Nebraska
Nebraska’s 8-year bowl drought is longest in the Power 4: Highs, lows and close calls
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska last won a football game with bowl eligibility at stake on Oct. 15, 2016.
Observers of that 27-22 win at Indiana for the 10th-ranked Huskers paid no mind to the fact Nebraska qualified for the postseason. After all, it would mark a ninth consecutive bowl bid and 46th in 48 seasons.
Nebraska finished with nine wins in 2016 for coach Mike Riley and lost 38-24 against Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. For the Volunteers, Joshua Dobbs accounted for 409 yards and four touchdowns.
Dobbs is now 29 and playing for his eighth NFL franchise. Nebraska’s starting quarterback in that bowl game, Ryker Fyfe, is 30.
The eight-year absence for Nebraska from the college football postseason is the longest among Power 4 teams and tied for second longest among programs that have played at the FBS level since 2016. (Of note, Colorado had not achieved bowl eligibility since 2016 until this year, but the Buffaloes elected to play in a bowl game in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season; Nebraska did not.)
Alabama has appeared in the College Football Playoff six times since Nebraska last played in a bowl game.
Only UMass and Louisiana-Monroe, absent from the postseason since 2012, are riding longer droughts. And watch out because the Warhawks are 5-2 ahead of a trip to Marshall (4-3) this week.
Nebraska sits at 5-3 as two-win UCLA visits Memorial Stadium on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT clash. The most recent of 13 games between the Huskers and Bruins also marks Nebraska’s last bowl victory — 37-29 in the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl.
Since 2017, the Huskers are 0-7 in games that could have earned them a sixth victory and a bowl bid. They’re 0-6, in fact, under second-year coach Matt Rhule, including losses in the past two weeks at Ohio State and Indiana.
Games with bowl eligibility at stake
| Year | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
|
2019 |
vs. Iowa |
L, 27-24 |
|
2023 |
at Michigan State |
L, 20-17 |
|
2023 |
vs. Maryland |
L, 13-10 |
|
2023 |
at Wisconsin |
L, 24-17 (OT) |
|
2023 |
vs. Iowa |
L, 13-10 |
|
2024 |
at Indiana |
L, 56-7 |
|
2024 |
at Ohio State |
L, 21-17 |
Nebraska players recognize that another win would achieve a milestone.
“It would mean a lot,” freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola said.
But Rhule isn’t talking to his team this week about the shot to get bowl eligible. He said he thought the Huskers last year in November, in losing four consecutive games by a combined 16 points, were “chasing something.”
It added pressure. A similar mindset contributed to their lack of aggressiveness two weeks ago in the stunning 56-7 loss at Indiana. But against Ohio State last week, in falling 21-17, Rhule saw a change. The Huskers were “playing to play,” he said.
He expects the same against UCLA.
“We have to redeem our name,” Rhule said. “We have to play for pride and play with heart and character. That’s what you saw (at Ohio State). I won’t talk about anything other than that this week.”
GO DEEPER
Matt Rhule’s record is even 20 games into his Nebraska tenure. Is now the tipping point?
Here’s a list of the five highest moments and the five lowest for Nebraska since it last played in a bowl game.
The high moments
1. The hirings of Scott Frost and Matt Rhule. Athletic director Bill Moos unveiled the news about Frost on Dec. 2, 2017, eight days after Riley’s final game, a 56-14 loss at Iowa. It was much hyped over the previous month as Frost rose to national prominence at UCF in 2017. The return to Nebraska of its former championship-winning QB rated a joyous moment for Husker Nation.
Nebraska publicly introduced Rhule on Nov. 28, 2022, two days after the school announced his hire during ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Thanksgiving weekend. The event to welcome Rhule, an eloquent speaker on that Monday, was held on the practice field at the Hawks Championship Center. It inspired hope among long-suffering fans.
2. The 2022 win at Iowa. It wasn’t for bowl eligibility, but victory felt even sweeter for Nebraska as it beat Iowa 24-17 to deny the Hawkeyes a Big Ten West title and snap a seven-game skid in the series. Casey Thompson and Trey Palmer teamed up to torch the Iowa secondary, and Nebraska held off a furious comeback attempt as interim coach Mickey Joseph, the former Nebraska QB who took over for Frost, finished on a celebratory note.
