Nebraska football breaks bowl game drought with win over Wisconsin

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Nebraska football’s hunt for elusive bowl game eligibility is over.

The Huskers defeated the Badgers 44-25 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday to earn their sixth win of the season.

That guarantees NU its first bowl game since the 2016 season. Its bowl game drought was the longest of any Power 4 team.

The win also snapped a four-game losing streak for the Huskers.

Nebraska moved the ball 473 yards, compared with 407 for Wisconsin.

The difference was on the ground, as the Huskers outrushed the Badgers by 65 yards.

The Huskers set themselves up for success on the game’s opening drive with a 45-yard kickoff return by Jacory Barney Jr.

Six plays later, Heinrich Haarberg ran the ball into the end zone from 5 yards out.

But the Badgers responded quickly, putting together a three-minute drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Braedyn Locke to Bryson Green.

Later in the first quarter, Wisconsin recovered a fumble by Nebraska’s Janiran Bonner at the Huskers’ 15-yard line.

But the Blackshirts forced a fourth down, and Nathanial Vakos missed a 34-yard field goal attempt for the Badgers.

Nebraska then marched down the field and scored early in the second quarter with a 10-yard run by Dante Dowdell.

Wisconsin Vinny Anthony II returned the next kickoff 44 yards into Nebraska territory.

Despite the good field position, the Badgers couldn’t get across the goal line, but Vakos kicked a 33-yard field goal to cut Nebraska’s lead to 14-10.

On the Badgers’ next possession, they were again stymied by the Blackshirts, and Vakos missed a 41-yard attempt.

The Huskers scored with 17 seconds left in the first half on a 5-yard pass from Dylan Raiola to Jahmal Banks.

But that wasn’t the last score of the half.

Wisconsin fumbled the ball on its own 31-yard line, and Nebraska recovered it.

One pass from Raiola to Barney got NU in field goal position, and John Hohl kicked a 37-yarder.

Early in the third quarter, Hohl added 3 more points for Nebraska with a 45-yard field goal.

The Huskers grew their lead on their next possession when Dowdell got another rushing touchdown.

Wisconsin answered with a four-play drive culminating in a 24-yard touchdown pass to Green.

NU then put together a drive that took more than five minutes off the clock and resulted in another Hohl field goal.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Locke made the longest play of the game, a 58-yard touchdown pass to Anthony.

He then threw to Green for a 2-point conversion to narrow Nebraska’s lead to 12.

But Dowdell ran for his third touchdown with three minutes left to ice the game.

Nebraska’s DeShon Singleton soon put an exclamation point on the win by intercepting a Locke pass.

Raiola completed 74% of his passes, throwing for 293 yards and a TD.

Johnson led the Huskers in rushing and receiving, with 113 yards on the ground and 85 yards in the air.

Nebraska (6-5) will end the regular season on Friday at Iowa. The game will air at 6:30 p.m. on NBC.

Pregame article

The Nebraska football team will play its final home game of the 2024 season on Saturday, playing host to the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium.

More than 20 seniors look to be honored before the game, with eight of those seniors playing their fifth or sixth seasons at Nebraska.

The Huskers (5-5) come into this one following their third consecutive one-score loss last Saturday at USC. A late touchdown for the Trojans allowed them to escape with a 28-20 victory.

This will be the 10th meeting between Nebraska and Wisconsin in the last 11 seasons. The Badgers hold a 10-game win streak against the Huskers, and have won 11 of the 12 matchups since Nebraska joined the Big Ten.

The last time Nebraska beat the Badgers was in 2012, when the Huskers rallied from a 17-point deficit to get a 30-27 victory in Lincoln.

Since 2014, Nebraska and Wisconsin have been battling for the Freedom Trophy, and the rivalry hardware will be up for grabs once again today.

Wisconsin need-to-knows

The Badgers come into this one with an identical 5-5 record, while also posting a 3-4 mark in the Big Ten Conference.

Last Saturday, Wisconsin fell 16-13 to No.1-ranked Oregon in Madison. The Badgers led the game 10-6 at halftime and had an opportunity to win the game within the final two minutes.

Head coach Luke Fickell’s squad has faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, with three of their losses coming to opponents currently ranked in the top 10.

The Badgers feature a tough defense, allowing 326 yards per game. They are also a very disciplined squad, ranking in the top 10 nationally in penalty yards per game.

Wisconsin made a splash in the headlines this week, as Fickell fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Sunday.

Since Longo was hired two years ago, the Badgers have ranked 97th nationally in total offense.

The Badgers are known for their strong run game bolstered by a top offensive line. Look for Wisconsin to get back to those roots on Saturday.

This week’s numbers

3: Three consecutive games in the Nebraska-Wisconsin series have been decided by 7 points or fewer, including last year’s game which was decided by 7 points in overtime. The most recent game in Memorial Stadium was a 1-point Badger win in 2022.

5: Nebraska’s group of seniors that will be honored on Saturday include five sixth-year seniors who have spent their entire careers at Nebraska. The group of Bryce Benhart, Ty Robinson, Rahmir Johnson, John Bullock and Javin Wright have combined for 126 career starts in a Husker uniform.

10: Senior defensive lineman Ty Robinson has been one of the most disruptive forces in the Big Ten this season. Robinson has 10 TFL and six sacks to lead the Huskers. With his six sacks, Robinson ranks sixth in the Big Ten in sacks per game.

Score Predictions

Nate Johnson: Huskers win, 28-14

Jake Homan: Huskers win, 24-7

Mark Fischer: Huskers win, 23-17