NEW YORK — Nebraska cleared a hurdle in the Pinstripe Bowl by using its offense to turn away a late rally and secure a 20-15 victory against Boston College.

“It was the first time the offense took the ball,” coach Matt Rhule said, “and said, ‘Enough is enough.’”

He’s not kidding. The first time in two seasons, in fact.

Nebraska lost in 10 of 12 games decided by eight points or fewer under Rhule before Saturday. In each loss, the Huskers held the ball late with a shot to win or force overtime. Eight last-ditch drives ended in turnovers. All but one failed. And against Wisconsin when Nebraska kicked a field goal at the end of regulation, it saved the interception for OT.

In the two victories, defense won it for the Huskers with late stops. Moreover, Nebraska won those games against Northwestern last year and Rutgers in October despite its offense, which managed two first downs in the final 12 minutes and did not move the ball across midfield.

At Yankee Stadium in this 25th game with Rhule as its coach, Nebraska took possession with 4:11 to play and drove 55 yards. It gained a third and final first down on a fourth-and-1 run for 11 yards by Pinstripe MVP Rahmir Johnson.

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It was, for all of that, a landmark win. The way Nebraska won resonates to enter 2025 for a program that’s playing catch-up offensively under new coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

Rhule spelled it out after the game: The Huskers are looking for slight improvements next year on defense, a significant jump on offense and a “complete and total overhaul” of its special teams.

Nebraska got a few breaks during that final march. Officials did not review a catch by Thomas Fidone after his first-play gain of 15 yards, which may have been ruled incomplete if they’d taken a look.

Boston College defender Carter Davis was flagged for a late hit on Dylan Raiola’s first-down run from the Nebraska 36. Did Raiola slide too late for Davis to avoid contact? Maybe. Regardless, it was called. A few flags and no-calls hurt the Huskers, too.

Players had to be separated after this hit on Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola.

Boston College was given a personal foul penalty for a late hit on the play. pic.twitter.com/9e65pHThSO

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— ESPN (@espn) December 28, 2024

But in the closing sequence, the Huskers came out on the right side — a stroke of good fortune for which they’ve seemingly waited forever.

“We were going to win the game,” Raiola said of the offensive mindset. “We weren’t going to give them the ball back. That’s exactly what we did. We ended with the ball, and we got to line up in the best formation in football — no thinking, no motion, nothing. Victory. Can’t get any better than that.”

Here are seven thoughts to take into the new year, one for each Nebraska win in 2024:

1. Nebraska had no blueprint on how to manage December. Nonstop noise from the transfer portal dominated the calendar through the middle of last week. The Huskers nabbed a Christmas Eve commitment from former Kentucky wide receiver Dane Key and a pledge on Christmas day from ex-Idaho cornerback Andrew Marshall.

They’ve added 11 players from the portal and will go hunting for more in January.

On the coaching front, three assistants left in December. Rhule solidified the offensive and defensive coordinator spots and hired five assistant coaches.

The month was chaos. One constant, Rhule said, came from the players. They did their jobs. Nobody missed meetings, Rhule said, or stepped out of line in New York.

“I just think the mindset of ‘Hey, we got it done in the postseason’ prepares us for the future,” Rhule said. “We played a lot of young players (against Boston College), so now they have perspective. This was a really good three or four weeks for us.”

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2. Raiola started every game as a true freshman and finished with 2,826 passing yards to surpass the Nebraska freshman record of 2,617 set by Adrian Martinez in 2018. Raiola completed 67.2 percent of his throws, tossing 13 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

“I think he’s had a great first year,” Rhule said. “Playing quarterback as a freshman in the Big Ten is not easy.

3. Rhule saw the final drive Saturday as a key moment, too, for the growth of Raiola. He pulled the ball in on read plays and ran in twice. He showed a fiery side after the late-hit penalty. He pushed hard to lead the Huskers across terrain that has collapsed around them repeatedly.

“That’s what I’m looking for in a quarterback,” Rhule said.

“Tell me the guys who do hard things to win. And that’s who I want to be my quarterback.”

