Nebraska football is running out of schedule to win that first statement game in 2026. Washington is in the same situation, maybe more so.

When the teams meet Saturday night (7 o’clock CT, Big Ten Network) at Memorial Stadium, more will be on the line than simply a win or loss in the season ledger for the Huskers.

A Nebraska win means there remains promise and hope for a highly successful season and, dare to say, still a chance for the College Football Playoff.

A Nebraska loss could mean a road to possible mediocrity, another regular season with six or seven wins — three of which came against the cupcakes at the beginning of the season.

Opportunity exists for both teams to fuel their stretch drive. Both teams need a win. Boy, do they ever.

Nebraska is coming off consecutive losses to Indiana and Oregon, prestige games in which the Huskers led in the fourth quarter. Washington, after losing three in a row, won at Purdue in its last game.

Both teams are coming off a bye week, so they should be rested and somewhat healthy. “Seven weeks in the Big Ten, you’re gonna have some bumps and bruises,” Huskers coach Matt Rhule said this week about his running-back room, but he could have been talking about his entire roster, too.

Nebraska is 5-2, 2-2 in the Big Ten. Washington is 4-3, 1-3. Should the Huskers win out, they would be in the College Football Playoff mix — a 90 percent chance to make the playoff according to The Athletic. Not a guaranteed spot in the CFP, but in the mix.

The Huskers’ remaining schedule: Washington, Illinois, Rutgers, Ohio State and Iowa. There are some potential bumps and bruises in that schedule, but the Huskers know what they have to accomplish to make this a memorable season.

FanDuel has installed Nebraska as an 7.5-point favorite.

Each week, we’ll give you three reasons why the Huskers will win and three reasons why the Huskers will lose. We’ll give you reasons even if the odds seem insurmountable either way.

Nebraska is ranked 34 in The Athletic 138; Washington is ranked 56.

Why Nebraska will win

The Huskers’ defense

The Huskers have one of the nation’s best defenses. Opponents average 15.4 points per game, 14th in the country. Nebraska leads the nation in third-down defense — opponents have converted only 17-of-88 third-down attempts (19.3 percent). In Nebraska's loss at Oregon, the Ducks were 3-of-17 on third downs, including none in the first three quarters.

Nebraska ranks ninth in total defense, allowing 271.3 yards per game.

Against a Washington team that ranks 69th in total offense at 386.7 yards per game, this is the game-within-the-game matchup that could propel Nebraska to a victory.

Running attack

Nebraska should establish the run early and keep at it. The Huskers rank 29th in the nation with a 194.4 yards on the ground. Give Mekhi Nelson and Jamal Rule the ball, and get the offensive line moving low and forward. Make Washington respect the run and, voila, that probably opens up the passing attack for smooth operator Anthony Colandrea.

“I think we’ve all seen what Jamal can do when he’s rolling,” Rhule said this week. “This bye week comes at a really good time for Jamal and a really good time for even Mekhi. He doesn’t complain about it but I mean he hurt his ankle going into whatever game it was, I think maybe Maryland and he’s just fighting through it.”

As good as the Huskers are in third-down defense, they are quite efficient in third-down offense, converting 50.5 percent, good for 15th in the nation and tied with USC for the best percentage in the Big Ten.

Blackout game

OK, last year’s Blackout game was a disaster. Nebraska lost a winnable game to USC, and quarterback Dylan Raiola suffered a broken fibula.

OK, this is another year. The crowd — and players — will be fully engaged with the Blackout motif. Does it add any points to the scoreboard? Does it intimidate the opponent? Probably not, in both cases. But it should keep the home team’s spirits high.

Why Washington will win

The passing attack

Washington can pass the ball, ranking 21st in the nation with 282.7 yards per game. Nebraska counters with the 17th-best passing defense with 171.7 yards per game allowed.

If the Huskies are clicking through the air, this could be a long game for Nebraska.

Starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. didn’t play against Purdue due to a rib injury. Williams is listed as the starter on this week’s depth chart.

Williams’ backup, Elijah Brown, performed well against Purdue despite three interceptions.

The quarterbacks’ 2026 numbers:

* Williams: 116-of-174 (66.7 percent) for 1,396 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
* Brown: 51-of-69 (73.9 percent) for 578 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

Washington has outgained opponents through the air, 1,979 to 1,435 yards.

“They’re certainly very similar and different if I may,” Rhule said. “I think first of all Coach [Jedd] Fisch runs a fantastic system for guys who’ve been in the NFL, guys who’ve studied NFL tape. You can see he runs a true West Coast offense and it’s really, really, really elitely well constructed …

“They’re a vertical passing offense, I think they’re third in the Big Ten in passing offense. I think it’s 18th in the country passing offense. They push the ball down the field. This is not like a dink and dunk only, this is a true play-action, push the ball down the field offense.

“So they have the guys to do it, so they have to be elite with their arm and they both use their legs to get in and out of trouble.”

Huskies are due

After a nice opening win over rival Washington State, the Huskies barely got by Utah State, then routed Eastern Washington. Their fourth win was at surprising Purdue before the bye

Washington’s losses are troubling — at home to Minnesota and Iowa, and at USC. It’s time for the Huskies to make a stand, and define their season. Fisch called the Huskies’ bye-week practices “Training Camp 2.0” and had the players in full pads three days. They should be ready.

Rushing defense

Washington held Purdue star running back Fame Ijejoi to 19 yards, a week after he gained 195 against Minnesota. Nebraska is going to run the ball and this is where Washington can control the game. The Huskies rank 53rd in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 131 yards per game.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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