Beware the Start: How Nebraska Football's Opener Sets the Tone for Season

The opening game of the season has been a defining metric for Nebraska Football for the last half-decade of frustration for Husker fans. How important is this year's season opener?

Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

There has been a lot of peeking ahead with Husker Football since the 2023 season wrapped up in late November.

Nebraska football fans have been on a nearly unprecedented ride of enthusiasm and "Kool-Aid" drinking since the home loss to Iowa to finish out Matt Rhule's first season leading the Huskers. From Dylan Raiola's late commitment flip, Tony White's new contract to stay and lead the Blackshirts, and what appears to be a softer opening schedule featuring five of the first seven games at Memorial Stadium, Nebraska fans and media alike seem poised to pick the Big Red as a surprise team for 2024.

Top 2024 CFB Win Total:

Nebraska over 7.5 wins +120 (BetMGM)

Nebraska will be vastly improved in Matt Rhule's 2nd year with a strong defensive front and new QB Dylan Raiola. Huskers miss Oregon, Michigan and Penn St. Could be 7-0 when they face Ohio St on Oct. 26.

Good Luck! pic.twitter.com/6SVmPY3wn5

— Thomas Casale (@TheTomCasale) June 14, 2024

Including the fact that Nebraska has its sights set on the second game of the season - a Saturday night contest with heated rival Colorado, set to possibly light Memorial Stadium ablaze in tones of revenge - the 'Sea of Red' and its football program seems poised to begin the year with focus and tenacity.

Sounds like a dream scenario for a fanbase desperate to see its traditional power finally arrive back to the forefront of college football, right? Not so fast, corn-heads.

Allow me to present the precedent to re-focus the attention to Nebraska's first foe - the University of Texas El Paso Miners.

For the past five years of Nebraska Football, the season opener has been an excellent preview as to what the Huskers season will entail. From strengths, weaknesses, storylines, and more, the last decade of starts for Nebraska has showcased - with hindsight - what fans at Memorial Stadium should expect from their teams.

If Husker fans want a more historical view of the importance of the semester's first test, look no further than the start of the newest era of despair for Nebraska Football fans: 2015.

The fateful start to the Mike Riley era began with a walk-off touchdown by Brigham Young University in Memorial Stadium, as the Cougars Hail Mary put Nebraska 0-1 to start the new regime. In a game Nebraska led 28-24 entering the fourth, the Huskers 29 game-streak of season opening victories was snapped by Tanner Mangum's touchdown toss as time expired.

Sep 5, 2015; Lincoln, NE, USA; Brigham Young Cougars players run onto the field after defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers with a last second touchdown in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Brigham Young won 33-28. / Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

The defining trait of the 2015-16 Huskers? A lack of killer-instinct in close games (this may become a trend later on). Nebraska finished 2-7 in games decided by eight points or less, and allowed nearly 350 yards passing per contest. Riley would be fired two seasons later, with many pointing to the BYU loss as the beginning of the end.

In 2019, Scott Frost's second season leading the Big Red (and one year after having his first contest canceled due to storms), the Huskers opened their season with South Alabama at Memorial Stadium. Despite boasting a top 25 rating, Nebraska struggled to pull away from a Jaguar team that ended the season 2-10.

South Alabama outgained the Huskers 314-276, but three critical non-offensive touchdowns separated the scoring difference. Nebraska had three turnovers in the contest and lost the time of possession, showcasing the team's later inability to play up to its competition and failure to control games late. Losses to Minnesota (34-7), Indiana (38-31), Purdue (31-27), Wisconsin (37-21), and Iowa (27-24) reaffirmed the team's defensive struggles in critical moments and the offense's turnover woes.

Aug 31, 2019; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers punt returner JD Spielman (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the South Alabama Jaguars in the second half at Memorial Stadium. / Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

During the COVID-19 delayed start to the conference only season, Nebraska became embroiled in a quarterback controversy as Luke McCaffrey and Adrian Martinez combined for 325 total yards but fumbled twice and took three sacks in the 52-17 beatdown at Ohio State. The Huskers inconsistent quarterback play led to losses at Northwestern (21-13), Illinois (41-23), Iowa (26-20), and at Minnesota (24-17).