4. The special teams conundrum hangs over the Huskers’ heads as the offseason begins. Rhule promised an overhaul. What does it mean for Ed Foley, the special teams coordinator who has worked alongside Rhule for 10 of the past 12 seasons at four stops?

A blocked extra point and a blocked punt led directly to nine points for Boston College on Saturday. The mishaps brought the total number of kicks blocked by Nebraska opponents in 2024 to 10.

Far above the threshold for acceptability.

“I always put those things on my shoulders,” Rhule said. “We’ll get it done. But it has not been good enough this year.”

Nebraska signed punter Jack McCallister from Washington and long snapper Kevin Gallic from New Hampshire out of the portal. Status quo on the coaching lineup appears unlikely.

5. Saturday was for the seniors.

The light shined bright on Johnson, but the likes of defensive linemen Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher, linebacker John Bullock, defensive backs Isaac Gifford and DeShon Singleton, receiver Jahmal Banks, offensive linemen Bryce Benhart and Ben Scott and punter Brian Buschini went out with a bang in New York.

All of the above except Scott, the two-year starting center, and Banks, who arrived in 2024 from Wake Forest and led Nebraska with 587 receiving yards, persevered through the coaching transition to Rhule.

6. Rhule offered advice before the game to Robinson, the top NFL prospect among the departing Huskers.

“I told Ty Robinson, ‘I don’t think I’d play,’” Rhule said. “I think he should be a first- or second-round pick. And he was like, ‘I didn’t do all this to not play.’”

Robinson contributed four tackles, one sack and a pass breakup. As a lead blocker on offense, he helped open the hole for Johnson to gain the clinching first down.

“I love those seniors,” Rhule said, “and I’m grateful for them.”

7. The spring semester begins Jan. 21. Coaches will be busy for the next three weeks, but the players headed home after the Pinstripe experience to spend time with their families.

“We have big plans when we come back,” Rhule said. “We’re going to work. We’re going to double down on what we’ve done. That’s the only way to make a jump. And I think they all understand that. And I think they all have aspirations of (doing) something really special at Nebraska.”

A seven-win finish signifies progress. Rhule said he didn’t want to think about the alternate outcome on Saturday, which would have left the Huskers to contemplate an eighth consecutive losing season.

They’d have continued forward, Rhule said, but without the same level of momentum. Rhule said he likes the results of Nebraska’s recruiting work out of high schools and the transfer portal. It signed a 20-player class this month that ranked in the top 25 nationally.

Young players factored more heavily in the Pinstripe Bowl than in any regular-season game.

“We’ll put the picture together really well,” Rhule said, “and I’ll let you guys have the rest of the offseason to ponder what we’ll look like next year.”

(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)

As it turns out, Ameer Abdullah still has plenty left in the tank.

The 10-year National Football League veteran and former Nebraska football running back posted a career day Sunday, aiding the Las Vegas Raiders in a 25-10 road victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Abdullah finished with a career-best 147 scrimmage yards and topped 100 rushing yards for the first time as a professional. The former Husker finished his day in the Superdome with 20 carries for 115 rushing yards to go along with three receptions for 32 yards. The triple-digit rushing performance boosted the 31-year old back’s season rushing total to 311 yards.

Although Abdullah didn’t score, he did come close in the second quarter, adding an emphatic celebration before a review that ruled him down at the one-yard line after a 13-yard reception.

“Honestly, we were just beating them up up front,” Abdullah said after the game. “I feel like our guys leaned on them, they understood when to come off on double teams. And when you have that type of synergy with the O-line and the backs, we just do our job. We felt like the O-line had an advantage.”

Abdullah has played for four NFL franchises since entering the league in 2015 as a second-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions. After a four-year stint with the Lions, Abdullah was moved to the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 until 2021, when he joined Matt Rhule’s Carolina Panthers. Abdullah finished the final 11 games of that season with Rhule, rushing for 136 yards on 44 carries for the Panthers.

After Rhule was let go by Carolina in 2022 and then hired by Nebraska, Abdullah’s name has reappeared as a voice for praise for the head coach.

