5 things we learned from Nebraska football win over Wisconsin

The curse has been lifted. After eight years, Nebraska football is going to a bowl game following a 44-25 win over Wisconsin that felt therapeutic.

After years of difficult losses, blown leads, and improbable failures, the Huskers didn’t just squeak by the Badgers on Saturday. They won going away.

It wasn’t a blowout but it was convincing. It felt like Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska offense couldn’t be stopped. Emmett Johnson was spectacular and the defense, despite giving up lots of yards, made just enough plays.

It was a monumental win for Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule and this program. The Huskers needed that monkey off their back. As Rhule said, “We won’t celebrate six wins again.”

This was a unique situation. But the only bowl discussion we will have over the next few weeks is what game the Huskers will play in. That’s a refreshing place to be and here are five things we learned from the 19-point win on Saturday.

Matt Rhule took the first step forward

This was an important season for Rhule. After losing the last four games in 2023, he couldn’t afford to have his team swoon again. Nebraska football needed to get six wins. Rhule needed a tangible sign of progress.

It might not seem like a huge milestone and in the grand scheme of college football, it isn’t. But it felt like there was a lid on the success of this program.

Frankly, it was weird. But Rhule has taken that lid off now. The next goal is a winning season, or contending for the playoff. Whatever.

The focus isn’t just six wins anymore and that’s progress. True progress buys Rhule goodwill and sends Nebraka into the offseason with momentum for once.

Guys like Ty Robinson know how to win

Some people started questioning if Nebraska football could win with guys like Ty Robinson. Some said they were the problem and that they had some sort of mental block.

I never bought that. Robinson has been the best defensive player on this team. Maybe the best player overall this season. The offense carried the day but the Huskers set the tone on the line of scrimmage.

The defense hasn’t been great the past two weeks, but it wasn’t just about them. The offensive line got the job done. Nash Hutmacher had some great moments in the trenches, but it proved that with the coaching, Nebraska had the right guys.

They weren’t going to be denied on Saturday and it was awesome to see Robinson and other veterans basking in the glow.

Dylan Raiola is gonna be just fine

There was a lot of hand-wringing about the five-star quarterback but on Saturday his development looked right where it should be for a freshman quarterback.

There were some great moments at the start of the season. The kid hit a wall of sorts, but Dana Holgorsen has him slinging it with confidence again.

The best thing I saw on Saturday was that the ball was coming out on time. Raiola wasn’t sitting back there forever. If there was a chance downfield, he took it. If not, he took a short completion and lived for another down.

Raiola was also dropping dimes. He showed all the arm talent that had him ranked as the No. 1 QB in his class and all the fans worrying about his future can stop with one caveat.

Nebraska football needs Dana Holgorsen as OC long-term

Rhule said that Holgorsen would be the offensive coordinator for the rest of the season, but Nebraska needs him as long as he’s willing to be the OC (until he leaves to be a head coach).

Holgorsen is the offensive coordinator that Raiola needs. He’s the OC this team needs. The offense just felt different. It hasn’t felt that way in a long time.

I was actually excited when they got the ball and when Wisconsin cut the lead to 12, I wasn’t worried. OK. I wasn’t that worried.

Holgorsen sure wasn’t. His foot never left the gas and the team — most importantly — his quarterback fed off that.

Nebraska football fans will have recruiting on the brain and they should — the next few weeks could be fun — but the most important recruitment is making sure that Holgorsen is locked up as OC, long term.

Whatever it takes.

Nebraska might not need a transfer running back

Not long ago I said on social media that Nebraska needed to land a big-time running back in the transfer portal but Emmett Johnson’s performance has me re-thining that.

Jamarion Parker, the four-star running back committed in the 2025 class that we don’t talk about enough is going to be a star. But Johnson sure had the look of one too, at least for one afternoon.

Johnson had 198 yards on 19 touches. He had a long run of 19 yards and a long reception of 29. All season we have talked about how Nebraska needed more explosive plays.

It would be great if Johnson could continue this trend but after a 29-yard touchdown last week against USC and 91 total yards, it’s clear that Holgorsen has helped ignite Johsnon too. Emmett is averaging 144 total yards over the past two games and if that continues, the Huskers starting running back for 2025 will already be on the roster.

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