Nebraska overcame a shaky first half to rout Ohio in Matt Rhule's fourth season opener at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska defeated Ohio 49-21 in a nonconference season opener on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, before an announced crowd of 85,577, according to the official Huskers.com recap. The win, Nebraska's 100th season-opening victory in program history, came in head coach Matt Rhule's fourth season leading the Cornhuskers.
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Second-Half Surge Turns Tight Game Into Rout
Ohio kept pace early, with quarterback Nick Poulos rushing for 70 yards and connecting with Riley Neer on a 68-yard catch-and-run that fueled much of the Bobcats' first-half production, per Omaha.com's Husker Report Card. Nebraska trailed before an 92-yard, seven-play drive ended in a Jamal Rule 24-yard touchdown reception, giving the Huskers their first lead, 14-13, with 8:13 left in the second quarter, Huskers.com reported.
Nebraska's offense stalled briefly to open the third quarter, losing 21 yards on its first two plays, but the Blackshirts defense held Ohio off the board. Quarterback Archie Colandrea then led an 11-play, 73-yard drive capped by a 13-yard touchdown run, and a subsequent 69-yard drive ended with Nelson's 29-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 28-13 by the end of the third quarter. Nebraska outscored Ohio 35-7 after halftime while outgaining the Bobcats 300 yards to 115, according to Huskers.com. Rule finished with 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, including 106 yards on eight second-half carries, highlighted by a 39-yard run and an 11-yard touchdown that made it 42-21 with 5:57 remaining.
Report Card Grades Mix Praise With Caution
Omaha.com's Husker Report Card graded Nebraska's running backs an A, crediting Rhule's rotation plan, while the passing offense earned a B despite three first-half drops by receiver Kwazi Gilmer. The pass defense, anchored by Andrew Marshall and Donovan Jones, also received a B despite the Neer breakdown. Special teams drew a C after Nyziah Hunter mishandled a kick return and Nebraska was flagged twice for kickoff offsides, though kicker Kyle Cunanan made all his attempts and punter Archie Wilson averaged 40 yards per kick. Coaching and game management earned a B, with the report card's overall verdict citing lingering questions despite the lopsided final score: "A win's a win, but there's plenty more to learn about this team."
