Maybe It’s the Colandrea Effect. We’ll Find Out in East Lansing and The Morning After

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49-21, 56-7 and 34-7.

Those are the scores for Nebraska’s first three games of the season against admittedly lower-level opponents.

Many have said that Nebraska simply did what they were supposed to do. Which is correct but that by itself is why I feel much better about this Nebraska football team going into conference play next week against Michigan State.

In all three games it was the Nebraska offense which was putting on a show. They put up a bunch of yards and a bunch of points.

Going into the game against North Dakota it was the defense which continued to give me pause. North Dakota was averaging 50 points and 500 yards going into the game and it was the Rob Aurich’s Blackshirt defense that shut them down.

The Nebraska offense couldn’t help but continue to provide hope for a potentially exciting 2026 season. It is difficult to not be amazed at how much better the offense looks this season. It has a lot to do with the improved offensive line and the improved skill positions. It also has a lot to do with a quarterback who has played a lot of football.

The offense has been averaging 521 yards through the first three games. This offense has shown the ability to be physical while at the same time mixing in a fair share of explosive plays. Dana Holgorsen’s offense has been keeping defenses on their heels.

Some may say that we have been here before. Nebraska has been putting up great stats against lower competition but I’m here to say that it has not always looked like this, and that is particularly true through Rhule’s first three seasons.

Maybe it’s the Colandrea effect. Or it could be the effect of having an improved offensive line. Or the effect of having a defensive coordinator who has come up through the ranks coaching college kids.

Now with all of that said, the real test starts next Saturday with a trip to Michigan State at 4 p.m. Central time.

Last night Michigan State went up against Notre Dame and “kept it close” as they lost 27-10 against one of the best teams in the country.

In Nebraska’s favor, I think Dana Holgorsen has been limited in his use of Colandrea in the run game. That is something we have not seen a whole lot of up to this point. Also Nebraska’s defense has been relatively vanilla so far in 2026.

I don’t know what is going to happen over the next nine games. It could be rough. Or it could be exciting. But I can say that for this 2026 Nebraska football team I am definitely pleasantly surprised at what I’ve seen.

It’s actually kind of refreshing to say that for the first time in over a decade.

The Morning After

North Dakota vs. Nebraska: Final takes and grades
Nebraska wrapped up non-conference play with a perfect 3-0 record after a dominating performance in a win over North Dakota, where the Blackshirt defense had its way for most of the game.

Here are the final takes and grades following NU’s 34-7 win over the Fighting Hawks.

Steven Sipple: Despite relatively soft non-conference schedule, Nebraska shows ample promise entering Big Ten play
There was a progression of sorts that sped through my cranium Saturday morning before all the day’s gridiron action began.

The progression that coursed through my brain started with a terribly long college football offseason and was followed by heavy August anticipation for Nebraska’s crucial fourth season under head coach Matt Rhule. Then, the Huskers would begin the regular season in September with three non-conference games against inferior competition followed by the start of Big Ten play.

Nebraska’s tuneups are over. Are the Huskers ready for the Big Ten?
LINCOLN, Neb. — There’s nothing more to learn about the Nebraska Cornhuskers until they face an opponent of their stature. No more tuneups. No more opportunities to smooth the rough edges.

It’s time for the Big Ten. The Huskers finished their first nonconference slate without facing a power-conference opponent for the first time in modern history, pushing past North Dakota 34-7 on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

What did North Dakota coach Eric Schmidt think of the Huskers?
Color North Dakota coach Eric Schmidt impressed.

Nebraska’s run game, constant pressure on defense and Anthony Colandrea all stood out to him in the 34-7 Husker win.

Matt Rhule was similarly respectful, saying the FCS program North Dakota is going to win a lot of games this year and was one of the harder teams to prepare for.

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