3. The 2024 win against Colorado. Amid high hopes at the start of this season, Nebraska played above expectations in beating the rival Buffs for the first time since 2010. A sense of pent-up anger filled all of Lincoln before kickoff. The nature of the 28-10 win turned Memorial Stadium into a party venue when Tommi Hill intercepted Shedeur Sanders and walked into the end zone for a pick six as Nebraska built a four-touchdown lead in the first half.
GO DEEPER
In exposing Colorado, Nebraska looked like a program on the rise. Can Deion fix Buffs’ woes?
4. The 2018 opener that never happened. A high moment until the rain and thunder refused to leave. Nebraska was set to host Akron on Sept. 1 in the highly anticipated debut for Frost as the Huskers’ head coach. The electric atmosphere rivaled the feeling inside Memorial Stadium before Nebraska played Miami in 2014. But after the opening kickoff, both teams left the field and never returned. The game was canceled. The night started with such big-event excitement but ended in unprecedented disappointment, a harbinger of the Frost era.
5. The 2020 win against Penn State. This was Frost’s best win. It was better than blowouts against Maryland and Northwestern. He finished 0-9 against Colorado, Wisconsin and Iowa. So yeah, this 30-23 win in the eerie, pandemic-season quiet at Memorial Stadium represented a high point. The Nittany Lions entered winless and lacked precision. Nebraska, in Luke McCaffrey’s finest moment in Lincoln, built a 27-6 lead and held off a comeback attempt led by QB Will Levis.
GO DEEPER
Nebraska hung around with Ohio State and raised its ceiling moving forward
The low moments
1. The 2022 Georgia Southern debacle. Visions of Kyle Vantrease abusing the Nebraska defense will live indefinitely in the minds of fans who attended this September mess. That is, the fans who stopped chanting “Fire Frost” long enough to watch the GSU quarterback throw for 409 yards. The Eagles rushed for five touchdowns and accumulated 642 yards, a record against Nebraska, in winning 45-42. Before the night ended, athletic director Trev Alberts rallied financial support to fire Frost. Made official one day later, the coaching move cost Nebraska some $7 million more than if Alberts had waited 20 days. But after that showing, there was no waiting left to do.
2. The 2017 Northern Illinois loss. This one effectively doomed Riley in just the third game of his third season. And it came on the heels of that nine-win campaign in 2016. After Nebraska lost at Oregon in Week 2, it came home and Tanner Lee threw a pair of first-quarter pick sixes. The Huskers bounced back to win three Big Ten games. But Riley, hired by previous AD Shawn Eichorst, could not recover from the first Nebraska loss since 2004 against a non-power conference program or major independent. Moos dropped the hammer when the season ended in November.
3. The Colorado losses in 2018 and 2019. They stung for different reasons. First, the Buffs were in no shape to beat a decent team in either year. In what turned out to be Frost’s debut in 2018 after the Akron cancellation, Nebraska led late but wilted in the 33-28 defeat when freshman QB Adrian Martinez was injured. A year later in Boulder, the Buffs won 34-31 in overtime after the Huskers built a 17-0 lead at halftime. These one-score losses stood out as extra painful among the 22 that Frost lost in 27 games decided by eight points or fewer.
4. The onside kick. Under pressure from Alberts, Frost surrendered offensive play calling ahead of the 2022 season. The coach was unhappy about it. And in the opener against Northwestern, set at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, he called for an onside kick after the Huskers took a 28-17 lead in the third quarter. His bid to bury the Wildcats backfired. Northwestern, which went winless after the opener, capitalized on the short field to score a touchdown. It rallied to win 31-28. The glaring mistake, in Week 0 on an international stage, further eroded confidence in Frost. He lost his job two weeks later.
5. The 2024 blowout at Indiana. This one’s fresh. Rhule and the Huskers took momentum out of a bye week after their 5-1 start. Nebraska stood a chance to snap its 25-game losing streak against AP-ranked foes. Instead, it lost by 49 points, the third-largest margin in school history. First-year IU coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers outmaneuvered Nebraska repeatedly in an embarrassing defeat against a program that hadn’t won more than eight games since 1967. These Hoosiers are 8-0, though, as they play at Michigan State on Saturday.
(Photo: Dylan Widger / Imagn Images)
A Kearney, Nebraska, man who loves the giant Big Boy 4014 suffered a small fracture to his spine when he fell off a ladder trying to climb into the cab of the locomotive during its historic whistle-stop tour on Thursday.