“I know you guys are just as excited as I am to watch Coach Matt Rhule to Lincoln, Nebraska,” Abdullah said in a social media clip aimed at Husker fans in early December 2022. “Now I spent a shorter extent with him with my time with the Carolina Panthers. Not only are we getting an excellent, excellent football coach. We’re getting an even better human being, someone who is going to lead the program the right way, someone who is going to lead it the Nebraska way.”

Rhule has been complimentary of Abdullah from the start of his Nebraska tenure, saying he was “1,000 percent” a better coach for his time in Carolina – espcially working with the former Husker running back.

“Dealing with the professional athlete was probably the best. Having a conversation with Ameer Abdullah and Christian McCaffrey, they are two guys, in the same position but completely different people,” Rhule said during his introductory press conference for Nebraska football. “It really taught me, it’s not coach-player, it’s people-people. We all have different roles, but we are all just people. I think that interaction with the players really taught me.”

Since 2022, Abdullah has been a rotating backfield option and special teams asset for the Raiders, recording 50 games played for the Silver and Black. Former teammates, including Will Compton – a Nebraska and Raiders teammate during Abdullah’s stops at both locations – noted the back’s performance from Sunday afternoon.

Abdullah was a significant offensive threat for Nebraska during his four-year career in Lincoln. He ended his tenure as Husker with 4,588 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns, 690 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Early in his career at Nebraska, Abdullah was a lethal return man, returning a punt and a kickoff for scores. Abdullah ended his Husker career as the second leading rusher in program history, falling 192 yards shy of Mike Rozier’s 4,780 yards.

Abdullah had four 200-yard rushing performances for the Huskers, including a high of 232 yards against Florida Atlantic to start the 2014 season.

Abdullah will wrap up his 10th season in the NFL on Sunday, Jan. 5, with a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders have had a lackluster season, sitting in the cellar of the AFC West at 4-12 and projected for the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Chris Fort offers some superlatives for the 2024 Nebraska football season

Offensive MVP: Dylan Raiola

To be sure, the offense struggled for much of 2024, finishing on the wrong side of the national rankings in most every category. But Raiola, while he had his share of freshman moments, was not to blame. Rather, he was the straw that stirred the Huskers’ drink, piloting them to wins over the Badgers and Buffaloes with stellar outings. He finished with the most yards passing of any true freshman ever at NU, surpassing Adrian Martinez’s 2018 effort in the bowl game against BC.

Runner-Up: The Offensive Line

Defensive MVP: Ty Robinson

Cue Ty as the team’s overall MVP to boot. He was a heart-and-soul leader that never shied from reporters after a tough loss and collected his best season as a Husker, grabbing 37 tackles, 13 TFLs, 7 sacks, and forcing defensive coordinators to gameplan around him. He also added a couple pancakes on offense for good measure. For his efforts, he garnered second-team All-Big 10 honors and even snagged an honorable mention on the SI All-American squad.   

Runner-Up: John Bullock

Special Teams MVP: Brian Buschini

Boom-Schini as he’s affectionately known by fans, Nebraska’s senior punter had a big rebound year after a frustratingly mixed 2023. He nearly edged Sam Koch’s single season record for punt average in a season but fell short after a disappointing Iowa performance. Still, he was a rock for the Huskers in 2024 amid an otherwise bleak Special Teams season. Bonus points for completing two fake punt passes for first down, as he did against Rutgers and Boston College.

Runner-Up: John Hohl

True Freshman of the Year: Jacory Barney Jr.

Let’s take Dylan out of contention this round. Barney was every bit as good as the hype that surrounded him pre-season, as he led the team in receptions while acting as the Huskers’ gadget guy and occasional kick returner. He tied JD Spielman’s freshman record for receptions (55) to boot. A big game against the Badgers also earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. It doesn’t hurt that he seemingly loves being a Husker.

Runner-Up: Vincent Shavers Jr.

Transfer of the Year: Ceyair Wright

The USC Trojan/Space Jam actor left Hollywood for Lincoln and made a big impact, earning PFF honors after a huge game against Rutgers and filling in nicely for Tommi Hill and Blye Hill after injuries slowed them in 2024.

