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
Home games are bolded. All times central.
Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
The New Orleans Saints made a big splash in free agency when they signed Travis Etienne Jr. to pair with Alvin Kamara in the backfield. Etienne’s addition probably means that the Saints won’t select a back with an early choice in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, don’t be surprised if the team adds another back with a later pick. If that’s the case, Emmett Johnson of the Nebraska Cornhuskers could be someone on their radar.
Etienne will likely be the featured back, but Kamara’s future beyond 2026 is in some doubt. Kamara turns 31 in July and is entering his 10th season with a big contract after already showing some possible decline. Behind them, Kendre Miller has proven he shouldn’t be relied on and 2025 sixth round choice Devin Neal has flashed potential but remains unproven. The Saints may be wise to add more talent to their backfield with a middle or later round pick.
Emmett Johnson bio
- Position: Running back
- College: Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Height: 5-feet, 10 inches
- Weight: 202 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.56 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.59 seconds
- 3-cone drill: 7.32 seconds
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.29 seconds
- Vertical jump: 35.5″
- Broad jump: 10′
Recipient of the 2021 Minnesota Mr. Football award at Academy of Holy Angels High School, Johnson began with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a three-star recruit. He’d take a redshirt in 2022 then rushed for 411 yards with 2 scores in 2023 as part of a backfield committee. In 2024, Johnson picked up 598 yards on the ground and caught 39 passes for 286 yards with 3 total scores.
By 2025, Johnson was the Cornhuskers featured weapon and exploded onto the national radar. Johnson’s 1,451 rushing yards and 251 carries both led the Big Ten and were among the NCAA leaders. He also caught a team-high 46 passes and scored 15 touchdowns, as his 1,821 yards from scrimmage were second across the NCAA. Those eye-popping numbers earned him 1st Team All-American honors as well as the 2025 Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
Strengths
- Hits rushing lanes with authority
- Makes sharp cuts at top speed
- Decisive north-south runner
- Good acceleration into the second level
- Legitimate receiving threat
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t have breakaway speed
- Has trouble creating yards when the hole isn’t there
- Must maintain balance better through contact
- Doesn’t break many tackles
- Only one year of high-level production
Emmett Johnson 2026 draft outlook
Johnson’s 2025 tape and production are worthy of a high pick, but teams looking for a featured back might be wary of his lack of power. Still, Johnson has a strong chance of being picked somewhere on the second day and shouldn’t last later than the fourth round. His decisive one-cut and go style and receiving ability gives him a strong chance to be an instant contributor with an incredibly high upside of a potential starter.
New Orleans has had success with late-round picks and undrafted players at running back. Emmett Johnson won’t last that long. But, if Johnson slips into Day 3, the Saints could be tempted to add him and bolster their backfield in multiple ways.
Carson Jasa pitched a strong game, earning his second complete-game of the season. Nebraska’s offense started fast and kept rolling, leading to a 12-2 run-rule win over No. 12 USC in seven innings on Saturday at Hawks Field. This marked head coach Will Bolt’s 200th career win at Nebraska.
A season-high crowd of 7,602 fans filled the ballpark, making for one of the most exciting games of the year. This attendance is the 25th largest in Hawks Field history and the second biggest since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, just behind the 7,650 fans at a 2021 doubleheader against Michigan. The fans saw Nebraska play a complete game, improving to 30-9 overall and 14-3 in the conference. USC fell to 30-10 and 13-7 in Big Ten play.
Nebraska’s offense scored 12 runs on 12 hits and made only one error. USC scored just two runs on five hits and had two defensive mistakes. Drew Grego led the way, going 3-for-4 and missing the cycle by only a triple. He hit a home run, a double, and drove in four runs. Dylan Carey also went 3-for-4 with a home run and scored three times. Case Sanderson went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and Jett Buck added a double and scored three runs. Mac Moyer, Joshua Overbeek, and Trey Fikes each had a hit.
Jasa took control on the mound right from the start. He pitched all seven innings, giving up just two runs, only one earned, on five hits. He struck out seven and walked only two, moving his record to 7-1 this season.
The Huskers started strong, taking an early lead in the first inning. Nebraska sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs right away. Sanderson brought in the first run with a groundout that scored Moyer. Buck hit a double to bring home Carey, Grego added an RBI double to score Buck, and Overbeek finished the inning with a single that made it 4-0.
Nebraska added to its lead in the third inning with three solo home runs.. Sanderson and Carey hit back-to-back homers, and Grego followed by sending the first pitch he saw over the left field wall. That made it 7-0 and put the game out of reach.
The Huskers continued to add on in the fifth inning, capitalizing on aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck each stole. The Huskers kept building their lead in the fifth inning by taking advantage of aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck both stole bases to get into scoring position, and Grego singled to left field to drive them both in, making it 9-0.
USC rallied briefly in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits and a Nebraska error. A solo home run gave the Trojans their first run, and a mix of hits and a defensive mistake brought in another, making it 10-2. Stokes drew walks to put runners on base, and Trey Fikes delivered an RBI single to left field. A USC fielding error on the play allowed both Buck and Stokes to score, ending the game at 12-2 and clinching the series for the Huskers.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
On the 12th day of the 2026 transfer portal cycle, Nebrasketball picked up its fourth commitment.
