Game Week: vs. #21 Michigan

NEBRASKA vs. MICHIGAN
Sept. 20, 2025 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 2:30 PM CT

HUSKERS
Record: 3-0, 0-0 B1G
Last Game: vs. Houston Christian (W, 59-7)
Rankings: AP-RV/Coaches-RV
Head Coach: Matt Rhule
Career/NU Record: 62-56 (10th Year)/15-13 (3rd Year)
vs. Michigan: 0-1

WOLVERINES
Record: 2-1, 0-0 B1G
Last Game: vs. Central Michigan (W, 63-3)
Rankings: AP-21/Coaches-20
Interim Head Coach: Biff Poggi
Career College Record: 7-16
vs. Nebraska: 0-0

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: Michigan leads, 8-4-1
In Lincoln: Michigan leads, 2-1-1
As Big Ten Foes: Michigan leads, 5-2
Current Win Streak: Michigan, 4 games
Last Meeting: Michigan 45-7, 2023

BROADCAST INFO
TV – CBS (Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, Jenny Dell)
RADIO NETWORK – (Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
INTERNET AUDIO – Huskers.com
APP AUDIO – Official Huskers App

The Matchup
Nebraska opens Big Ten Conference play on Saturday afternoon when the Huskers take on No. 21 Michigan at Memorial Stadium. The game is set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff with CBS providing television coverage. The game can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com and the Huskers App.

Nebraska is 3-0 after a second consecutive dominant performance in a 59-7 victory over Houston Christian last Saturday. The win allowed Nebraska to complete non-conference play at 3-0 for the second consecutive season. Nebraska sprinted to a 38-0 lead at halftime behind an offense that scored on its first five drives while the Blackshirt defense added a touchdown of its own.

The blowout win came on the heels of a 68-0 shutout of Akron the previous week, marking the first time Nebraska has scored more than 50 points in consecutive games since 2007. Nebraska has also gained more than 500 yards in consecutive games for the first time since 2021 and held back-to-back opponents to less than 200 yards of offense for the first time since 2017. 

Michigan comes to Lincoln with a 2-1 record following a 63-3 dismantling of Central Michigan last Saturday in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines are ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and 20th in the coaches poll and will be guided by interim head coach Biff Poggi on Saturday. Michigan is one of the Big Ten's top rushing teams, averaging 242.7 yards per game on the ground. The Wolverines are also stout against the run, allowing just 89.0 rushing yards per game. 

This is the 14th meeting all-time between two of college football's historic powers. Saturday's meeting will be the fifth in Lincoln, with Michigan posting victories in the last two matchups at Memorial Stadium in 2021 and 2023.

Huskers-Michigan Matches Two Historic Programs
Saturday's game is the 14th all-time meeting between Nebraska and Michigan with the Wolverines holding an 8-4-1 edge in the all-time series. Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, Michigan holds a 5-2 edge in matchups between the teams. 

• This week's meeting will be the fifth matchup in Lincoln. Michigan owns a 2-1-1 edge in games played in Lincoln, including victories in the past two games at Memorial Stadium in 2021 and 2023. 

• This will be the fifth straight matchup, where Nebraska has faced a nationally ranked Wolverine team, including three games against top-10 Michigan squads.

Nebraska Set for Big Ten Opener
After completing non-conference play with a 3-0 record, Nebraska is set to open Big Ten Conference action on Saturday afternoon. Nebraska will be looking to pick up a win in its conference opener for the first time since a 2019 victory at Illinois. 

• Since joining the Big Ten in 2011, Nebraska is 6-8 in Big Ten openers. Nebraska was last victorious in its Big Ten opener in 2019 when the Huskers won 42-38 at Illinois. This is the second time Nebraska has opened Big Ten play against Michigan, with the Wolverines winning the conference opener in Ann Arbor in 2018. 

• Saturday's game marks the second consecutive year Nebraska has opened Big Ten play at home, but just the third time in the past nine seasons. The Huskers are 4-1 in Big Ten openers played at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers had a stretch of six straight Big Ten openers on the road from 2018 to 2023.

Huskers Face First Ranked Opponent of 2025 Season
The Huskers' matchup with Michigan will mark the first of the 2025 season against a ranked opponent. The Wolverines are ranked 21st in this week's Associated Press Poll and 20th in the coaches poll. 

• Nebraska was 0-3 against ranked opponents in 2024 and 0-2 in 2023. A year ago, Nebraska lost an overtime contest against a ranked Illinois team, lost by four points at eventual national champion Ohio State and suffered a loss at College Football Playoff qualifier Indiana. 

• The Huskers will be looking for their first victory over a ranked opponent since a win over No. 22 Oregon in Lincoln in 2016.

Huskers Finish Non-Conference Play Unbeaten
Nebraska completed non-conference play with a perfect 3-0 record capped by a 59-7 victory over Houston Christian last Saturday. With the win, Nebraska completed non-conference play unbeaten for the second straight season and has won nine straight games against non-conference competition. 

• Nebraska's nine-game win streak against non-conference competition is the longest by the Huskers since a 12-game win streak spanning the 1999 to 2001 seasons. 

• Nebraska was also a perfect 3-0 in non-conference play in 2024, and defeated Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. Before last season, Nebraska's previous unbeaten non-conference season was in 2016. 

