Sunday Morning Quarterback with Jay Stockwell and Bob Frady

Nebraska Falls Short to Michigan, 30–27, in Gut-Wrenching Big Ten OpenerSMQ Team Travels to Nebraska for Michigan Win. While disappointed hope still springs eternal in Matt Rhule’s third season.Nebraska let another golden opportunity slip away on Saturday, falling 30–27 to No. 21 Michigan in front of a raucous Memorial Stadium crowd. Despite flashes of brilliance from quarterback Dylan Raiola, the Huskers couldn’t overcome poor protection, a nonexistent run game, and late-game execution issues, poor tackling and ineffectual coaching failing to make necessary adjustments in all three phases of the game.The first half gave fans reason to believe. Michigan jumped out to a 10–0 lead behind a field goal and a 37-yard run from freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood after Nebraska failed to score in the first two possessions. But Raiola struck back, hitting Jacory Barney Jr. for a 26-yard touchdown. Justice Haynes ripped off a 75-yard scoring run to push Michigan ahead again, only for Raiola to answer with a 52-yard Hail Mary to Barney as time expired, tying the game at 17–17. At that moment optimism flowed through Memorial Stadium.Momentum shifted quickly in the second half. Michigan hit a 56-yard field goal and then sprung a 54-yard touchdown run by Jordan Marshall (because of a masterclass in poor tackling). Suddenly, Nebraska trailed 27–17 and was playing catch-up. A fourth-quarter field goal cut the deficit to seven, but Michigan’s grinding 16-play, 77-yard drive ate up nearly nine minutes and effectively sealed the game. Raiola’s late touchdown pass made it 30–27, but the onside kick failed, and Michigan closed it out.The box score told a clear story: Nebraska produced 351 total yards, with Raiola throwing for 308 and three touchdowns. But the running game was completely stuffed, just 43 rushing yards on 31 attempts. Worse, Raiola was sacked seven times, constantly under siege as the offensive line struggled to hold up. By contrast, Michigan dominated on the ground, piling up 286 rushing yards and two long touchdown runs that proved decisive. Nebraska was out coached failing to make necessary adjustments to address the lopsided rushing performances.The disappointment is obvious. Nebraska had its chances, from the opening red-zone miss to the inability to stop Michigan’s clock-draining march in the fourth quarter. This is the type of game the Huskers must learn to finish if they want to climb in the Big Ten.So, what needs to improve? First, the offensive line must be fixed. Seven sacks and no push in the run game is a recipe for failure, no matter how talented Raiola is. Second, the defense must tighten against explosive plays; giving up touchdowns of 75 and 54 yards simply erases too much hard work. Finally, Nebraska has to finish drives. Settling for field goals or giving away possessions has become a costly habit.Saturday showed progress, but it also highlighted how far Nebraska has to go. The pieces are there, Raiola, Barney, and a defense that fights, but until the Huskers clean up the trenches and situational football, heartbreak will continue to outweigh hope.Please subscribe to SMQ on Spotify, iTunes and YouTube.

