Nebraska
Iowa trolls Nebraska after some Cornhuskers players decline pregame handshake
The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers met on Friday in their annual rivalry game.
Shortly before kickoff, Iowa’s team captains and Nebraska’s team captains met at the 50-yard line for the coin toss. It’s customary for players from opposing teams to greet one another and shake hands before referees explain which side of the coin represents heads and which side will serve as tails.
But Nebraska’s players decided not to engage in the handshaking ritual with their opponents. At least one of the four Cornhuskers’ captains appeared to shake and look towards the ground as the Hawkeyes players approached.
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Long snapper Luke Elkin, #39, and punter Ty Nissen, #99 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after the win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Stadium on November 29, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Tensions were already heightened before the coin toss moment after Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule walked through Iowa’s warmup area. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins explained how his team took exception to Rhule’s pregame actions.
“Our guys are warming up, doing our pregame and their head coach walked through the warmup,” Higgins told reporters after the game. “So we immediately knew what type of game this was.”
GEORGIA PULLS OUT EPIC WIN IN 8-OVERTIME THRILLER, ALL BUT CLINCH SPOT IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
But emotions remained high even after the game kicked off. Higgins was seen getting close to Rhule when the Hawkeyes were on defense in the first quarter.
Higgins said he had told Rhule during the interaction that “it probably wasn’t a good idea to not shake our hands.” The Iowa defender offered a three-word response saying, “Who are you?”
Nebraska did manage to take an early 10-0, but the Hawkeyes scored 13 unanswered points. Iowa kicker Drew Stevens made a 53-yard field goal in the final seconds to secure the victory in the rivalry game.
Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Ceyair Wright (15) defends a field goal attempt by Iowa Hawkeyes place kicker Drew Stevens (18) Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Higgins did make a concerted effort to shake hands with Rhule moments after the game clock expired.
“After the game, because they didn’t want to shake our hands before the game, I went up to their head coach and shook his hand,” Higgins confirmed. “And told him, ‘Good game.’”
Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches warmups before the football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
At one point during his postgame media session, Higgins asked his teammate, Nick Jackson, to point out the differences that exist within Iowa’s program in comparison to Nebraska.
“Kirk Ferentz — would he ever do something like that?” Higgins asked, to which Jackson quickly replied “no.”
“Be a Hawk,” Jackson said. “You see the difference.”
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Ferentz, who has coached at Iowa for more than a quarter-century, declined to offer a strong opinion on what transpired before the game.
“I heard some stuff in the locker room, but I wasn’t out there,” Ferentz said. “So I didn’t see it and really can’t comment on it. There are certain pregame etiquette most people follow, but again, I didn’t see it.”
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Nebraska
Former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse says he has stage-four pancreatic cancer
Former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse on Tuesday said he was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Sasse, 53, made the announcement on social media, saying he learned of the disease last week and is “now marching to the beat of a faster drummer.”
“This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase,” Sasse wrote. “Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.”
Sasse was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and won reelection in 2020. He resigned in 2023 to serve as the 13th president of the University of Florida after a contentious approval process. He left that post the following year after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy.
Sasse was an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, and he was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict the former president of “incitement of insurrection” after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Sasse, who has degrees from Harvard, St. John’s College and Yale, worked as an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. He then served as president of Midland University before he ran for the Senate. Midland is a small Christian university in eastern Nebraska.
Sasse and his wife have three children.
“I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more,” Sasse wrote. “Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived.”
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Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers could lure 4,000-yard QB away from Big Ten football rival | Sporting News
The Nebraska Cornhuskers are in search of a new quarterback. While there appear to be a few on the market, one of them appears to reportedly be interested in replacing Dylan Raiola.
Enter Michigan State Spartans transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule is focused on what’s best for his team, and although he didn’t mention Chiles by name, he is intrigued by the possibilities of a new signal-caller.
“We’re really grateful for all he did, and if he needs a fresh start,” Rhule told reporters. I’ll pray that he finds the right place and has a lot of success. With that being said, there are a lot of great quarterbacks out there, and a lot of them want to play at Nebraska.”
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Raiola’s Nebraska exit opens the door for Chiles.
“Two schools have been mentioned early on for the Michigan State quarterback,” Nakos wrote. “Sources have linked Aidan Chiles to Cincinnati and Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are not only looking at one quarterback.”