• Overall, Nebraska has won four straight games, including the Pinstripe Bowl victory to cap the 2024 season. The four-game win streak is Nebraska's longest since an eight-game streak spanning the final game of 2015 and the first seven games in 2016.

Huskers Produce Back-to-Back Dominant Wins
Nebraska capped non-conference play with a pair of dominant victories–68-0 over Akron on Sept. 6 and 59-7 over Houston Christian last Saturday.

• The 68-0 victory marked Nebraska's most lopsided win since a 70-0 shutout at Kansas in 1986. The back-to-back wins over better than 50 points marks the first time NU has had 50-plus margins in consecutive games since 2000 when NU defeated Texas Tech (56-3) and Baylor (59-0).

• The Huskers scored better than 50 points in consecutive games for the first time since the final two games of the 2007 season against Kansas State and at Colorado.

• Nebraska's 68 points against Akron were its most since a 73-7 victory over Idaho State in 2012.

• Against Akron, Nebraska posted its first shutout since a 33-0 victory over Arizona in the 2009 Holiday Bowl.

• The Huskers produced 728 yards of total offense against Akron. That total ranks as the eighth-most in school history and the most since posting 784 yards against FAU in 2014. Nebraska had 554 yards against Houston Christian marking the first time Nebraska has had back-to-back 500-yard games since the 2021 season (Fordham, Buffalo).

• Nebraska's 494 passing yards against Akron were the second-most in school history and  the most since a school-record 519 passing yards against Kansas State in 2007. It was the 10th game with at least 400 passing yards in school history and the first since 2018 at Wisconsin.

Offense Showing Efficiency and Balance
Nebraska has established itself as one of the nation's most efficient offenses in a 3-0 start to the 2025 season. 

• Nebraska ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (49.0 ppg, 9th), passing offense (366.3 ypg, 5th) and total offense (545.0 ypg, 10th). 

• Nebraska lead the nation in team completion percentage. Through three games, the Huskers have completed 88-of-111 passes for a 79.3 completion percentage, ahead of Miami's 78.1 completion percentage. 

• The passing attack has been balanced through three games. A total of 17 receivers have caught passes through three games, including five players with at least nine receptions. 

• Nebraska has thrown for better than 300 yards in back-to-back games against Akron and Houston Christian. That marks the first consecutive 300-yard passing games since 2018 against Purdue and at Wisconsin. 

• The Huskers' play calling also has been balanced. Through three games the Huskers have 107 rushing attempts and 111 passing attempts. 

• Nebraska produced a 300-yard passer (Raiola), a 100-yard rusher (Johnson) and a 100-yard receiver (Barney Jr.) against Akron. It marked the first time Nebraska has accomplished that trifecta since a 2022 game against Georgia Southern. 

• Nebraska had 11 offensive plays that covered at least 20 yards in the victory over Akron and added six long plays against Houston Christian.

Blackshirts Stifling Opponents
The Nebraska Blackshirts posted their first shutout in 16 seasons against Akron on Sept. 6, continuing their recent dominant play. The defense backed that effort up by allowing just seven points in a victory over Houston Christian. 

• Nebraska leads the nation in pass yards allowed per game at 66.0 per contest and also ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense (202.0 ypg, 6th) and scoring defense (8.0 pgg, 7th). 

• The Huskers have held each of their first three opponents to less than 70 yards passing, including Cincinnati (69 yards), Akron (62) and Houston Christian (67). It marks the first time Nebraska has held three straight opponents to fewer than 100 passing yards since the first four games of the 1990 seasons, when the Huskers held their first four opponents below the century mark in passing yards. 

• The 50.0 percent opponent completion rate is the seventh-best in the country. 

• Nebraska has not allowed a pass play of 20 yards or more this season–the only team in the country yet to allow a 20-yard pass. James Madison has allowed one 20-yard pass in two games, while every other FBS team has allowed at least three 20-yard passes in 2025. 

• Both Houston Christian and Akron were held to less than 200 yards. It marks the first time Nebraska held an opponent to less than 200 yards in consecutive games since 2017. 

• Under Head Coach Matt Rhule, Nebraska has held opponents to 14 or fewer points 16 times in 28 games. 

• Nebraska's five most recent opponents have found scoring extremely difficult. In the first half of the past five games, Nebraska has not allowed a touchdown and has allowed just five combined points (Houston Christian, 0; Akron, 0; Cincinnati, 3; Boston College, 2; Iowa, 0). 

• Houston Christian scored on a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, ending a streak of eight straight games at Memorial Stadium Nebraska had not allowed a rushing touchdown.

This Week’s Numbers
2 – Nebraska is one of two teams in the nation that rank in the top 10 in both passing efficiency and pass effiency defense. The Huskers are second in pass efficiency defense and eighth in offensive pass efficiency. Indiana is the only other school to be in the top 10 in both categories.

20 – Nebraska is the only team in the nation to not allow an opponent pass play of at least 20 yards. James Madison has allowed one 20-yard pass play in just two games, while every other FBS team has allowed at least three pass plays of 20 yards or more.

900 - Nebraska and Michigan are two of eight schools that have won at least 900 games in the history of its program. Michigan ranks first nationally with 1,014 wins, with Nebraska eighth at 927 all-time victories.