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Spectacular is nice, but then again, spectacular is fleeting.
Reliability goes along way, and consistency can get a fellow enshrined in the Nebraska Hall of Fame if he keeps it up long enough.
Were you disappointed you didn’t see any long pass plays Saturday night in Memorial Stadium as you waited for the Cole Swindell concert to begin? Were you hoping for a few more touches for each wideout?
Bummed out because the Huskers didn’t blow out their opponent? Wish they would’ve topped 500 total yards?
Dadgummit. Those things didn’t happen when Nebraska wrapped up its nonconference season with a blue-collar 34-7 win over North Dakota.
Anthony Colandrea looks to pass during the second quarter as Brendan Black blocks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Well, that ordinary-looking win over an FCS team looked beautiful to me — pretty much all of it —because it was a valuable dress rehearsal for the upcoming Big Ten season. When you run the ball and stop the run, as the Huskers did against the Fighting Hawks who averaged 50 points in their first three games, you’ve got an excellent chance to win games in the Big Ten.
The folks who like to see offensive balance can be happy with a third consecutive game of 200-plus rushing and 200-plus passing yards for the first time in a decade. Me? I’m glad to see the Nebraska defense snap that year-long streak without a red zone stop. It finally ended in the fourth quarter when the Huskers stopped UND on downs at the 10-yard line, the first time they held an opponent who entered the red zone without points since Sept. 6, 2025, in a shutout of Akron.
Stuff like this can be habit-forming, you know. You end one nagging streak, then work on eliminating others that are more painful. Take one step at a time.
That downfield block by Kwazi Gilmer? The one that allowed Jamal Rule to finish his 55-yard touchdown run? Beautiful. Oh, and Gilmer caught the ball three times also.
Jacory Barney Jr. runs with the ball during the first quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nebraska (3-0) will travel to East Lansing, Michigan, where it can win its first Big Ten opener since 2019. If the Huskers get that done, they can work on bigger things, like beating a ranked team and putting together a winning record in the Big Ten. Neither of those things have happened for a decade now. You know how those things can happen? By running the ball and stopping the run.
I saw a defensive front that wasn’t giving up leaky yards on running plays, with a linebacking corps that’s becoming a strength, operating behind a d-line that’s starting to figure a few things out.
The Huskers held North Dakota to 99 rushing yards, but about a third of that came on the final drive against third- and fourth-teamers. Nebraska had five sacks, seven quarterback hurries, and was credited with six tackles for loss, for a total of 53 yards.
Meanwhile, I saw three Husker running backs who had 40 or more yards on the ground, operating behind an o-line that’s working well together. That’s inspiring. NU had 277 rushing yards, and true freshman Jamal Rule earned his second 100-yard game and got two more rushing touchdowns. Rule is building momentum.
North Dakota quarterback Jerry Kaminski is sacked by Nebraska linebacker Owen Chambliss during the second quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I saw a quarterback calmly complete a touchdown pass on third down in the red zone, then watched the Huskers run the ball 10 times for 67 yards in the fourth quarter to suck the last bit of life out of the opponent. The Huskers ran the ball 45 times and averaged 6.2 yards per rush.
After the game, UND coach Eric Schmidt became the first person this year to announce that Nebraska has an identity on offense.
“They stuck to a game plan and have an identity of who they want to be,” Schmidt said. “It doesn't matter what you do. That's who they're going to be.”
Good grief, how long has it been since anyone had a clue what identity Nebraska’s offense has?
Am I concerned that Anthony Colandrea had only 195 passing yards? Not in the least. He ran for a touchdown with a bit of reckless abandon and threw for another. That’s beautiful. Does it bother me that Nebraska’s longest pass play was only 33 yards? Nope. Colandrea did what needed to be done, with the help of an offensive line that kept him clean and opened up the running game. Matt Rhule and his staff made it a much easier go this time around than it went four years ago for Scott Frost in his final victory in Lincoln.
This is stuff that will work in the Big Ten. So let’s see them give it a try against Michigan State. Nothing fancy. Steadiness. Lull the Spartans into a stupor. Maybe hit them with a deep ball at that point.
Mekhi Nelson carries the ball during the first quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Run the ball. Stop the run. Always end the drive with a kick. I think Dana Holgorsen and Rob Aurich may be on to something here. Possibly also Brett Maher, whose special teams reduced their penalties and sprung Jacory Barney for a 17-yard punt return.
The only way North Dakota stays in the game is if it controls the ball, drains the clock and frustrates the Huskers with third-down conversions. That didn’t happen. The Fighting Hawks got only 10 first downs, had the ball for just under 25 minutes and ran only 55 plays to Nebraska’s 71.
The NU defense had four consecutive three-and-outs at the end of the second quarter and beginning of the third. Owen Chambliss directed traffic and had six tackles. Donovan Jones smacked a North Dakota receiver halfway into next week. A blitzing Dexter Foster wrecked a pass play. There were no takeaways, but there was very little retreat, either.
Reliability goes a long way, and consistency can get you a long way in the Big Ten. The road begins now.
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