Husker football is back. Nebraska opens the 2026 season on Saturday, September 5, against the Ohio Bobcats at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. Central on FS1.
This is year four for head coach Matt Rhule, and the roster looks very different from the one that finished 7-6 last fall. That season ended with four losses in the final five games and a 44-22 defeat to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. The months since have brought a new quarterback, a new defensive coordinator and a long list of new faces.
A new quarterback takes over
Dylan Raiola broke his fibula against USC last season and later transferred to Oregon. His replacement is Anthony Colandrea, who arrives from UNLV as the reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2025 and was named Nebraska’s starter on August 22.
The opener comes with a twist. Colandrea’s final game at UNLV was a 17-10 loss in the Frisco Bowl, and the team that beat him was Ohio.
Life after Emmett Johnson
All-American running back Emmett Johnson is off to the NFL, and no single player is expected to replace him. Rhule plans to use a committee of Mekhi Nelson, Isaiah Mozee and freshman Jamal Rule. Saturday should offer the first real look at how the carries are split.
A new look on defense
Rob Aurich takes over as defensive coordinator after coming from San Diego State, and he brings a 4-2-5 scheme with him. Several transfers are expected to play right away, including linebacker Owen Chambliss, defensive end Anthony Jones Jr. and defensive linemen Jahsear Whittington and Owen Stoudmire. Chambliss has been working through a hamstring injury from camp, and cornerback Kahmir Prescott is out for the season with a knee injury.
What to know about Ohio
The Bobcats are not a typical tune-up opponent. Ohio went 9-4 last season and has been one of the steadier programs in the MAC. There is plenty of change in Athens too, with first-year head coach John Hauser, only five returning starters and Nick Poulos at quarterback.
This is the first meeting between the two schools, and it falls on Frank Solich Day. Solich was a head coach at both programs, which makes the matchup a fitting way to honor him.
Three things to watch
- Colandrea’s debut. How quickly does the new quarterback settle in with a new set of receivers, including UCLA transfer Kwazi Gilmer?
- The running back rotation. Nelson, Mozee and Rule will all have a chance to claim a bigger share of the work.
- Clean football. Rhule has stressed special teams, penalties, turnovers and tackling all week. Openers are rarely tidy, so those are the areas to watch.
Nebraska is favored by more than three touchdowns. The result matters, but so does how this new group looks getting there. Go Big Red.
Dr. Bruce Marko is a University of Nebraska alum and a proud supporter of the Huskers. Read more about his Nebraska Cornhuskers roots.
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