Trevor Allen Bentley told Cowboy State Daily that he was about to fulfill a longtime dream of riding inside the cab of the world’s largest operating locomotive.
He was climbing on the outside of the Cheyenne-based locomotive and had one more step to go on the five-rung ladder to get into the cab when he fell backward about 8 feet, landing hard on the ground.
A 16-second video posted (see below) shows the heavyset man, wearing a bright yellow construction vest, jeans and tennis shoes, gripping the handles on either side of the ladder and struggling to get up to the last step.
After a few seconds, he slips and falls to the ground, landing on his back between the train tracks.
Three others nearby, also in bright-colored vests, were at Bentley’s side immediately. Instinct seemed to kick in as they attempt to help him sit up.
Bentley said he was able to sit up and that he wanted to get up right away.
“I felt fine,” he told Cowboy State Daily on Friday. “Obviously, I was sore. But I just wanted to get up.”
He said he was more embarrassed than anything, “because the Big Boy attracts a show.”
He guessed a few hundred people had turned out to see the Big Boy at the station.
It also was raining, a factor Bentley said likely contributed to his slip.
Ride Of A Lifetime Dashed
Bentley, who works for the online news site CentralNebraskaToday.com, had planned to ride Big Boy 4014 on its approximate 40-mile leg between Kearney and Grand Island, Nebraska, documenting the trip on video for the outlet.
He said he had emailed Union Pacific to request the ride, which the railroad granted.
In a social media post he shared after the fall, he wrote, “A boyhood dream got dashed as I fell 8 feet off of Big Boy 4014 before I got the ride of a lifetime.”
He later told Cowboy State Daily he has been a train enthusiast all his life. He had been in the Big Boy cab before, he said, “which is why I thought I could do it.”
“I just couldn’t get that last step in,” he added.
30-Minute Delay
Big Boy was already running behind schedule when it pulled into the Kearney station, said Bentley. His fall caused an added 30-minute delay.
North Platte resident James Burns said he frequently visits the tracks and had decided to follow Big Boy from North Platte to Kearney.
He was at the stop, taking pictures of Big Boy 4014 when Bentley fell, though he told Cowboy State Daily he did not see the fall. He also confirmed the incident caused an approximate 30-minute travel delay.
The fall sparked a lot of speculation on social media, with comments ranging from prayers that Bentley was OK to sharper criticisms of Bentley’s attempt to climb aboard. One such criticism was his wearing tennis shoes rather than work boots.
Bentley was taken via ambulance to CHI Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney and said he was released later that day.
‘No Fault of UP’
He was home resting when he spoke with Cowboy State Daily via phone Friday.
“I’m just stiff more than anything,” he said, adding that he hopes to be back to work next week. “I am just extremely lucky.”
Bentley wanted to make it clear that his fall was no fault of Union Pacific or anyone but himself. He said what happened was a total accident and that’s why he signed a waiver with UP about riding in the locomotive.
“I do not fault them in any way, shape, or form,” he said. “I don’t want to put a blemish on their tour. It was no fault of Union Pacific. It was on my own accord.”
Union Pacific publicly responded to the incident in a 16-word statement: “We are glad the person is OK and appreciate the concern we’ve heard from rail fans.”
Contact Kate Meadows at kate@cowboystatedaily.com
Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – First Alert 6 has the headlines you need to know to get your Friday started.
One hurt in Friday morning crash on I-80 in Omaha
One person was taken to the hospital after a crash Friday morning on Interstate 80 in Omaha.
The crash happened shortly before 6 a.m. on I-80 westbound near 72nd Street. Cameras show the car is completely flipped upside down.
Traffic is being impacted Friday morning, as the far left lane remains blocked.
Police dispatch says initial reports show the victim’s injuries are considered serious.
Nebraska softball defeats Arkansas in extra innings at WCWS
Ava Kuszak hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning as Nebraska defeated Arkansas 5-3 Thursday night at the Women’s College World Series. The victory marks the Huskers’ first WCWS win since 2002.
Jordy Frahm pitched all 10 innings for Nebraska, striking out nine batters. Hannah Coor also homered for the Huskers. Nebraska advances to face Alabama on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The fourth-seeded Huskers are making their eighth WCWS appearance and first since 2013. Six players on the roster are Omaha natives who developed through Nebraska Gold Softball.
Papillion native Frahm earned NFCA Player of the Year honors this season. Gretna’s Alexis Jensen also earned All-American recognition.
