A New Day: Nebraska's Clutch INT Narrowly Avoids Another Collapse in a One-Possession Game That Would Have Begun the Season in Disaster

Man, this had all the makings of a quintessential Nebraska collapse. The Cornhuskers came into their third season opener under Matt Rhule 3-10 in one-possession games the last couple years and looked poised to start 2025 with a bang.

Cincinnati could barely complete a forward pass for virtually the entire game, but Nebraska let the Bearcats march 75 yards in just over three minutes to cut the Huskers' lead to a field goal with 7:15 to go. Then Cincinnati got the ball back at the two-minute warning and made it all the way into field goal range before Brendan Sorsby decided it was his time to be a hero and lofted up a jump ball that Nebraska came down with to get out of Kansas City with the season-opening win.

I don't know that this game inspires any confidence in the hearts of the people who have been predicting Nebraska to go to the College Football Playoff, but you can at least spin it into a positive that they finally found a way to win a close game. Dylan Raiola looked fine and Nyziah Hunter, Dane Key and Emmett Johnson looked like a fine group of skill position players on offense, but it turns out it is possible to both have a manageable schedule and still not be very good.

We'll find out more in a few weeks when Michigan travels to Lincoln, but the good news is Nebraska is 1-0 and did manage to not completely shit its pants this time. Every journey begins with a single step.