Needing to play a clean game to snap a four-game losing streak against No. 20 Michigan, Nebraska was stuffed on fourth down deep in the red zone, missed a 44-yard field goal and tossed an interception at its own 37-yard line — and that was just in the first quarter.
While the Cornhuskers rallied behind 308 yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Dylan Raiola, a collapsing run defense helped pave the way for the Wolverines’ eventual 30-27 win. Michigan ran for 286 yards on 8.7 yards per carry, with three scoring runs of at least 37 yards.
The third-year bump may still come for the Cornhuskers and coach Matt Rhule, who previously performed memorable turnarounds at Temple and Baylor. The program’s talent level has noticeably increased in this three-year span, inching Nebraska closer to the top of the Big Ten than the league’s bottom half. The remaining schedule after Saturday features just one other ranked team in No. 2 Penn State.
But this was a missed opportunity. Thanks to a non-existent running game, ineffective pass protection and flimsy defense along the line of scrimmage, the Cornhuskers were unable to capitalize on homefield advantage, coach Sherrone Moore’s absence and quarterback Bryce Underwood’s inexperience.