The WCWS runs through June 5. The full tournament bracket can be found here.
Nebraska baseball to open NCAA regional Friday
The first Lincoln baseball regional in nearly two decades will begin on Friday.
Nebraska hosts South Dakota State, Ole Miss and Arizona State in the double-elimination pod, hoping to advance to the program’s first super regional since 2005.
The Huskers open the weekend with the Jackrabbits on Friday at 3 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. The Rebels and Sun Devils play at 8 p.m.
Nebraska defeated South Dakota State 5-4 in a close midweek game on March 4. The Jackrabbits (24-31) made an unlikely run to a Summit League championship as the No. 4 seed to earn their place in this weekend’s regional.
STB pauses Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger proceedings
The Surface Transportation Board has accepted Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s updated merger application but is seeking more information before a full review.
The agency ordered an Environmental Impact Statement under federal environmental law and requested details on nine issues, including passenger rail, market-share projections and service assurance plans. Responses are due by July 27.
The EIS process will include at least 12 in-person public meetings and several virtual sessions.
In a release Thursday, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern called the move “an important step forward” as the deal continues to advance.
Shareholders have backed the merger, and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has endorsed it.
NU Board of Regents to hold emergency meeting Friday
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents is set to hold an emergency meeting Friday.
A notice sent to First Alert 6 does not state why the meeting was called.
According to the notice, the only business on the agenda is a motion to go into a closed session.
First Alert 6 is told the session is private to protect people who have not requested a public meeting to discuss confidential real estate acquisitions.
Farnam Street to close Friday morning for streetcar work
Farnam Street in Omaha is scheduled to be temporarily closed Friday morning for work in the streetcar project.
The closure is set between Turner Boulevard and 33rd Street for streetcar track concrete placement. Work is expected to begin at 6 a.m. and go until 10 a.m.
City officials say the street will reopen once the last truck has finished.
The full streetcar system is still on track to open by fall 2028.
—
Get a first alert to breaking news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for First Alert 6 email alerts.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Will Bolt and Nebraska baseball are not interested in overlooking South Dakota State on Friday afternoon.
Even after earning the program’s first regional host bid since 2008, the Huskers made it clear Thursday that advancing is top of mind. Home-field advantage inside Haymarket Park should help, but taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them remains the goal.
With the Big Red preparing to begin what it hopes becomes a deep postseason run, Bolt and several players addressed the media following Thursday’s open practice. Here’s everything they had to say.
Electing to Throw Carson Jasa in Regional Opener
Nebraska’s ace is getting the nod, despite the fan base raising somewhat of a concern over the decision. For Bolt and his team, it comes based on respecting their opponent on Friday afternoon.
“He’s been our most consistent pitcher all year long,” Bolt said. “We feel like he gives us the best chance to set the tone for the weekend. No matter who you’re playing this time of year, it’s three wins to win the tournament. And we feel like he gives us a really good chance tomorrow to set a great tone for the entire weekend”.
Bolt continued by saying the decision was made far before the Huskers found out they’d host. About a month before postseason play began, Nebraska switched up its pitching rotation. Now, even after exceeding expectations, they’ll stick with the plan.
“We feel like sending Jasa out there is our only option,” Bolt said. “At the end of the day, respect your opponent. South Dakota State’s coming in here to beat us. So, our best bet to win the game tomorrow, in our opinion, is to throw Carson Jasa”.
Timmerman’s Confidence in Huskers Pitching Decision
NU’s players fully understand the decision made by the coaching staff, especially knowing the kind of challenge South Dakota State is expected to present. The two programs met back in early March, when the Huskers narrowly escaped with a victory. Entering Friday, Nebraska expects a similar battle.
“No matter who’s on the mound, everyone in the dugout, everyone in the bullpen has the utmost confidence in each and every person,” Tucker Timmerman said. “But, Carson, especially, we all love going out and watching him throw. His stuff’s electric. He gets everybody going in the dugout. He’s everyone’s No. 1 fan. So it’s great to have a guy on the mound like that to start us off on a weekend”.
The decision to start Jasa has the full backing of the locker room. With Omaha serving as the ultimate goal, nobody inside Nebraska’s program is under the impression that getting there will come easily. That much is clear.
