Nebraska loses to Washington in 47th straight loss on the gridiron
A crowd of 86,097 watched the Huskers fall to the Huskies, extending a losing streak that now spans 17 games where the offense scored 17 points or fewer.
By Jack Weber ·
Nebraska football fans watched their team lose another game on Saturday night, extending a losing streak that now stands at 17 games in which the Blackshirts failed to score more than 17 points. The Huskers fell to Washington in a game that featured a record crowd and a final score that left the program with a three-game skid.
The loss marked the 47th consecutive home game at Memorial Stadium that Nebraska has not won, according to columnist Dave Feit. The team allowed 17 points to Washington while scoring 14. This result continues a pattern where the defense performs well but the offense stagnates. In the three losses this season, Nebraska has allowed 20, 17, and 17 points respectively. Before this streak, head coach Matt Rhule was 17-4 when the team held opponents to 17 points or fewer.
The game took a turn in the fourth quarter when Nebraska faced first-and-goal at the five-yard line. A delay of game penalty pushed the team back to the 10-yard line. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea threw two incomplete passes before being sacked on third down. Kicker Kyle Cunanan missed a 36-yard field goal attempt. Later, the defense gave up a third-and-14 conversion and a fourth-and-18 conversion. An ill-advised corner blitz led to a 25-yard touchdown for Washington, giving the Huskies the lead. Nebraska subsequently gave up a pick-six on their next drive.
Attendance at Memorial Stadium reached 86,097 fans. The event was a blackout game for Halloween, with fans wearing black. The atmosphere was described as loud, with fans standing and cheering for the entire duration of the contest. However, the crowd became frustrated as the game progressed. The public address announcer repeatedly asked fans not to throw objects onto the field. Most of the debris came from the student sections in the southeast corner, though some water bottles were thrown from the north.
Nebraska was penalized eight times for 74 yards on Saturday, which aligns with their season averages. Two scoring drives were negatively impacted by these penalties. In the second quarter, an offsides call on Dwayne McDougle III negated an interception by Caleb Benning. In the fourth quarter, a blindside block by Kwazi Gilmer cost the team 15 yards on a drive that ended in a field goal opportunity.
Rushing quarterback Anthony Colandrea was credited with seven carries in the game. After adjusting for two sacks, he ran for 29 yards on five attempts. This is lower than his average of 12.5 carries against Big Ten teams this season. Colandrea had at least eight carries in 29 of his 41 career college football games.
Matt Rhule remains the head coach through the 2026 season. His contract runs through 2032, with a base salary of $4,781,250 for 2026 and $9,375,000 for 2032. The current buyout total is slightly over $52.2 million. Athletic Director Troy Dannen has a buyout of approximately $7 million. Nebraska has a scheduled game against Illinois next.