Big Ten Statement Game Saturnday in Lincoln – Nebraska vs. MichiganSMQ will attend in person and predicts a fistfight with Nebraska coming out on top 28-24.The Big Ten spotlight shines on Lincoln this weekend as Nebraska welcomes No. 21 Michigan to Memorial Stadium in what promises to be one of the defining early-season matchups of 2025. For the Huskers, it’s a chance to prove their 3-0 start is more than just a hot opening stretch. For the Wolverines, it’s an opportunity to steady themselves after a stumble against Oklahoma and reassert their presence in the national conversation. One thing I am sure about is Archie Wilson will enter the game as a punter as a part of the number 1 special team unit in the country.Nebraska enters with confidence thanks to the emergence of Sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola (backed up by TJ Lateef who would be starting anywhere else), whose poise and precision have brought stability to an offense long searching for consistency. Wide receiver Dane Key has quickly developed into his go-to weapon, stretching defenses vertically and opening space underneath. But Michigan’s defense, long known for its physicality, will be Raiola’s stiffest test yet. The Wolverines have allowed little on the ground and pride themselves on winning in the trenches. Nebraska’s offensive line will need to deliver its best performance of the season to keep the balance between run and pass intact.On the other side, Michigan is turning the page to a new era with freshman signal-caller, Bryce Underwood. A dynamic dual-threat, Underwood can hurt defenses with both his arm and his legs, though his inexperience has shown in moments under pressure. Nebraska’s defense, which has held all three opponents under 100 yards passing, will look to force the young quarterback into mistakes. Safeties Deshon Singleton and Omar Brown give the Huskers a chance to disguise coverages and bait Underwood into turnovers.The matchup may ultimately come down to which team better handles the spotlight. Nebraska has the home-field advantage in one of college football’s most intimidating venues, and Memorial Stadium’s Sea of red is hungry for a signature victory. Michigan, however, boasts superior depth and battle-tested talent across both lines of scrimmage, areas that often decide Big Ten contests.Oddsmakers have installed Michigan as a slight favorite, with the spread hovering around 2.5 points and the total set in the mid-40s. The expectation is for a tightly contested game that could swing on a single big play, whether a deep shot from Raiola, a scramble from Underwood, or a defensive stand in the fourth quarter. Here again Nebraska special teams will create the difference.For Nebraska, a win would signal a true return to national relevance advancing our cause for the college football playoff. For Michigan, it’s about proving the program’s foundation remains strong despite transition. Either way, fans should buckle up for a bruising, high-stakes showdown in Lincoln. Unfortunately, the outcome will send Michigan and Biff Poggi (a very likable Coach) on a path to the Ozempic Bowl!Please subscribe to SMQ on Spotify, iTunes and YouTube.#nebraskafootball #michiganfootball #collegefootball #bigten #huskers #goblue #cfb

Exhibition Season Is Officially Over!

Huskers cruise past Houston Christian, but tougher tests loom as Big Ten play arrives.

For the second week in a row, Nebraska football treated Memorial Stadium to a glorified scrimmage. The Huskers flattened Houston Christian 56–7, following up last week’s laugher over Akron with another rout that felt more like a spring game than a September showdown. Sure, Houston Christian left Lincoln with a healthy payday, but for Nebraska, it was another box checked with minimal stress.

The SMQ crew couldn’t help but pose the obvious question: why not line up a good FCS team? North Dakota? South Dakota State? At least keep that money in the Midwest and give Husker fans something resembling competition.The schedule is what it is and the Huskers did what good teams do - they beat the pants off an overmatched opponent while playing nearly everyone on the squad.

The win moved the Huskers to 3–0, and while the strength of schedule hasn’t turned any heads yet, the team has avoided the pratfalls that doomed seasons past - I’m looking at you, Mister Onside Kick!Dylan Raiola once again was impressive, passing Tommie Frazier for 9th place on the Nebraska all-time passing yardage list with 222 yards in one half of work. TJ Lateef got the attention of quarterback-hungry teams with his second consecutive stellar relief appearance. If they’re not backing up the truck loaded with NIL money for TJ…they should.Emmett Johnson is stepping nicely into the RB1 role, while Kwinten Ives chipped in with 121 total yards of offense and a score.

The question of the week from the SMQ team became “how many times in a row can the same person yell GO BIG RED?” Jay thinks it’s only once, while Bob thinks that more than 3 in a row is a bit much….but that the real answer is “as long as someone is responding.”The bigger takeaway? Nebraska is already one-quarter of the way through the regular season, sitting undefeated and untested.

That’s not a bad place to be. But it also means the cupcakes are gone, and the real season begins now. If the Huskers want to prove they’re more than a paper tiger, they’ll need to dominate teams that actually punch back.It’s time to see if the Huskers are more like Jake Paul or Bud Crawford.