In eight games, Nebraska threw nine interceptions and lost nine fumbles and never found consistency behind center, finishing with a 3-5 mark ending on a win at Rutgers but leaving Frost's seat warm for the next season.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Trey Sermon (8) carries the ball past Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive lineman Ben Stille (95) on a run during the 3rd quarter in their NCAA Division I football game on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch via

2021 began an unprecedented run of pain for Nebraska, suffering the infamous 3-9 season in which the Big Red lost all their games by 10 points or less, with eight of the losses by one possession or less.

The losses were defined by a faulty special teams, key turnovers in critical moments, and Nebraska's inability to show up on the road. The flames were stoked further with the question of whether the team was improving under Frost who held on to a then $20 million buyout. Peering back at the Week Zero matchup in Champaign, the issues were obvious in the opening contest.

Cam Taylor-Britt's ill-advised punt return that eventually became a safety for the Illini showcased the early special teams gaffs that troubled the '21 Huskers. Nebraska would go down 30-9 in the mid-fourth quarter, including a Martinez fumble late in the second quarter that was returned 41 yards for a touchdown. Despite a late rally, Nebraska's final drive ended short in a 30-22 defeat. Nebraska would go 0-5 in road contests on the season.

Aug 28, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska head coach Scott Frost watches his team in the first quarter with Illinois at Memorial Stadium. / Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The fateful 2022 season ended the Frost tenure in three games after a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern, but the national spotlight burned the Huskers in their Week Zero 31-28 loss to Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. Much of the same issues carried over from 2021, including a questionable onside kick up 11 in the third quarter that later allowed the Wildcats to march back into the contest.

Nebraska's 4-8 season showcased rushing woes, averaging only 3.5 yards per attempt in Mark Whipple's offense. The rushing defense was not much better, allowing nearly 190 yards on the ground each contest. The Huskers also struggled to control games against pass-first teams, getting crushed by Oklahoma (49-14), and downed at Purdue (43-37).

In the Dublin experience against Northwestern, Nebraska gave up 214 rushing yards only running for 110 of their own while giving up the final fourteen points of each half.

Aug 27, 2022; Dublin, IRELAND; Northwestern Wildcats wide receiver Malik Washington runs away from Nebraska Cornhuskers defenders in the Aer Lingus college football series at Aviva Stadium. / USA TODAY Sports

The Matt Rhule experience began in late August of 2023 at Minnesota, where an anemic offense struggled to move the ball consistently in their 13-10 defeat to the Gophers. Nebraska's defense proved to step-up and keep the Huskers afloat, but the offense's turnover bug, inconsistency with quarterbacks, and lack of big plays prevented a bowl bid in another 5-7 campaign.

Nebraska's 16 interceptions tossed on the season began with three by Jeff Sims in the opener, including a red-zone chance that prevented a score prior to halftime. The Huskers also lost one of their two fumbles, beginning their 31 fumbles in 2023. Nebraska did, however, run effectively for 181 yards and nearly five yards per carry against Minnesota. That continued with nearly 180 yards on the ground per contest.

Aug 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Jeff Sims looks on during the third quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

In Rhule's second season, the UTEP Miners begin the season in Lincoln as Memorial Stadium focuses on the next step of the 'Rhule rebuild'. UTEP enters under a new head coach, Scotty Walden, who took over after four seasons at Austin Peay State in the FCS. The Governors set school records in 2023 in scoring offense, total offense, and passing offense - possibly a concern for a Nebraska team lacking returning defensive backfield experience.

Maybe it is looking too much in to the first game of the season, but it might be just as important to focus on the season opener as the "most anticipated" game against the 'Prime Time' Buffaloes. If history continues, the Nebraska Football team we witness on August 31 could be the version performing throughout 2024.

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