Nebraska

Tad Stryker: Unproven Punching Power

Published

11 months ago

February 22, 2025

It’s the million-dollar question for Nebraska football entering Matt Rhule’s third season: Will the Cornhuskers be able to consistently punch teams in the mouth in 2025? As in, mid- to upper-tier Big Ten teams? If so, the payoff could be huge. They would certainly rise higher than last year’s 12th-place tie in the 18-member Big Ten. Substantially higher.

The Huskers showed very little ability to deal out punishment in 2024, except for their two best victories, over Colorado and Wisconsin.

NU’s final 2024 season totals show an embarrassing 3.8 yards per rush and 130.3 yards rushing per game. Both are the Huskers’ second-lowest totals since 2017, Mike Riley’s final year. Even with an excellent passing game, your ceiling is 5-4, and more likely 4-5, in the defensively stacked Big Ten if that’s all you can bring to the ground attack.

With second-half leads, Nebraska rarely could lean on its run game last year to wear down opponents and eat clock. The exceptions were CU and the shakier-than-necessary 20-15 bowl win over Boston College. NU has not come close to doing what Rhule specified upon his arrival, namely, running for 75 yards in the fourth quarter to close games out, which is often vital in a conference where it’s hard to get a secure halftime advantage.

There’s a reason the Colorado and Wisconsin games were so resoundingly successful, aside from the big early leads. On those two occasions, the Huskers temporarily walked Rhule’s talk and played physical offense, at least often enough to keep the opponent on edge. Against the Buffs, NU ran the ball 35 times for 149 yards and held the ball for 35 minutes; Dante Dowdell crunched for 74 yards with two touchdowns and broke trash-talking Shilo Sanders’s arm along the way. Against Wisconsin, the Huskers ran for 180 yards and had 33 minutes of possession as Emmett Johnson rushed for 113 yards and caught six passes for 85 yards. Those numbers aren’t even within shouting distance of Osborne/Solich-era rushing production, but with freshman Dylan Raiola at quarterback, they were more than adequate to control the game, and will be again.

In 2025, with sophomore Raiola calling the signals, at least 175 yards rushing a game would go a long way toward lifting the Big Red. Raiola will certainly improve, as will Jacory Barney, Carter Nelson, Luke Lindenmeyer and Heinrich Haarberg, and there’s significant incoming talent at the wideouts. I have much more confidence in Nebraska’s pass game next season than its ability to punch teams in the mouth. The run game is the X-factor that will decide whether Nebraska hovers at .500 or puts together a nine-win season.

Nebraska tight end Luke Lindenmeyer carries the ball during the 2024 Pinstripe Bowl. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

I understand the excitement over transfer wide receiver Dane Key, but with the exception of Raiola, arguably the most valuable offensive skill player on the Nebraska football roster in 2025 will be Emmett Johnson — that is, if he shows as much improvement this season as he did in 2024. The loss of Dowdell will hurt. To be fair, the strength of NU’s run game last year was finishing drives. NU had 22 rushing touchdowns last year compared to 16 in 2023 and 17 in 2022, and Dowdell was the main reason with 12 rushing TDs.

Will EJ pick up the slack by himself in his junior year? He had only one rushing TD last year and two as a redshirt freshman. Kwinten Ives scored a touchdown against Boston College but remains a question mark. New blood could help; look to incoming St. Louis recruit Jamarion Parker and Conor Booth of Wahoo Bishop Neumann. The best possible news during fall camp would be Parker — who has a reputation as a home run hitter — getting lots of shout-outs from upperclassmen and pushing for playing time. Newly extended running backs coach E.J. Barthel has a lot of work to do heading into spring drills.

Whoever lines up at running back should have good blocking from a retooled offensive line. Having landed a pair of experienced starting linemen who transferred from Alabama (Elijah Pritchett) and Notre Dame (Rocco Spindler), and with homegrown experience returning in guard/center Justin Evans, tackle Gunnar Gottula and guard Henry Lutovsky, there’s no reason in the world (barring a couple of serious injuries) that the Husker o-line shouldn’t be significantly better than last year. There will be run-blocking help from Lindenmeyer. And that’s if Turner Corcoran and Teddy Prochazka don’t play a snap. That’s an above-average mix of proven talent and good potential for fourth-year offensive line coach Donovan Raiola to utilize. The keys, as always, will be how well the tackle positions hold up.

How high is Coach Raiola’s ceiling? We’ll find out soon enough. Nebraska used to be Offensive Line U. Those days seem to be long gone, but it would be nice to have an o-line that’s in the top 20 once again, and Raiola may be able to get them that far.