Let’s GO BIG RED!!Please subscribe to SMQ on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.

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Say a prayer for Houston Christian!

Nebraska will dominate despite 1000 rosaries from Houston Christian players.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers (2–0) return to Memorial Stadium on Saturday morning for a non-conference matchup against Houston Christian (1–1). While the SMQ team is ambivalent about the decision to schedule an FCS team in Week 3, it does represent a nice payday fo the Huskies.

Nebraska’s Start: Through two games, the question remains - just who is this Nebraska team? Are they the narrow, one-score victory over Cincinnati (who actually turned in a good performance against Bowling Green) or the dominant offensive (and defensive) power that defeated the Akron Zipless? Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has gotten off to a great start, vaulting up to 10th on the all-time Husker passing yards list. Raiola should handily pass Tommie Frazier for ninth place in only his 16th college game. His 68.7% completion rate is #1 on the all-time list for a starting quarterback.

On defense, we saw better pressure against the Zipless, including the firstt sack of the season. Have we also seen the potential emergence of true freshman Kate Pietrzak, last year’s number one player from South Dakota? Defensive line play is critical in the Big 10 - who else might make their case for more playing time this week?

Houston Christian’s Challenges: Houston Christian arrives in Lincoln after splitting its first two games. The Huskies ran roughshod over an NAIA opponent but dropped their next game when the quality of the opponent improved. This week’s step up to Nebraska will be a major, major, major, major, major challenge - that’s too many majors to overcome.Key Storylines:Last week 108 players got into the game for the Cornhuskers, most of whom appeared in the 4th quarter. Here’s hoping for a repeat! While it looks like a glorified scrimmage on paper, the games aren’t played on paper!Nebraska enters as a massive favorite - so massive that there isn’t even a line for the game! The Cornhuskers are deeper, faster, and more talented across the board. Expect Raiola and the offense to put up points early, while the defense sets the tone. Once the lead is secure, look for Rhule to cycle in reserves. Last week’s prediction of 56-7 was a good one, so we’re sticking with what works!

Prediction: Nebraska 56, Houston Christian 7.

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Zipless Zips get Zippers Stuck in the Land of Corn!.Joe Morehead, Zips Head Coach: "An ass-kicking of Epic Proportions!”As predicted by the team at SMQ, Nebraska unleashed a merciless pounding on Akron, blanking the Zips 68-0 in what quickly became a rout from the opening kickoff. While we’re still not clear on whether Nebraska is the football equivalent of Jake Paul, we know for sure that Akron is Nate Robinson. They went down hard.Team SMQ was busy patting ourselves on the back for getting a “closest prediction” win from Week 1, when Commander Jay Stockwell of the American Navy came out with a bold 56-7 prediction for Week 2. No other prediction surpassed 50 points - could another asterisk be in store for Team SMQ? You better believe it!From the outset, Nebraska dominated every statistical facet. They piled up a staggering 728 total yards, their most productive showing since 2014—and their 68 points were the program’s highest since 2012. While this IS Akron, Nebraska did what they’re supposed to do - they beat up on an overmatched opponent.Quarterback Dylan Raiola used his 364 passing yards (and four touchdowns) to pass Tanner Lee, (friend of SMQ) Vince Ferragamo, and Turner Gill for 10th on the all-time Nebraska passing yardage list while also setting a Husker-record completion streak of 20 straight completed passes. Emmett Johnson bulldozed Akron, rushing for 140 yards and three touchdowns, delivering his second straight 100-yard game. Jacory Barney Jr. amassed 219 all-purpose yards (132 receiving, 87 punt return.) Defensively, did we find a diamond in the rough? True freshman Kade Pietrzak made a memorable entrance, recording a safety on his first collegiate tackle, while leading the team in tackles. Nebraska’s ability to generate pressure will continue to be a huge question mark, especially when dealing with a mobile quarterback. As you should with any blowout, 108 players saw the field overall, a testament to coach Matt Rhule’s ability to deploy a full roster against such a mismatched opponent.Oh yeah - it was a doubly-good day because Iowa LOST!All in all, a good “get right” week for the Big Red! Up next is Houston Christian, which should be another “108” game!Please subscribe to SMQ on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube. #NebraskaFootball #Huskers #DylanRaiola #CollegeFootball #BigTenFootball #CFBHighlights

The Akron Zippers will get stuck in the land of corn!