National Attention Set on Lincoln
Senior infielder Rhett Stokes enters his third postseason run with Nebraska, understanding just how different this year feels. After spending the last tw,o NCAA Tournament appearances traveling on the road, the Huskers now have the opportunity to play on their home field. Something they’ve been very successful at defending this spring.
“This year’s a lot different than the last two years,” Stokes said. “We’re obviously hosting this year, which is a big advantage to us and gives us the best chance to move on to the next round”.
As the top seed in the Lincoln Regional, the Huskers enter Friday with clear advantages on paper. Even so, NU understands how difficult advancing through the postseason is sure to be. While respecting the challenge South Dakota State presents, NU knows it’ll be expected to win.
The Huskers’ Resiliency Could Be a Factor
Nebraska has built its season on resilience. Time and time again, the Huskers have found ways to battle back, keeping themselves alive in games that at times appeared out of reach. That mentality could become a critical characteristic of the team as postseason play begins this weekend.
“We’re a team that’s never out of the fight,” Timmerman said. “That’s a huge thing when you’re in postseason play. Even though we could be down a couple runs, up a couple runs, we’re still going to be playing as hard as we can for as long as the game is going on”.
The Lincoln Regional is the only regional in the country featuring three ranked teams, underscoring just how difficult the path ahead could be for the Big Red. With Nebraska posting a 23-1 record at home this season, continuing that level of play inside Haymarket Park will likely determine whether they make it to the supers.
Why Nebraska Can’t Afford to Overlook SDSU
Despite the Huskers having already beaten SDSU earlier in the year, the Big Red can’t afford to go into the matchup overconfident. They know that early March is much different than late May, and they’ll need their play on the field to reflect that.
“It’s postseason baseball,” Stokes said. “Anything can happen; that’s the nature of it. You can’t treat any one opponent differently. They’ve made it here for a reason. They’re a good team, and they’re hot. I mean, they won the Summit League, so there’s no difference in how we prepare for tomorrow”.
NU will prepare as if the Jackrabbits are a great team. Because, to this point in their season, they’ve proved to be. They won’t sleepwalk their way to a victory, and they know it. That mentality will need to be carried with them through every one of their remaining games.
Expected Attendance at Haymarket Park
Postseason ticket demand has become a serious topic of discussion in recent weeks, but Nebraska’s focus remains centered on the games themselves. Even so, the Huskers fully expect Haymarket Park to provide one of the best atmospheres the venue has ever seen this upcoming weekend.
“I haven’t thought a ton about the number,” Bolt said. “I know that tickets sold out pretty quickly. There’s going to be standing room only everywhere you look. It’s going to be a great environment. I’m not sure how many they’re going to let in the doors; I guess as many as the fire marshal allows, is what I’ve been told. [We’re] excited to play in front of our fans, and to treat them to postseason baseball here in Lincoln”.
Excitement around the program has reached its highest since the move to the Big Ten. Now, the challenge becomes matching that energy on the field and rewarding the fans in attendance who cheer them on.
Nebraska’s game against South Dakota State is set for 3:00 PM CDT on ESPN+. The second game between Arizona State and Ole Miss will follow at 8 p.m. CDT on ESPN2.
The full schedule is below. All times are central.
Friday, May 29
- Game 1: #1 Nebraska (home) vs. #4 South Dakota State (away) 3 p.m.
- Game 2: #2 Ole Miss (home) vs. #3 Arizona State (away) 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 30
- Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser 2 p.m.
- Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 31
- Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser 2 p.m.
- Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner 7 p.m.
Monday, June 1
- Game 7: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (if necessary) TBA
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Minneapolis, MN41 seconds agoUnited flight from Chicago to Minneapolis diverted to Wisconsin due to unruly passenger: officials
-
Indianapolis, IN6 minutes agoTop seeded West Chester cruises to 12-3 win over University of Indianapolis in the Division II championship
-
Pittsburg, PA13 minutes agoPittsburg man accused of hotel kidnapping, assault enters plea deal
-
Augusta, GA16 minutes agoSenate candidate Derek Dooley visits Lincolnton, Augusta
-
Washington, D.C21 minutes agoMan in critical condition after water rescue in Southwest DC
-
Cleveland, OH28 minutes agoKoby Altman Sounds Like Evan Mobley’s Future With Cavaliers Could Be in Question
-
Austin, TX31 minutes agoBarton Springs Bridge named one of Preservation Texas’ most endangered places for 2026
-
Alabama36 minutes agoA path to employment for Alabama individuals with a criminal background
