The Perfect Opportunity to Fix the Huskers Recent Struggles

For the second straight week, Nebraska opens against an opponent it has never faced.

This time it’s Bowling Green. Like the Bobcats, Bowling Green and Nebraska share some history. Bowling Green coach Eddie George beat out Tommie Frazier for the Heisman Trophy in 1995. I’m sure many readers of this preview will take exception to the Heisman voters’ selection that year and see this game as a chance to get even.

George’s Falcons are coming off a bad loss to FCS Tarleton State. As Rutgers and Michigan reminded the country in Week 1, there’s no such thing as a sure win against the MAC, but this will be as close as it gets to a sure win for the Huskers in Week 2. 

Anthony Colandrea had a solid Huskers debut. The Huskers moved the ball well through the air and on the ground. Colandrea took a few deep shots downfield, but for the most part made safe throws and let his playmakers do the work. One thing does worry me about his passing performance, though. He was only 8/17 on attempts less than 5 yards downfield. This led to Nebraska having a passing success rate of just 47%. If Colandrea can raise his success rate while continuing to produce explosive plays, this offense could be one of the best in the Big Ten in 2026.

Bowling Green’s Jay Kastantin played well in his first Division I game after transferring from D2 Assumption University. He was solid through the air in his debut, completing 80% of his passes (13th in the nation for completion percentage). That efficiency was helped by throwing only 4 passes more than 12 yards downfield. Playing in Lincoln, Nebraska, will be a much bigger challenge for the veteran quarterback. He’s never played in front of a road crowd larger than 5,000 people. If Nebraska takes away his short throws, nerves may make him miss deeper throws.

If Colandrea produced positive plays at the same rate as Kastantin, Nebraska could score against any team in the country as long as it maintains its big-play ability. Colandrea ranked 30th in the country with a 49% passing success rate, while Dylan Raiola ranked 7th at 53.6%.

While the Huskers' true freshman Jamal Rule stole the show with his breakout debut, it was far from a one-man show. Three Huskers backs averaged over 5 YPC on 6+ carries each. Mekhi Nelson and Rule were also key parts of the Nebraska passing game. Jamal Rule produced over 10 EPA in the opener. He looks like a special player, but Isaiah Mozee and Mekhi Nelson also look capable of sharing the workload. Anthony Colandrea was also used effectively in the running game. Fortunately, he was used sparingly, as keeping him healthy is a top concern for Nebraska.

The Huskers have struggled to stop the run over their last 14 games. Fortunately, Bowling Green may be the remedy Nebraska needs. The Falcons had a bad day on the ground by traditional standards: 37 carries for 104 yards and one touchdown. They were even worse by analytical standards. Each of their top two backs fumbled. As a result, the team posted a negative EPA on the ground. If the Falcons succeed on the ground against the Blackshirts, fans can start worrying about the conference schedule on Monday.

This should be a comfortable Nebraska win. Bowling Green lost its opener to an FCS opponent, and the talent gap will be substantial. The final margin, however, will not be the only measure of a successful afternoon. Nebraska needs to eliminate the penalties and special-teams mistakes from its opener, control a struggling Falcons running game, and become more consistently efficient on offense. If the Huskers accomplish those three things while maintaining their newfound explosiveness, they will leave Week 2 looking much more prepared for the tough conference schedule.