Despite Matt Rhule’s anxiety, the Husker will dominate.

The bowl-banned, zip-less Zips from Akron bring a big basket of scheduling bravery into this weekend’s clash with the Cornhuskers. Fresh off a shutout loss to Wyoming, the Zipless enter the game as 34.5 point underdogs.Or maybe - just maybe - this “Jake Paul versus Nate Robinson” football game will end up as a trap game for Nebraska. Akron has the ultimate Lloyd ”so you’re tellin’ me there’s a chance” Christmas sense of optimism. Is this Georgia Southern 2.0?

The big question - Is Nebraska more like Jake Paul (still waiting to see if it’s real) or Terence Crawford (oh, we know it’s real.) While SMQ is as optimistic as ever that this team is the real deal, we’re still waiting on proof. Saturday will give us some clues!The second big question is whether Nebraska - with 250,000 beer cans in the house - will run out of beer. The SMQ team puts the over/under at halftime, as it’s the first time alcohol sales have been allowed in Memorial Stadium AND it’s a night game.

The crowd will come ready! For Nebraska, this game should give the team a chance to work out the kinks both offensively and defensively. For Akron, it’s both a chance to shock the football world and/or make sure that too many kids don’t get hurt.Overall, the SMQ team thinks the Cornhuskers will both cover the 34.5 point spread AND the over of 47.5 points.Prediction - Nebraska 56, Zipless 7.

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Taylor Swift Bowl: Nebraska Defeats Cincinnati in Kansas City

Nebraska shows well in all three phases vs. the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Defensive line play emerges as a concernThe season opener in Kansas City between Nebraska and Cincinnati was billed as the “Taylor Swift Bowl,” and for good reason. With Taylor Swift and her fiancé Travis Kelce in attendance, the game attracted national attention. But once the lights came up at Arrowhead Stadium, it was Nebraska that stole the show, pulling out a hard-fought 20–17 victory to start the 2025 season on the right foot.

Nebraska’s defense was the difference, forcing two key turnovers in the second half that halted Bearcat drives and gave the Cornhuskers the edge. A late fourth-quarter field goal sealed the win and set off celebrations from the thousands of Husker fans who made the trip to Kansas City. The Huskers’ ground attack was also strong, controlling the tempo with a bruising run game that kept Cincinnati’s offense off the field. One concern thought. The Blackshirts gave up 202 yards or 6.7 yards per carry with four runners contributing to the verage.The victory was particularly meaningful given the setting.

The matchup was technically a Cincinnati home game but played in Kansas City, only the second time these programs have met since 1906. Nebraska’s ability to grind out a close win on a national stage offered an early statement about the team’s toughness and discipline. For head coach Matt Rhule, it was validation that his squad is ready to compete against anyone, anywhere.Off the field, Swift and Kelce generated nearly as many headlines as the game itself. Media outlets referenced Swift dozens of times in coverage, analyzing her fashion choices, her sparkling new engagement ring, and her role in turning a regular season opener into a cultural spectacle.

The buzz intensified when Nebraska’s athletic department posted, then quickly deleted, a controversial image of mascot Herbie Husker photoshopped into the couple’s engagement photo. Swift fans blasted the move as disrespectful, forcing the school to walk it back amid national attention.Still, the night ultimately belonged to Nebraska. While the Taylor Swift storyline trended across social media, the Cornhuskers left Kansas City with a win that could set the tone for their season.

