Nebraska Football Hoping to Stay Undefeated All-Time Against Rutgers

Nebraska football has never lost to Rutgers. Will that change on Saturday?

Oct 7, 2022; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Anthony Grant (10) is tackled by Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Deion Jennings (17) during the second half at SHI Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Rutgers football will put its 4-0 record on the line on Saturday when it takes on Nebraska in Memorial Stadium. 

Since joining the Big Ten conference in 2014, the Scarlet Knights have not beaten Nebraska yet. They are 0-5 as conference foes, with three of those losses coming at home and the other two in Memorial Stadium. The last two games in the series were especially close, but the Huskers still found a way to win.

The last matchup between the two teams came in the 2022 season and was a home game for the Scarlet Knights. Both teams were 3-3 and Nebraska had already fired former head coach Scott Frost and promoted Mickey Joseph as interim head coach. 

Nebraska only won four games that season, but they still won this game 14-13. The Huskers trailed 13-7 heading into the fourth quarter but took the lead for good after a Casey Thompson touchdown pass to Trey Palmer. Rutgers had one last chance with 1:03 left but threw an interception to end the game.

Rutgers also hosted the 2020 game, which was another close loss for the Scarlet Knights. This game was tied at 21 heading into the fourth quarter and was another opportunity for Rutgers to get its elusive win over Nebraska. However, a 92-yard drive by the Huskers put the final touchdown on the board and the Huskers escaped with a 28-21 victory.

The other three losses by the Scarlet Knights in the series took place in 2014, 2015, and 2017, and all came by double digits. Both times Rutgers has played in Lincoln (2014 and 2017), the Huskers have won by at least two scores.

Those teams were very different than the two that will play each other on Saturday. The history of the series is as one-sided as it gets, but expect another competitive game this year, just like the previous two in the series. This is also the first matchup between Nebraska coach Matt Rhule and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. Huskers' freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is also getting his first taste of playing against Rutgers, and he knows it will be a challenge.

“I think they’re an experienced group," Raiola said. "They play really hard and do a lot of things right. They’re not going to make too many mistakes. It’ll be a good test for us to see where we’re at.”

Nebraska's all-time edge against Rutgers is 6-0, going back before either team joined the Big Ten. The first meeting between the two schools was in 1920. In the first-ever game on the East Coast for the Big Red, it was an Election Day affair at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Warren Harding won the election and the Huskers won the game, 28-0.

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