Instant Takes: Nebraska 68, Akron 0

Nebraska (2-0) started its 2025 season in Memorial Stadium with a bang. The Huskers annihilated Akron (0-2) 68-0 for a much-needed blowout victory.

The night game was rocking with a drone light show and pyrotechnics after the third quarter.

The Huskers recorded 728 offensive yards and held Akron to 175 total yards. John Butler’s crew posted Nebraska’s first shutout since a 33-0 victory over Arizona in the 2009 Holiday Bowl. NU did not punt against Akron, becoming the third game since 1995 in which Nebraska didn’t punt.

Here are four instant takeaways from the Nebraska victory.

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Offense, Raiola shows explosiveness

Nebraska recorded 16 explosive plays against the Zips in their Memorial Stadium debut. The Huskers had 13 passing plays of 18 yards or more and three rushing plays of more than 27 yards.

Quarterback Dylan Raiola was dominant on Saturday. The sophomore QB went 24-of-31 for a career-high 364 passing yards and a career-high four passing TDs. The Huskers had 397 yards in the first half.

Raiola completed 20 straight throws with 11 at the end of the Cincinnati win and nine to start Saturday’s game. He broke a record set in 1974 by Dave Humm (15).

Halfway through the third quarter, Raiola cheered on backup QB TJ Lateef from the sideline. Lateef, a true freshman, went 6-of-7 for 128 passing yards and 17 rushing yards. It’s clear why Lateef rose to QB2.

Receiver Jacory Barney Jr. led Nebraska with four explosive plays. Receiver Nyziah Hunter and running back Emmett Johnson had two explosive plays each. WR Quinn Clark had a 37-yard touchdown catch. 11 different Huskers had a play of 18 or more yards.

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Johnson is a solid back, young RBs flash

Johnson was fantastic against Akron. The junior had 140 rushing yards on 14 carries and a career-high three total touchdowns. RB1 averaged 10 yards per carry. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder posted his second straight game with over 100 rushing yards. He is the first Husker to post back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Anthony Grant in 2022.

Nebraska’s young running backs proved they are also talented. The Huskers’ running back room behind Johnson was unknown. But all three backup running backs had a play over 27 yards. Redshirt freshman Mekhi Nelson and true freshman Isaiah Mozee have great speed, acceleration, ability to make men miss and slip tackles.

Nelson rushed for 11 yards on five carries with a 41-yard catch. He had 52 receiving yards on three catches. Mozee busted a 39-yard pick-up on a catch from Lateef. The true freshman had 65 receiving yards on three catches. Kwinten Ives had a 28-yard touchdown, going uptouched on a well-executed play by his teammates. He had four carries for 34 rushing yards and a seven-yard catch.

Nelson, Mozee and Ives got some much-needed game experience. Now, can they hold up against Big Ten defenses?

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Kade Pietrzak’s great debut

True freshman Kade Pietrzak turned heads in his Nebraska debut. The defensive lineman’s first career tackle was in the end zone for a safety, taking a 9-0 lead.

He tied for a game-high three tackles and one tackle for loss. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder looked explosive in his first college football game. The Huskers played Pietrzak early against Akron, a great sign for his development. He had a great chance to get a feel for playing under the lights in front of 85,000.

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Barney is a lethal threat all over

Barney is a threat all over the field. He posted 132 receiving yards on seven catches. The sophomore had 57 yards after catch with a long of 39 yards. He recorded 219 all-purpose yards.

Barney finally broke free on a punt return. He had a 22-yard punt return in the first quarter. The 6-foot-0, 170-pound receiver exploded for a 39-yard return in the third quarter. He set a new career-high by 30 yards. Barney also posted Nebraska’s longest punt return since JD Spielman’s 76 yards in 2019.

He could be a game-changer on offense and on special teams this season if he stays on this track in the Big Ten.

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