With strong defensive play, timely offense, and the ability to deliver in the clutch, Nebraska showed resilience under pressure. For fans, it was a memorable evening, part football showcase, part pop-culture frenzy, that ended with the scoreboard in the Huskers’ favor.Nebraska’s 20–17 triumph in the so-called Taylor Swift Bowl will be remembered not only for the celebrities in the stands but for the grit and determination of the team on the field.

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Adam Carriker stops by SMQ to preview the Cincinnati Game.Kansas City Showcase: Nebraska Meets Cincinnati in the Battle Sports ClassicThe stage is set at Arrowhead Stadium this Thursday, August 28, when the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Cincinnati Bearcats kick off the 2025 season in the inaugural Battle Sports Kansas City Classic. It’s a neutral-site showdown in a packed venue more than 66,000 tickets sold (90% Nebraska) and a sea of scarlet Husker fans primed for a raucous night under the lights.Nebraska enters the contest riding strong momentum. Under third‑year head coach Matt Rhule, the Cornhuskers are eager to build on a successful close to 2024 that included a Pinstripe Bowl victory. Their offense now coordinating under Dana Holgorsen, showcases rising star quarterback Dylan Raiola, whose poise and arm talent have been lauded throughout fall camp. Freshman wide receiver Carter Nelson, newly transitioned from tight end, adds big‑play potential on the perimeter.But Nebraska’s defense isn’t to be overlooked. With early losses on the defensive line, Elijah Jeudy is stepping into a critical leadership role as he attempts to anchor the run defense and bring pressure up front. His presence could be key in slowing down Cincinnati’s attack.Cincinnati, meanwhile, enters as a resilient mid‑tier Big 12 squad coming off a disappointing 5–7 season last year under coach Scott SatterfieldBearcats are looking to surprise early but face an uphill battle against Nebraska’s balanced and improved roster.Expect fireworks. ESPN’s FPI gives Nebraska a 66.2 %-win probability, signaling a clear but certainly competitive edge. Betting models echo that outlook, projecting a Huskers win in the 7–10-point range.Both SMQ and Mr. Carriker, the Dean of Nebraska podcasters, are expecting a double-digit victory. SMQ is calling for a 28-14 victory. Mr. Carriker is going further and taking the over at 35-21 betting that offense will hit on all cylinders.Beyond the analytics, this game matters, a sentiment echoed by Husker fans who ranked this opener, above even big rematches like Michigan and Iowa, as the most important of the season It’s more than a game, it’s a tone‑setter. Nebraska fans expect the Huskers to be 3-0 heading into the Michigan game.Game details: Thursday, August 28 at 8 PM CT / 9 PM ET, broadcast nationally on ESPN from GEHA Field at Arrowhead StadiumIn sum: Nebraska brings explosive offense, a developing defense led by emerging leaders, and an energized fanbase. Cincinnati arrives battle-tested but with work to do. Expect an intense early-season showdown—Kansas City’s stadium should be electric.Please subscribe to SMQ on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube. #huskerfootball #bigtenfootball #collegefootball #gobigred

SMQ predicts a major season 3 Matt Rhule bounce!

SMQ welcomes Demoine "DeMO" Adams, CEO of Teammates and former Husker Defensive End under Coach Solich.Expectations are sky-high among the SMQ crew and their guest. George and Bob have us in the conference championship and the College Football playoffs. DeMo has us losing to Iowa in a year-end gut punch. Only Commander Stockwell, USNR (ret.) takes a more sober, yet still successful 8-4 view.

SMQ is proud to extend our relationship with David Max, Joe Hudson and HuskerMax team for our third year. We are very excited for Coach Rhule, Dylan Raiola and the entire Husker team. GO BIG RED!

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SMQ visits Las Vegas for the season-end podcast. Matt Rhule gets an A+ rating in Executive Function as CEO of the Husker Franchise.