In fact, for the first time since Rhule came to Lincoln, there’s a real chance this fall the Husker o-line will be better than the defensive line, as new d-line coach Terry Bradden deals with the loss of Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher. The Husker offensive line made decent progress in pass blocking last fall. But it has made small, frustratingly incremental gains in run blocking over Raiola’s tenure as o-line coach. It’s overdue to show significant improvement this fall.

Nebraska will have a potent passing game in 2025, but a passing game is not something you can lean on. It’s time for the Huskers to finally reward years of steady support by a blue-collar fan base with a ground game that can score a knockout when it needs one.

MORE: How to Watch Nebraska Women’s Basketball vs. Washington: Preview, Breakdown, Streaming

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MORE: Nebraska’s Cancellation of Tennessee Series is a Major Disappointment for CFB Fans

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

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Nebraska

Former Husker Medically Retires from Football, Forgoes NFL Draft

Published

4 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Former Husker Medically Retires from Football, Forgoes NFL Draft

Ernest Hausmann is electing to hang it up after a four-year run in college football.

The former Nebraska football and Michigan linebacker announced on social media Saturday that he is medically retiring rather than pursuing a pro football career. Hausmann concludes his college football career with over 250 career tackles in 50 career games. The Columbus, Neb., product finished his final season as Wolverines with 44 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Prior to becoming a national champion with Michigan during his sophomore campaign in 2023, Hausmann was a true freshman standout for Nebraska, playing for his in-state team. The Columbus High School graduate was one of the top prospects in Nebraska during his prep career, becoming an All-Nebraska selection and earning a three-star recruitment rating as the No. 5 player in the state for the Discoverers. Hausmann signed with Nebraska over Arizona State, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and others.

The linebacker would play in every game of the 2022 season as a true freshman, earning seven starts while finishing with 54 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery in Scott Frost’s final season as head coach. After Frost was fired early in the season, interim coach Mickey Joseph led lead the team as Hausmann’s play improved as the season continued. The linebacker had a 12-tackle performance at Wisconsin in Nebraska’s 15-14 loss in his second-to-last performance as a Cornhusker before ending the year with six solo tackles and a fumble recovery in a Nebraska win at Iowa.

Hausmann entered the transfer portal after his freshman campaign, electing to join the Michigan Wolverines for the 2023 season. He appeared in all 15 games in the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship run, finishing third on the team with 46 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors in Michigan’s Big Ten Championship Game win over Iowa, totaling eight tackles against the Hawkeyes.

Hausmann started all 13 games as a junior for Michigan in 2024, leading the team with 89 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and one interception. His performance led to an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by the media and coaches, as well as earning a ReliaQuest Bowl win over Alabama while being named a captain for the game.

Oct 18, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Cole Sullivan (23) and linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) celebrates in the first half against the Washington Huskies at Michigan Stadium. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

During his senior campaign, Hausmann was named a Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist while earning an All-Big Ten Third-Team selection. He earned four Defensive Player of the Week honors for the Wolverines, and started in Michigan’s 30-27 win at Nebraska on Sept. 20, totaling nine tackles and a sack.

Hausmann was born in Uganda and was legally adopted when he was two years old, but did not join his Hausmann family until he was five years old in 2008. Prior to his senior campaign at Michigan, Hausmann returned to Africa and later partnered with One Million Wells, a nonprofit that seeks to provide water to impoverished communities.

The Wolverine linebacker began communication with his biological family through social media in the past few years, as Hausmann was able to speak to his mother for the first time in 2024. His return journey to Uganda was featured on ESPN’s College GameDay as a feature story earlier in the college football season.

Hausmann stated in his social media post that it was time to “focus on my true purpose on this earth full time.” He added that he would finish his degree at the University of Michigan.

Apex Receives Exploration Permit for Rift REE Project, Nebraska; Drill Program Preparation Underway

Published

16 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Apex Receives Exploration Permit for Rift REE Project, Nebraska; Drill Program Preparation Underway

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 5, 2026 /Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9) (“Apex” or the “Company”), a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the identification and development of critical and strategic …

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Nebraska

Challenging Week Ahead in Nebraska Men’s Basketball

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Challenging Week Ahead in Nebraska Men’s Basketball

If this were a football road trip for Nebraska, yikes. The Huskers this week visit Ohio State and Indiana.

But maybe, given Nebraska’s 14-0 basketball start, it’s the Buckeyes and Hoosiers who should be concerned.

The basketball version of the Buckeyes and Hoosiers is difficult enough, as both Nebraska opponents are formidable, both are capable of making the NCAA Tournament and both are capable of pinning that first loss on the Huskers.

