] as being subject to mandatory detention, while not ultimately correct in this Court’s view, lacked a reasonable basis in law or fact,” Bazis wrote in a footnote of her opinions.
The issue of mandatory detention is currently under consideration by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Nebraska and other Midwest states. In oral arguments last month, the appellate court’s conservative judges appeared friendly to the mandatory detention policy.
The UCLA men’s basketball team made Senior Night one to savor Tuesday, dominating No. 9 Nebraska 72-52 at Pauley Pavilion for its 20th victory of the season and third over a top-10 ranked opponent.
The Bruins improved to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in the Big Ten with one regular season game remaining, Saturday at crosstown rival USC.
Trent Perry scored 20 points, Eric Dailey Jr. had 14 and three players — Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark and Xavier Booker — each added eight points.
“Nebraska’s got a great team,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “This is the best we’ve played all year — they brought out the best in us. We went from our worst defensive effort to our best. They outhustle everyone they play, but not us. Tonight we were great, but I love the way they play. If we had their attitude we’d have their record.”
Eric Freeny had four points, five rebounds and three steals in 18 minutes for UCLA, which got 26 points in the paint and 17 second-chance points.
“Effort is what it takes to win in March,” Freeny said. “It was our last home game. Coach keeps on pushing me to be better everyday.”
Sam Hoiberg had 12 points to lead Nebraska, but Pryce Sandfort, who began the game leading the conference in three-pointers made per game, was held to nine points.
“Sandford has been unbelievable so to hold him to nine points is amazing,” Cronin said. “Brandon Williams was the unsung hero.”
Williams had six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.
The Bruins were in control from the opening tip-off and never trailed the Cornhuskers (25-5, 14-5). UCLA improved to 10-3 in all-time against Nebraska and the win greatly strengthened its resume for the NCAA tournament as the Bruins also beat then-No. 4 Purdue 69-67 on Jan. 20 and then-No. 10 Illinois 95-94 in overtime on Feb. 21 on Donovan Dent’s layup with one second left.
“We have to take attitude we came with tonight, bottle it up and take it on the road,” Dailey Jr. said. “We’ve got so much left. The season’s not over… we’re only as good as our last game. It’s all about how you respond. I love the fight that we played with tonight.”
This is the fifth time in Cronin’s seven seasons that the Bruins have won 20 or more games. They are 17-1 at home (their only loss in overtime to Indiana on Jan. 31).
“Since I’ve been here we don’t lose much at home.” Cronin said.
UCLA went ahead by 15 points, 37-22, on Perry’s three-pointer with 2:41 left and led 37-24 at intermission. The Bruins shot 50% from the field in the first half (15 for 30) while Nebraska was only 31% (nine for 29).
The Bruins increased their advantage to 18 points on Dailey’s dunk less than five minutes into the second half and the visitors got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
Prior to pregame introductions the Bruins honored seniors Bilodeau, Dent and Clark; fifth-year player Jamar Brown; redshirt seniors Steven Jamerson II, Jack Seidler and Anthony Peoples Jr; and redshirt junior Evan Manjikian. In a media timeout, midway through the first half, former coach Jim Harrick (who led UCLA to its 11th national championship in 1995) was honored and got a loud ovation.
“I’m happy for our seniors, I didn’t want them to lose their last game at Pauley,” said Perry, who reversed a subpar performance at Minnesota, where he was 0-for-7 from the field with one rebound and one assist in 26 minutes. “I had to come out here tonight and bounce back for my team. I play for something bigger than myself and I’m fortunate to have the type of guys I do around me.”
UCLA guard Skyy Clark looks to pass while under pressure from Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg and forward Berke Buyuktuncel in the second half.
(William Liang / Associated Press)
Over the last four games, Dent has 46 assists and just two turnovers.
Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 26 of 28 games played, totaling 20 points or more nine times.
Dailey moved to within five points of reaching the 1,000-career point milestone.
UCLA has now made at least one three-pointer in 887 of 888 games dating to February 2000.
“We had one practice this week, that’s it,” Cronin said. “We watched film, had a heart-to-heart talk and a shoot around today but that’s it.”
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