Top 15 Highlights From Nebraska's 2024 Football Season (11-15)
The Nebraska football team finished 7-6 in 2024, securing bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 and winning a bowl game for the first time since 2015. While the second half of the season included some disappointing losses in ways Husker fans have become all too accustomed to seeing, this past season represents progress for Matt Rhule. With a busy offseason already in full swing, it’s a good time to look back at some of the top moments from the year that was.
15. Second half against Purdue. It’s easy to forget after a 28-10 victory, but Nebraska played a sloppy first half against Purdue and went into the locker room tied 0-0. What’s more, the Boilermakers took the opening kickoff of the second half, took almost 7 minutes off the clock, and kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead halfway through the third quarter. Husker fans had been there before. Suddenly, the boys in red were losing a close game in the second half against a team they should be beating. Too many times in the past, Nebraska teams folded in similar moments. In this instance, however, the Huskers didn’t panic, and instead ran off 28 points before allowing a late Purdue touchdown during garbage time. It wasn’t always easy and it wasn’t always pretty, but the Big Red found a way to win. We’d love to see much more consistency moving forward, but this felt like progress after too many second-half meltdowns to count in recent years.
14. Winning (Some) One-Score Games. I debated about whether or not to include this one in the top 15. After all, the Huskers actually lost five one-score games (Illinois, Ohio State, USC, UCLA, and Iowa). But they also won two of them: at home against Rutgers, and in the Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College. Against Rutgers, the Huskers took a 14-0 lead into halftime and held on to win 14-7. In the bowl game, the Big Red led 20-2 before holding off a Boston College comeback attempt to secure a 20-15 victory. Pretty much going back to the Mike Riley era, Nebraska has struggled mightily in one-score games, seemingly always ending up on the losing end of these close battles. So, winning two of them in 2024 represents progress. Coach Matt Rhule talked often throughout the season about how the team is still learning how to win, and winning close games is essential to that process. Some fixes on special teams and an upgraded offense will go a long way toward avoiding close losses in 2025, but they will need to prove it on the field.
13. Goal-line stand vs. Rutgers. It was a thing of beauty. When Nebraska gave up their second blocked punt of the game (decidedly not a thing of beauty), Rutgers began the drive with 1st and goal at the 2 yard line. After the Huskers pushed the Scarlet Knights back three yards for 2nd and goal at the 5, a penalty put Rutgers right back at 1st and goal at the 2. Remarkably, having made two stops already, the Blackshirts held firm on four more plays and kept the Knights out of the end zone. The stop made a decisive difference in the one-score game, but it felt bigger than that. After what they admitted was a disappointing showing against Illinois, the Nebraska defense responded with two stellar performances against Purdue and Rutgers. The goal-line stand against Rutgers was a perfect encapsulation of that resolve. It felt like a prove-it moment for the Husker defense, and they answered the bell.
12. Emmett Johnson’s Last Four Games. Not to toot our own horn, but on the Common Fan Podcast we have been saying since spring ball that Emmett Johnson was the best running back on the roster. For most of the season, it was hit or miss with EJ. He would have a great series or even a great game, and then he would seemingly disappear the following game (for the record, we put this on the coaching staff, not on Emmett himself). But once Dana Holgorsen arrived and took over play calling duties, Johnson became the featured back in the offense, and he didn’t disappoint. In just the last four games of the season, he rushed for 314 yards (accounting for more than half of his season total of 598), and he was a major threat to catch the ball out of the backfield, hauling in 23 catches for 170 yards. He added two touchdowns as well, including a crucial score to help secure victory in the Pinstripe Bowl. The highlight of this stretch was undoubtedly the Wisconsin game, when Emmett led the team in both rushing yards (113) and receiving yards (85). Johnson briefly entered the transfer portal once the offseason hit (presumably due to the inconsistent playing time over the course of the season), but thankfully Matt Rhule and company were able to change his mind and convince him to stay at Nebraska. He’ll be back as a Husker in 2025, and he’ll be one of the centerpieces of the offense.
11. Raiola’s Commitment. OK, technically this happened in December 2023, about eight months before the 2024 season kicked off. But since the very first moment there was a hint that five-star, Husker legacy quarterback Dylan Raiola was considering flipping his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska, this became the story of last offseason. The hope that comes with a player of Raiola’s talent and abilities–at the most important position in football–cannot be overstated. It wasn’t just a good player committing to the Huskers. It was an immediate impact, ready-to-play, star quarterback with an NFL arm to go along with poise and brains beyond his years. This commitment completely changed the narrative of the offseason, and injected the fan base with a hope and belief that had been missing for years. The fact that he’s the son of an All American Husker lineman–one of the best in program history–makes it all the sweeter for Nebraska fans. In 2024, the young Raiola lived up to the hype with a solid true freshman season. Husker fans can’t wait to see what’s next after another full offseason of work, and a newly designed offense under Dana Holgorsen.
Author’s Note: Longtime play-by-play announcer Greg Sharpe revealed in April that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. Many Husker fans got more of a glimpse into Greg’s battle when Tom Rinaldi interviewed him before the Rutgers game. Sharpe said his goal in April was to make it long enough to call the first Nebraska game on August 31. He accomplished that and much more during the course of the season. The outpouring of love and support from Husker Nation and opposing teams alike was outstanding throughout the year. As I wrote in October, “It’s heartening to see the level of support he has received, both from Husker Nation and beyond. It’s a reminder of how Nebraska football is more than just a game; it’s part of who we are as a people, one great Big Red family.” When I did my top ten highlights for the first half of the season, support for Greg Sharpe was #1. For the year-end highlights, I want to acknowledge Greg in every post (we’re posting five at a time). Please keep Greg and his family in your prayers as he continues his battle.
MORE: Wide Receiver Jaylen Lloyd Explains Why He Left the Huskers
MORE: Nebraska Women's Basketball's Allison Weidner Suffers Another Season-Ending Injury
MORE: Nebraska Battling Michigan for Highly Ranked Transfer Offensive Tackle
MORE: Three Huskers Named Academic All-America; Lexi Rodriguez Joins Elite Company
MORE: Nebraska's Jordy Bahl Among Top Pitchers to Watch in D1Softball’s Preseason Rankings
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.