Nebraska has played one true road game, a victory at Illinois. The Huskers play Ohio State on Monday and Indiana on Saturday, Jan. 10. The No. 13 Huskers are flying, coming off a 58-56 victory over No. 9 Michigan State on Friday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Defeating the Spartans was the kind of tense victory over a legitimate basketball powerhouse that could define the Huskers’ season.

Back to reality for Huskers

“Everybody that played, I think, made a big contribution,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said at a postgame news conference about the victory over Michigan State.

The victory led to a wild, court-filled celebration at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

But, now, back to the harsh reality of life in the difficult Big Ten. There’s not much turnaround time for Nebraska before the Ohio State game.

“We’ve got to bounce back [Saturday, Jan. 3] with a good mental day [of] prep and get one more day,” Hoiberg said.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg has led his team to a 14-0 record with road games this week at Ohio State and Indiana. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

“We’ll practice a little bit, and travel day, but it was a hell of a tough turnaround to play back-to-back 8 o’clock games with two days’ prep, and now you go on the road for two.

“So, it’s a great win for us. I’m not going to discount that. Huge win for our program but we got to get past it and move on to Ohio State.”

The Huskers are tied for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan and Purdue at 3-0. One of these teams is not the like the others, at least based on preseason projections and historical precedent. Purdue and Michigan were expected to be Big Ten contenders. Nebraska was not, but has become one of the best national college basketball success stories so far this season.

‘It’s been a fun ride’

“We’ve done something that hasn’t been done in this program ever … running the table in the non-conference hasn’t been done in almost 100 years,” Hoiberg said. “So, there’s a lot of things these guys can be proud of, but at the same time, the most impressive thing to me about this group is how they’ve handled it. They haven’t gotten big-headed.

“You know, a lot of things have been written and listen, if it flips, it’s going to go the other way and they got to handle that well.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t, but it’s been a fun ride with this team and they’ve seen how much effort and time you’re putting into it to go out and execute game plans, get chewed out at halftime and handle it and respond.

“Again, I’ve talked a lot about this group. They’ve been a joy to be around and they’ve been fun because of their daily approach …

“When you go on the road, you got to be fresh physically and mentally as much as possible. Had guys play a lot. Rienk [Mast] hadn’t played this amount of minutes in awhile. So, it’s going to be important to get him back fresh and go out and hopefully play well on the road.”

Nebraska at Ohio State

When: Monday, 5:30 p.m. CT
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus
Records: Nebraska 14-0, 3-0 in Big Ten; Ohio State, 10-3, 2-1 in Big Ten. The Buckeyes are 7-1 at home.
TV: FS1

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

Ohio State rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 46 (dropped two places)
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 39
* ESPN Power Rankings: 36
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 62

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Ohio State is an 11-seed as one of the “last four in” for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 13 (new poll is released Monday)
* NCAA Net Ratings: 11 (improved four places)
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 13
* Kenpom.com: 22
* ESPN Power Rankings: 26 (dropped one place)
* Top 25 and 1: 9 (improved four places)
* Team Rankings.com: 7 (improved one place)

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Nebraska is a 4-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska-Ohio State analysis

Something to watch: How Nebraska bounces back from a highly emotional win over Michigan State. The Ohio State crowd will be revved up at the sight of the 14-0 Huskers. The Buckeyes can enhance their NCAA resume with a win over the Huskers. If Hoiberg has his team focused and the players are “business-like” as the coach says they are, Nebraska could be in good position to keep the winning streak going. Last season, the Huskers lost in Columbus, 116-114, in double overtime on March 4, a defeat that likely hurt their NCAA chances.

Nebraska at Indiana

When: Saturday, 11 a.m. CT
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington
Records: Nebraska 14-0, 3-0 in Big Ten; Indiana, 10-3, 1-1 in Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 9-0 at home.
TV: BTN

Indiana rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 33
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 39
* Kenpom.com: 28
* ESPN Power Rankings: 17 (improved by two places)
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 68 (dropped three places)

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Indiana is an 11-seed as one of the “last four byes” for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Nebraska is a 4-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson is averaging 20.2 points in home games. Nebraska is at Indiana on Saturday. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Nebraska-Indiana analysis

Indiana is 9-0 at home and has two games before Nebraska comes to Bloomington — Sunday vs. Washington (the Hoosiers’ first game since Dec. 22), and Wednesday at Maryland.

If the Hoosiers can stay focused and not be distracted by the football team’s run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, IU won’t be easy for Nebraska.

Indiana features balanced scoring. Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson — no relation to the legendary Hoosier Bobby Wilkerson of the 1976 NCAA championship team — should be the focus of the Huskers’ defense. Wilkerson, a 6-foot-6 senior, can light it up, averaging 20.2 points in home games and 19.0 points overall.