Runner-Up: Dante Dowdell

Costliest Injury: Tommi Hill

The Husker senior was being penciled in as a first-round draft pick by some after a hot start to the season that included a pick six of presumptive number one pick, Shedeur Sanders. But a stubborn case of planter fasciitis resulted in missed games and tough outings against the likes of Illinois and USC. A healthy Tommi may have been the difference in nailing down a seventh or eighth regular season win.

Runner-Up: Teddy Prochazka

Best Win: Colorado

The Huskers hosted their old conference foes, winners of the last three matchups in the renewed rivalry, and demoralized them from the first drive, resulting in 28-0 margin at halftime. Only some second half miscues and questionable officiating calls robbed them of running up the score further. This was the most complete game by both the offense and defense and the result was a rousing victory over a team that finished with a 9-4 record on the season.

Runner-Up: Wisconsin

Turning Point: Wisconsin

The narrative going in was that Nebraska may sit at home again for bowl season, having lost four straight games when trying to achieve their bowl-clinching victory. The pressure sufficiently mounted, the Husker offense put on its best game. Time shall soon tell if this was the page-turning performance some felt it was.

Worst Loss: UCLA

Indiana was a playoff team, so the 49-point loss, as humbling as it was, is still more justifiable than their inexplicably flat effort against the Bruins of LA. The Huskers were playing for bowl eligibility against a team that finished with 4 wins. This would be Nebraska’s only loss to a team that finished with a losing record.

Runner-Up: Indiana

Best Coaching Job: Donovan Raiola

The offensive line didn’t get enough praise this year. Their running yards and sacks allowed don’t necessarily show it, but the O-Line played better than they have in a long while, putting it all together against a good Wisconsin defense on Senior Day. Just two years after fielding arguably the worst O-Line in modern Husker history, Raiola put together a dependable unit despite being without both top left tackles and often without their best offensive guard in Micah Mazzccua.

Runner-Up: Terrance Knighton

Most Disappointing Coaching Job: TIED between Garret McGuire and Ed Foley

The Huskers appeared loaded at receiver in pre-season, and early outings against UTEP and Colorado demonstrated as much. But a mid-season slump, highlighted by a receiving corps that couldn’t – or wouldn’t – run block, or get off press coverage emphasized their offensive woes. That falls on McGuire, who now coaches with his dad in Lubbock.

Foley likely deserves to occupy this distinction outright, but Nebraska’s Special Teams have been awful since before his arrival so he’s merely carrying on the legacy he inherited from Frost and co. Still his lack of coaching acumen resulted in Nebraska giving up ten – 10! – blocked kicks on the year, three alone against Purdue. Going into the bowl game, the Huskers ranked in the hundreds nationally in net punting, punt returns, and punt/kick return defense. His unit cost Nebraska the victory against Iowa and nearly handed Boston College the win in the bowl game. Shame.

Best Offensive Performance: Wisconsin

As if it could be any other game. The Badgers came into the game winners of 10 straight in the series and having just taken number one Oregon to the wire at home. Nebraska proceeded to pile up nearly 500 yards of offense, not allowing a negative yardage play until the final kneel down. Emmett Johnson and Jacory Barney had career days, with Barney garnering Big Ten freshman of the week honors for his exploits.

Runner-Up: UTEP

Best Defensive Performance: Colorado

The Blackshirts harassed Shedeur early and often, nabbing a touchdown on Tommi Hill’s pick in the first quarter. The Buffs only managed 260 yards of offense, most of which they piled up in garbage time. Eventual Heisman winner Travis Hunter was held without a touchdown in a frustrating outing for Coach Prime’s ballyhooed charges.

Runner-Up: Rutgers

Most Heartwarming Performance: Rahmir Johnson vs. Boston College

The New York City native, who battled through a litany of injuries and a bizarre position move in 2022, ended his Husker career rather poetically, taking home game MVP honors after securing his first rushing touchdown in three years and sealing the victory with a tough run on 4th down. Only after the game was it revealed that Rahmir lost his mom to illness during the season. The sixth-year do-everything senior stuck with the team throughout the ordeal and capped the season with a trophy.

Runner-Up: James Williams vs. Rutgers

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Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.