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The Iowa-Nebraska rivalry is a new rivalry created by conference realignment, but you wouldn't know it based on the hatred the two fanbases have developed for one another. 

The arguments on social media are frequent this time of year, and it's even stemmed over to the hardwood. The Hawkeyes took down the Huskers in a highly-anticipated Sweet 16 matchup in March, and that triumph is likely to fuel more bitterness as the calendar flips to football season. 

Though it's a rivalry online, the actual games would suggest otherwise. Since the series became an annual battle in 2011, Iowa has won 11 of the 15 meetings. That includes a seven-game winning streak from 2015 through 2021 and a three-game winning streak right now. 

There's no question Nebraska has struggled for some time, but they've slowly taken steps to relevance the last two years and ended their notorious bowl eligibility drought.

The Huskers would love nothing more than to spoil the post-Thanksgiving feast in Iowa City this season, but it's far too early to forecast a final outcome for the Nov. 27 matchup. 

We can instead give you a late August look at this Nebraska team, so here you go. 

The Coach 

Returning for his fourth season as head coach is Matt Rhule. Husker fans hoped Rhule's history of rebuilding struggling programs (Temple and Baylor) would carry over to Lincoln, but it hasn't happened yet. Rhule's other college coaching jobs saw him lead his program to 10 wins by his third season, so that could be the reason why some Nebraska fans are impatient. 

Nevertheless, the Huskers are improving. Scott Frost left this program in the weeds when he was fired midway through the 2022 season, but the back-to-back bowl game appearances were much needed to try and reestablish the old, winning culture of Nebraska football. 

Can Rhule guide the Huskers back to Big Ten contention in 2026? 

Key Returners 

Lost in the middle of Nebraska's mediocrity is the fact that it has the services of one of the nation's best offensive minds running its offense – Dana Holgorsen. 

Holgorsen, a Mount Pleasant, Iowa native who played in Hal Mumme and Mike Leach's air raid offense at Iowa Wesleyan University in the early 1990s, came to Lincoln late in the 2024 campaign after serving as the head coach of West Virginia and Houston. 

His offense wasn't great in 2025 (28.7 points per game) but considering his success coordinating prolific offenses for WVU, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech, there's optimism he can produce great results for Nebraska. 

The Huskers made some nice additions in the transfer portal (more on that in a second), but it's going to need a big step up from its running back room. Emmett Johnson is off to the NFL after torching the Hawkeyes last year, leaving the job to Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee. Both had a combined 53 carries last year and figure to get a lot more in 2026. 

The wide receiving corps took a hit due to graduations, but leading man Nyziah Hunter (617 yards, 5 TD in 2025) is back and he'll join forces with returning tight end Luke Lindenmeyer (312 yds, 2 TD). 

Key Newcomers 

Dylan Raiola left for Oregon in the offseason, forcing Nebraska to turn to the transfer portal for its next starting quarterback. The search yielded UNLV's Anthony Colandrea, who comes to Lincoln after an impressive season where he threw for nearly 3,500 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. He's also a true dual-threat option, having rushed for an additional 649 yards and 10 scores on the ground. 

Not only does Colandrea have the talent, he also possesses plenty of Power Four starting experience. The Florida native started 17 games through two seasons for Virginia, including 11/12 games during his sophomore season. 

Colandrea will have UCLA transfer Kawzi Gilmer (535 yds, 4 TD) to throw to, but he'll also have a defense that is brimming with potential. Rising defensive coordinator Rob Aurich comes over to Nebraska after leading San Diego State to the Mountain West's top defense in 2025, and he brought over star linebacker Owen Chambliss (68 tackles, 4 sacks) and safety Dwayne McDougle (55 tackles, 4 INT) with him to Lincoln. 

According to Husker Corner, Chambliss is currently battling an injury, so we'll see if he is forced to miss any game action. Either way, Nebraska has some interesting pieces on this side of the ball. 

Season Outlook 

The Huskers finally have some momentum, but their schedule isn't doing them many favors this year. Traveling to Iowa City on Black Friday will be tough, but Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana are also on the schedule, too. 

Another 7-5 season is likely in Lincoln, but everything can change if Nebraska can pull off some upsets. 

NIU Ticket Giveaway Closes TONIGHT 

HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5! 

This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. 

Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too! 

HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io

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