Darla Rasmussen · Nebraska Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Go Big Red! I'm Darla Rasmussen, and I'm your Nebraska insider here at The Cover Window. The short version: I'm an ex-Husker volleyballer and farm girl who sells out every argument. I follow this team from the stands, every week, and I love it out loud. Fair warning about my habit: mentions the sellout streak every segment. On the podcast, my segment is called Sellout Report. The show card describes it like this: the sellout streak bit, every segment. My rules are simple. I keep it clean and kind, I celebrate players as people, I respect every opponent, and I never invent a stat, a quote or a fact. If I can't source it, you won't hear it from me. This week the Cornhuskers have an open date, so instead of a game preview you get the full tour: the school, the coach, the players, the league and what's next.
The School in 60 Seconds
Home is Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) in Lincoln, NE, built in 1923 with a listed capacity of 85,458. The fight song is "Hail Varsity", per Wikipedia. The band is the Cornhusker Marching Band, per Wikipedia. The program claims national titles from 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997, per Wikipedia. The last five seasons went 3-9, 4-8, 5-7, 7-6 and 7-6, from 2021 through 2025. The most frequent opponents from 2016 through 2025 tell you who matters around here: Iowa (1-9 in 10 meetings), Northwestern (5-4 in 9 meetings), Illinois (5-4 in 9 meetings), Purdue (5-4 in 9 meetings). That's a list of games, not an official rivalry list. The 2026 recruiting class ranked No. 88 nationally in CFBD's team rankings. And if you visit, ask somebody about the sellout streak; it's the tradition I'd show you first.
The Coach and the Scheme
Matt Rhule leads the Cornhuskers; CollegeFootballData dates the hire to Nov. 26, 2022. Through 7 games, Nebraska scores 35.6 points a game and allows 15.4. By our math from CFBD figures, the offense runs on about 54% of its plays, gaining 194.4 rushing yards and 235.7 passing yards a game. That's a balanced menu. On third down, Nebraska converts 50.5% of the time and opponents convert 19.3%. The defense has 19 sacks and 47 tackles for loss, and the turnover ledger reads 4 giveaways against 10 takeaways. Penalties cost 68.7 yards a game. The high-water mark so far was 56 points against Bowling Green on Sept. 12, 2026, and 2 of the 7 games were decided by eight points or fewer. Over the season, Nebraska has outscored opponents by a combined 141 points. Every one of those numbers is a little homework for the open week.
Players to Know
QB Anthony Colandrea (passing leader): 137/219, 1570 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT.
RB Jamal Rule (rushing leader): 60 carries, 391 yards, 5 TD.
WR Kwazi Gilmer (receiving leader): 38 catches, 492 yards, 7 TD.
On defense, LB Owen Chambliss leads with 46 tackles; DL Jahsear Whittington has 3.5 sacks; DB Dwayne McDougle III has 2 interceptions.
Injury news: we found no official availability report during an open week, so we're not listing any. Official reports return before the next game.
The Conference Picture
Nebraska is 5-2 overall, 4-1 at home and 1-1 away. In Big Ten play the Cornhuskers are 2-2, which sorts them No. 10 of 18 by record. Ohio State sits on top at 4-0 in league games. Right around us: Wisconsin (2-1) and Purdue (2-2). The top of the table: Ohio State (4-0), UCLA (4-0), Indiana (3-1). That order is a sort by record, not the official tiebreaker order. Every league game from here is a chance to move up, and the open week is when the plan for that climb gets built. An open date in late October is a chance to heal up and study the stretch run.
This Week: Open Date
No game for Nebraska this week. The last time out, on Oct. 17, 2026, the Cornhuskers lost to Oregon on the road, 17-14. Next up: Saturday, Oct. 31, vs. Washington, in Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, with a kickoff time to be announced. Washington comes in at 4-3. After that, CFBD lists at Illinois (Nov. 6), at Rutgers (Nov. 14), vs. Ohio State (Nov. 21), at Iowa (Nov. 27). Until then: rest, film and a little extra time in the ice tub.
My Open-Week Take
Here's how I see it, friends. An open date isn't a day off; it's a deep breath. The coaches get to fix the little things, the players get their legs back, and we fans get a Saturday to call our families, clean the grill and argue happily about the depth chart. When the Cornhuskers come back, I'll be right there in the stands, same seat, same voice, and I'll bring you every sourced detail. Thanks for spending part of your open week with me. Go Big Red!