Minnesota Football: First look at the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Minnesota football will take on the No. 25 Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1) this Friday night at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Gophers Nation takes a first look at the Cornhuskers below.
Game / Broadcast Details
Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium (50,805)
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Television: FOX
Radio: KFAN 100.3 | Mike Grimm, Darrell Thompson, Justin Gaard
Odds: Minnesota is a 9.5-point underdog to Nebraska, with the total currently set at 46.5 points according to BetMGM.
Head Coach Profile: Matt Rhule
One of the best program builders in college football, Rhule is in his third year with Nebraska and has the Cornhuskers headed in the right direction. After winning five and seven games in his first two seasons with the program, Rhule has already led the Huskers to five wins in six games this season, with their lone loss of the season to Michigan.
Before his time with Nebraska, Rhule spent four seasons at Temple, leading the Owls on an impressive turnaround before back-to-back 10-win seasons. He also turned around Baylor over three seasons, going from 1-11 to 7-6 before an 11-3 season in 2019. He briefly had a stint in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, but did not have the same level of success, going 11-27 in three seasons.
Rhule’s name has notably popped up his week as Penn State begins the infancy stages of their search for their next head coach. While Rhule was born in New York City, he grew up in State College, Pennsylvania, down the street from Penn State, and played linebacker for the Nittany Lions as well from 1994-1997.
Nebraska 2025 Results
The Cornhuskers enter the week with a 5-1 (2-1) record. After wins over Cincinnati, Akron, and Houston Baptist to open the season. The Huskers lost their first test in late September to No. 21 Michigan 30-27. They rebounded with wins over Michigan State and Maryland.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Record |
| 8/28 | vs Cincinnati (N) | 20-17 win | 1-0 |
| 9/6 | vs Akron | 68-0 win | 2-0 |
| 9/13 | vs Houston Baptist | 59-7 win | 3-0 |
| 9/20 | vs Michigan | 30-27 loss | 3-1 (0-1) |
| 10/4 | vs Michigan State | 38-27 win | 4-1 (1-1) |
| 10/11 | at Maryland | 34-31 win | 5-1 (2-1) |
Series History
Minnesota and Nebraska have faced off 64 times all-time, with Minnesota holding a 37-25-2 advantage, including winners of each of the last four. Under P.J. Fleck, the Gophers have won six of seven matchups with only a 53-28 loss in Lincoln in 2018 being the Gophers’ only blemish during his tenure.
The last time the two teams met in 2023, the Gophers came out on top 13-10 thanks to a Dragan Kesich 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Player to Watch: QB Dylan Raiola
The sophomore quarterback is having a tremendous season, completing 73.4% of his passes for 1,591 yards and 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions. Raiola has completed at least 66% of his passes in each game this season and has thrown for 240+ yards in four games. The Huskers’ signal caller, however, is coming off his toughest game of the season against Maryland with three interceptions.
How the Gophers and Cornhuskers match up statistically
| Nebraska Offense | Minnesota Defense | ||
| Stat Category | # (National Rank) | Stat Category | # (National Rank) |
| Scoring Offense | 41.0 (11) | Scoring Defense | 21.2 (50) |
| Rushing Offense | 139.83 (91) | Rushing Defense | 108.0 (28) |
| Passing Offense | 310.2 (9) | Passing Defense | 200.3 (49) |
| Total Offense | 450.0 (27) | Total Defense | 308.3 (27) |
| Sacks Allowed | 16 (112) | Sacks | 14 (T-47) |
| 3rd Down % | 47.1% (28) | 3rd Down % | 39.6% (77) |
| 4th Down % | 36.3% (120) | 4th Down % | 50.0% (T-56) |
| Red Zone % | 84.3% (T-72) | Red Zone % | 93.3% (112) |
| Minnesota Offense | Nebraska Defense | ||
| Stat Category | # (National Rank) | Stat Category | # (National Rank) |
| Scoring Offense | 27.3 (77) | Scoring Defense | 18.7 (T-30) |
| Rushing Offense | 112.3 (115) | Rushing Defense | 151.3 (82) |
| Passing Offense | 228.5 (70) | Passing Defense | 118.0 (1) |
| Total Offense | 340.8 (106) | Total Defense | 269.3 (14) |
| Sacks Allowed | 10 (T-51) | Sacks | 11 (T-83) |
| 3rd Down % | 39.1% (82) | 3rd Down % | 26.5% (8) |
| 4th Down % | 33.3% (T-123) | 4th Down % | 69.2% (T-119) |
| Red Zone % | 83.3% (T-77) | Red Zone % | 90% (T-107) |
Stay Tuned
Stay tuned to Gophers Nation as we bring the latest updates on Minnesota football and the Golden Gophers’ upcoming matchup against Nebraska.
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