Boden Kapke, a 6-foot-11 forward/center out of Boston College, has committed to the Huskers. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Kapke announced his commitment on social media, captioning his post, “🔴⚪️GBR🌽”
Kapke began his college career at Butler. As a true freshman, he played in 22 games, averaging 7.0 minutes of action per contest. In limited run during his first season of collegiate action, he shot 48% from the field and made seven of his 17 attempts (41%) from three-point range.
As a sophomore, Kapke made 16 starts while appearing in 34 of the team’s 35 games. In just 13.4 minutes per game, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds. He shot 40% from the field and 27% (18-for-66) from deep.
Kapke transferred to Boston College for his junior season. In his lone year with the Eagles, his numbers jumped to 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds over 26.7 minutes a game. He made 17 starts in 31 appearances on the year. He shot 47% from the field and 33% on three-pointers.
Out of Victoria, Minnesota, Kapke was a finalist for his state’s 2023 Mr. Basketball. As a senior, he averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds a game, helping Holy Family Catholic to a 29-3 record and the Class AA State Tournament semifinals.
Kapke finished his prep career with 1,796 career points and 1,062 rebounds.
Nebraska lost nearly all of its frontcourt production from a 28-7 campaign that ended in the Sweet 16. Starter Rienk Mast and backup Jared Garcia have both exhausted their eligibility, while starter Berke Büyüktuncel entered the transfer portal last week.
The Huskers do have a returning frontcourt player in Leo Curtis. The 7-foot-2 native of Iceland appeared in 17 games as a true freshman.
Nebraska also picked up a likely starting four man from Belmont in Sam Orme. The full-time starter as a redshirt sophomore this past season, Orme averaged 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 25.8 minutes per game.
Still up in the air is the status of Central Michigan transfer Ugnius Jaruševičius. The Lithuanian big man played in just one game in 2025-26 with Nebraska and is seeking a medical waiver for an additional year of eligibility. With his back issues and a waiver being needed from the NCAA, the coaching staff can’t be certain that he’ll be available next season.
As of this commitment, Kapke would slide into the starting five spot. Kapke is nearly identical to Mast in terms of size, bringing one more inch of height and five more pounds of weight. His offensive play style, however, would be more similar to what Husker fans saw from Büyüktuncel.
A final decision is still to be announced from Boise State forward/center Drew Fielder. The former Georgetown big averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this past season with the Broncos, shooting 40.9.% on three-pointers and 60.6% inside the arc. Fielder has visited Nebraska and Washington and is visiting Alabama this weekend.
On Friday, Nebraska picked up a starting ball handler in Utah Valley’s Trevan Leonhardt. This past season, he started all 35 games, averaging 11.8 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per contest. He earned first-team All-WAC and All-Defensive team honors.
Nebraska’s starting lineup right now projects to be Leonhardt, Sandfort, Frager, Orme, and Kapke. That gives the Huskers a starting lineup height of 6-foot-5, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-9, and 6-foot-11. As for three-point shooting, that group had averages in 2025-26 of 37%, 41.6%, 35.2%, 40.4%, and 33%.
Multiple pieces from last year have confirmed they will be returning.
First-team All-Big Ten selection Pryce Sandfort will be back for his senior season. Coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed earlier this month that the first-team All-Big Ten selection had been battling a sports hernia injury. Sandfort underwent surgery after the season ended and will be rehabbing for several weeks, diminishing the potential of him leaving early for the NBA draft.
Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Braden Frager re-signed with Nebraska. He will slide into one of the starting spots vacated by Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence. In his redshirt freshman season, Frager hit the 20-point scoring mark six times on his way to averaging 11.8 points a game off the bench.
Curtis and main rotation piece Cale Jacobsen have also had their returns confirmed. In 2025-26, Jacobsen played in all 35 contests, averaging 4.6 points on 52 percent shooting, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game with a 2.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Along with Jaruševičius, sharpshooter Connor Essegian is also seeking a medical waiver for an additional year of eligibility. However, he did get an official return post on social media. In the seven games he was on the floor this season, he averaged 5.4 points per game, making eight three-pointers.
Other players on the roster to be confirmed returning are Henry Burt and Will Cooper.
The Huskers are also adding a pair of high school signees. Colin Rice and Jacob Lanier are both four-star forward prospects and could see the floor earlier in their collegiate careers.
Besides 61-game starter Büyüktuncel, Nebraska has also seen Quentin Rhymes and Justin Bolis leave via the transfer portal.
Nebraska now has two open spots remaining on the roster. The portal remains open through April 21.
Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
News24 minutes agoCommunities launch cleanup after severe weather and tornadoes churn across Midwest
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoGame 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoWhy do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoDallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoDefense dominates, Mensah flashes in Miami’s spring game – The Miami Hurricane
-
Boston, MA3 hours ago
A crowd scientist is helping the Boston Marathon manage a growing field of 30,000-plus runners
-
Denver, CO3 hours agoDenver Nuggets Altitude broadcasts now being offered in Spanish for first time ever
-
Seattle, WA3 hours agoNeed to shred? Free drive-up/ride-up shredding Wednesday at Village Green West Seattle