Game Week: vs. Cincinnati

NEBRASKA vs. CINCINNATI
Aug. 28, 2025 | ARROWHEAD STADIUM
KANSAS CITY, MO. | 8 PM CT

HUSKERS
Record: 0-0, 0-0 B1G
Last Game: vs. Boston College (W, 20-15)
Rankings: AP – RV/Coaches – RV
Head Coach: Matt Rhule
Career/NU Record: 59-56 (10th Year)/12-13 (3rd Year)
vs. Cincinnati: 0-0

BEARCATS
Record: 0-0, 0-0 Big 12
Last Game: vs. TCU (L, 13-20)
Rankings: NR
Head Coach: Scott Satterfield
Career/UC Record: 84-64 (13th Year)/8-16 (3rd Year)
vs. Nebraska: 0-0

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 1-0
In Lincoln: Nebraska leads, 1-0
Last Game: NU, 41-0 in Lincoln (1906)
Win Streak: Nebraska, 1 game

BROADCAST INFO
TV – ESPN (Mark Jones, Roddy Jones, Quint Kessenich)
RADIO NETWORK – (Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
INTERNET RADIO – Huskers.com
APP AUDIO – Official Huskers App

The Matchup
Nebraska kicks off its season Thursday night against Cincinnati in the Battle Sports Kansas City Classic at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN.
 
Nebraska is coming off a 7-6 record in Matt Rhule's second season in 2024. Rhule guided the Huskers to the program's first winning record in eight years, which culminated with Nebraska's first bowl win in nine seasons. The Huskers improved by two wins from the 2023 to 2024 season, continuing a trend that has seen Rhule-coached teams either match or improve their previous season's win total every year of his college coaching career. Five of Nebraska's six losses in 2024 were one-score defeats, but the Huskers also showed improvement in winning close games as two of their final three victories were one-score wins.

Nebraska returns a total of 10 starters from last year's team. The Husker offensive line features seven players who have started at least nine career games. Dylan Raiola is back for his second year as Nebraska's starting quarterback after he ranked 13th nationally in completion percentage in 2024 (67.1) and set the NU freshman passing record (2,819). Jacory Barney Jr. returns after he had a Nebraska freshman-record 55 receptions in 2024, and he will be aided by the addition of Dane Key, who caught 126 passes for 1,870 yards and 14 touchdowns over three seasons at Kentucky. In the backfield, Emmett Johnson returns after he led Nebraska with 908 all-purpose yards and 884 yards from scrimmage in 2024.

Defensively, the Huskers return four starters in the secondary who have combined for 97 career starts. NU returns five other defenders who started at least one game in 2025. The defense is bolstered by the additions of several transfers, including linebacker Marques Watson-Trent, who was the 2024 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and ranks second among all active FBS players with 365 career tackles.

Nebraska Boasts 15-3 Record in August
Thursday's season opener will mark the 19th August game in the history of Nebraska football. The Huskers are playing an August game for the fifth straight season.

• RECORD: 15-3 (.833) • RECORD VS. NON-CONFERENCE FOES: 13-0 (1.000)

Husker History in Season Openers
Nebraska has an impressive history in season openers. The Huskers have won 98 of their 135 season openers, winning their first game 75 percent of the time while posting a 98-32-5 record.

• SEASON OPENER RECORD: 98-32-5 (.744) • AT A NEUTRAL SITE: 3-1-0 (.750)
• BIGGEST WIN: 117-0 vs. Kearney St. (1911) • BIGGEST LOSS: 54-0 at Minnesota (1943)
• LONGEST WINNING STREAK: 29 (1986-2014) • LONGEST LOSING STREAK: 6 (1942-47)

Husker History in Kansas City
Thursday will mark Nebraska's 11th all-time game in Kansas City and the third played at Arrowhead Stadium. The Huskers played in Kansas City eight times from 1893 to 1904 against Missouri (twice), KC Medics (four times), William Jewell and Haskell. The only two games played in Kansas City in the last 120 years are No. 2 Nebraska's 24-17 defeat of Oklahoma State in 1998, and the 19th-ranked Huskers' 2006 Big 12 Championship Game loss to No. 8 Oklahoma (21-7).

• RECORD: 3-6-1 (.350) • RECORD AT ARROWHEAD: 1-1 (.500)
• LAST GAME: 21-7 loss vs. Oklahoma (2006) • LAST WIN: 24-17 win vs. Oklahoma St. (1998)

Husker History in Thursday Games
Nebraska has played on Thursday a total of 61 times, including the first game in program history - a 10-0 shutout of the Omaha YMCA on Nov. 27, 1890. Nebraska owns a 40-18-3 all-time record on Thursday, including a 38-16-3 mark in regular-season contests.

• Nebraska played on Thursday 45 times from 1890 to 1938. Since World War II, the Huskers have played only 16 Thursday games, including four bowl games.

• In the modern era, Nebraska is 9-3 in regular-season Thursday games. The Huskers had won seven straight regular-season Thursday matchups before losing the 2023 season opener at Minnesota, which is the Huskers' most recent Thursday contest.

• In the modern era, 14 of the 16 Thursday games have been played on the road or at a neutral site.

This Week’s Numbers
2 – Dylan Raiola set Nebraska's freshman record with 2,819 passing yards in 2024. Raiola was only the second Big Ten true freshman quarterback to eclipse 2,800 yards passing in the last 25 seasons.

4 – Nebraska is one of only four teams that ranked in the top 20 nationally in rushing defense, total defense and scoring defense in both 2023 and 2024. The other members of that group are Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

10 - Matt Rhule led his team to double-digit victories in his third season at each of his two previous college head coaching stops. Temple went 10-4 in his third season in 2015, while Baylor finished 11-3 in Rhule's third season in 2019.