On a beautifully enjoyable evening at Memorial Stadium, the Nebraska Cornhuskers spoiled an incredible Blackout fan experience by blowing a lead with 90 seconds left and lost 17-10 to the Washington Huskies. For the third game in a row, it was another inexplicable fourth quarter. The Huskers led Indiana 17-6 and lost 20-17, led Oregon 14-6 and lost 17-14, and led Washington 7-3 before giving the Huskies a victory.
The Huskers had a golden opportunity to end the 4th quarter drama when they began a drive at their own 16 yard line with :51 left in the third and in 11 plays moved to a first and goal at the Huskies 5 yard line. On the verge of a 14-3 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining, the Huskers were called for a delay of game, then Jacory Barney bounced a TD pass off his hands, then another incompletion at the 2, before Anthony Colandrea was sacked for an 8-yard loss. No problem, hit the basket. But Kyle Cunanan’s 36-yard shot was wide right. A first and a goal on five chances and zero points. Doubts began to set in as we saw this story over and over again.
But the Husker defense rallied and ended the Husky’s next drive at the NU 42, forcing Washington to punt for the eighth time in nine possessions. Nebraska took over at its own 20-yard line with 6:03 left. On the previous drive, the Huskers ran 6 times for 32 yards. Run the time and win the game. Jamal Rule gains 4 yards on first down, then the Huskers throw twice incompletely and make three and burn just 1:34 of the game clock. More and more doubt creeps into the cortex.
When Washington began the ensuing drive from its own 19-yard line with 4:29 remaining, the Blackshirts had given up just 186 total yards at that point. The Huskies had converted just 3 of 12 on third downs and rushed for just 23 yards. Quarterback Demond Williams, who came off the bench on the previous series, then ran 17 yards on a 3rd and 15, before being sacked twice. Facing 4th and 18 from the NU 49, the defense put pressure on Williams who threw up a prayer while falling backwards and Chris Lawson made a spectacular grab down the sideline putting one foot down for a 24-yard completion. Even though Victor Evans was wrapped around him, the impossible was achieved. An announcer said before the game that FBS teams were 3 of 38 on 4th down and 18+ to play this season. Nebraska once again found a way to defy the odds. Impossible, inexplicable, inexcusable and intolerable…. Two plays later, Lawson eluded a defender and scored the game-winning 25-yard touchdown. You kind of knew this could happen, but no, not yet. How is this possible?
Lawson also had a 29-yard video catch on the Huskies’ drive that led to a field goal just before intermission. He finished with 12 catches for 155 yards, both career highs. He made the difference in a game that the Huskers were once again lacking.
An obvious key heading into the match was finishing in fourth position. The Huskers were outscored 14-3 in that game and 39-10 in the fourth of the last three games. Head coach Matt Rhule had no answers in his presser except that you have to score more than 7 points to win a Big Ten game. A great defensive performance was once again spoiled by an anemic attack.
As I reflected on the Husker’s latest and greatest slump, I wondered why Anthony Colandrea threw deep so often, leading to interceptions on the Husker’s first two possessions. I was baffled that Luke Lindenmeyer broke his run that led to the pick six at the end that sealed the Huskers’ fate. I was troubled by the Husker receivers repeatedly dropping balls and why we got away from the running game as it started to gel late in the third. Colandrea and Jamal Rule were both inches away from breaking off long runs, but were tripped at the last moment. I’m not sure what offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson’s game plan has been over the last few games because there doesn’t seem to be any fluidity or consistency. The wide receivers struggled to separate from defenders, but the tight ends were repeatedly opened up the middle. Injuries on the offensive line didn’t help but the elusive Colandrea was only sacked twice for -9 yards. How can we have a delay of game on the 5 yard line? How can Big Ten officials be so consistently poor that you can win a home run as the home team? The officials weren’t the reason for the loss, but they were woefully inconsistent in how they called pass interference, holding, and “hands in the face.” Washington converted 5 of 15 on third down, but gained four more first downs thanks to penalties. Why have the coaches stuck with kicker Kyle Cunanan who has now missed field goals in each of the last three losses?
Offensive, defensive and special teams summaries will be very brief in this week’s releases. Nebraska outscored Washington 387-267 and held the Huskies to 32 rushing yards (a season low for the opponent). Nebraska opened the scoring with a 10-play, 95-yard drive in the first quarter. The 95-yard drive was Nebraska’s longest of the season, bettering a 92-yard drive against Ohio.
Anthony Colandrea signed a new NIL deal and then played his worst game as a Husker going 24 for 44 for 255 yards with one touchdown and three picks. He only scored 20 rushing yards on 7 carries. At least he didn’t lead the team in rushing as Jamal Rule had 72 yards on 13 carries (an average of 5.5 yards per carry). Tight end Carter Nelson caught a 24-yard TD pass in the first quarter, scoring his first TD of the season and second of his career (2024 vs. Northern Iowa). Receiver Nyziah Hunter had a game-high six receptions for 39 yards, bringing his career total to 105 receptions. Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer had five receptions for a career-high 61 yards, bettering his 60 yards against Michigan in 2025. It was Lindenmeyer’s fifth straight game with at least three receptions. Jacory Barney caught just 6 passes on 11 targets for 65 yards, including a 31-yarder to the 5-yard line.
Owen Chambliss led the defense with 7 tackles with Dwayne McDougle, Donovan Jones and Caleb Benning adding six each. Jahsear Whittington, Kate Pietrzak and Mason Goldman each had a sack, with Riley Van Poppel and Vincent Shavers sharing the fourth sack. Whittington’s second-quarter sack brought his team-leading sack total to 4.5. The team had 9 tackles for losses totaling -40 yards.
Kyle Cunanan’s missed field goal led to him being replaced by John Hohl who connected from 42 yards out late in the game. I didn’t understand the reason for Hohl’s second-quarter kickoff that put the Huskies on the 36-yard line. Punter Archie Wilson had a 60-yard punt in the second quarter to the 3-yard line. It was the third straight game where Wilson had a punt of at least 60 yards. Wilson averaged 49.8 yards on five punts, including four downed inside the twenty. Jacory Barney had 46 yards on 4 returns with a long of 22 yards. Washington punter Hunter Green was a weapon that kept the Huskers behind on offense all night.
Fans have a right to be frustrated. The crowd fully embraced the blackout and was loud throughout the game, contributing to at least five Husky false starts. No matter how many times you get kicked in the groin, unless you’re a masochist, you never learn to love it. The Husker faithful have suffered through decades of ineptitude and keep coming back for more. How much more can they take? How many 5-1 season starts will be followed by 1-5 finishes? The Huskers missed their chance to secure the elusive sixth win for bowl eligibility and stem the tide despite being more than a touchdown favorite. They now go on the road for three of their last four games. Husker fans were dreaming of three straight wins to get to 8-2 before facing Ohio State and Iowa. Some fantasies included 9 wins as a possibility. Reality can be a cruel master. Now it’s a short turnaround next Friday against Illinois in Champaign and then the long trip to Piscataway against a Rutgers team that nearly upset Michigan. Nothing will be easy, especially if the Huskers find themselves in another 7-3 fight with less than 5 minutes to play. Despite the dreary droppings, Go Big Red!!
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