Nakos followed up by reiterating how strategic this process will be in Lincoln.
“Sources have said Matt Rhule is evaluating the entire quarterback field in the portal, and that could include Boston College’s Dylan Lonergan and Notre Dame’s Kenny Minchey, among others.”
We’ll see how the Cornhuskers end up, but it seems some preliminary movement is just beginning.
Nebraska
Nebraska Emerging as Contender for 2027 Edge Rusher
Nebraska continues to make its presence felt on the recruiting trail, this time turning attention toward 2027 three-star edge prospect Griff Galloway.
The Cornhuskers have positioned themselves as a serious contender early in the process, signaling their intent to build future defensive depth with a versatile pass rusher who’s already drawing national interest. As Galloway’s recruitment heats up, Nebraska’s involvement underscores the program’s commitment to securing impact talent for the years ahead.
Galloway, a defensive line prospect from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds. A member of the Class of 2027, Galloway has already drawn attention on the recruiting trail, earning a player rating of 88 from 247Sports. He ranks as the No. 45 defensive lineman nationally and is among the top prospects in North Carolina, positioning himself as a name to watch as his timeline unfolds.
Galloway’s recruitment has quickly gained momentum, with the Providence Day standout already collecting ten scholarship offers. Among the programs showing strong interest, Nebraska, SMU, Notre Dame, and Tennessee have emerged as the schools in the final mix. As the Class of 2027 defensive lineman continues to evaluate his options, these four programs stand out as the leading contenders for his commitment, underscoring the national attention his talent has drawn at an early stage.
According to MaxPreps, Galloway has shown steady production across his high school career at Providence Day. As a junior, he recorded 27 solo tackles and 39 assists for a total of 66 stops, averaging 5.5 tackles per game with 13 tackles for loss. His sophomore campaign was even more impressive, as he tallied 31 solo tackles and 48 assists, finishing with 79 total tackles, 6.6 per game, and ten tackles for loss.
Several schools are starting to stand out for 2027 EDGE Griff Galloway, according to @ChadSimmons_ 👀
Read: https://t.co/x6Oa8PXNGy pic.twitter.com/mMAQszZZgb
— Rivals (@Rivals) December 19, 2025
Galloway first made his mark as a freshman, posting 39 solo tackles and 21 assists for 60 total, averaging 4.6 per game with 9 tackles for loss. The numbers highlight his consistency and growth as a disruptive force on the defensive line.
On film, Galloway flashes several standout traits that make him a compelling defensive prospect. His quick first step allows him to penetrate gaps and disrupt plays right at the snap, while his relentless motor ensures he pursues ball carriers across the field with consistent energy. Galloway’s versatility is another asset, as he has lined up both inside and outside, showing the flexibility to play on the edge or slide into a 3-tech role depending on scheme.
The production backs up the tape. His MaxPreps numbers reveal steady growth in tackles and tackles for loss each season, underscoring his ability to finish plays and impact games at multiple levels of the defense.
While Galloway’s film shows plenty of promise, there are clear areas for growth that could elevate his game. He needs refinement in hand usage and pad level to consistently win battles against stronger offensive linemen, ensuring he can maintain leverage and control at the point of attack. In addition, developing a wider array of pass-rush counters will be crucial to his progression, helping him move beyond being a solid disruptor to becoming a true difference-maker on the defensive front.
Grateful to be named RBC player of the week vs Rolesville @ChadGrier_ @PrepRedzoneNC @pepman704 @247recruiting @RBC pic.twitter.com/zlqa4DFMah
— Griff Galloway (@Griff_Galloway) September 6, 2025
Nebraska’s defensive vision under Matt Rhule emphasizes toughness and versatility up front, and Galloway’s skill set fits seamlessly into that approach. With the ability to line up both on the edge and inside, his size and motor make him a natural fit for the Huskers’ multiple 3 looks. Nebraska is actively recruiting pass rushers to strengthen its defensive line rotation, and Galloway’s recruitment shows the program’s commitment to targeting national prospects with high upside.
With continued development, Galloway projects as a player who could contribute early in a rotational role before growing into a starter capable of setting the edge and generating consistent pressure. If the Huskers can secure him, he’d be a valuable addition to their 2027 class, offering both immediate depth and long-term upside as a disruptive edge presence.
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