So, you’re looking for the Nebraska Cornhusker football score. Maybe you missed the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year's Eve, or perhaps you're just trying to make sense of a season that felt like a rollercoaster designed by a madman. Either way, the final tally for the 2025 season is in the books: 7–6.
That's the baseline. But if you’ve followed this team for more than five minutes, you know that a "7-6" record in Lincoln feels vastly different than it does anywhere else. It’s a mix of "Hey, we finally made a bowl game" and "How on earth did we lose to Iowa like that?"
Let's get into the weeds of what actually happened on the field, because the scores from this past season tell a story of a program that is finally—mercifully—climbing out of the basement, even if they're still tripping on the stairs.
The Score That Broke Hearts: Nebraska vs. Utah (Las Vegas Bowl)
The most recent Nebraska Cornhusker football score was a tough pill to swallow. On December 31, 2025, the Huskers ran into a buzzsaw at Allegiant Stadium.
Final Score: Utah 44, Nebraska 22.
It wasn't pretty. Utah, ranked No. 15 at the time, basically gave a masterclass in "Big Boy Football." While Dylan Raiola showed flashes of why he was the most hyped recruit in a generation, the Huskers' defense just couldn't get off the field. This game highlighted the massive gap that still exists between Nebraska and the elite programs.
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One stat that really stings? Head coach Matt Rhule is now 2-25 against ranked opponents in his career.
Ouch.
The Black Friday Nightmare: 16–40 Against Iowa
If you want to talk about the Nebraska Cornhusker football score that actually kept fans up at night, it’s the Iowa game. November 28, 2025. Memorial Stadium was packed. The Heroes Trophy was on the line.
The first half was actually competitive. It was 10-10 after the first quarter, and Nebraska only trailed 24-16 at the half. Emmett Johnson was playing like a man possessed, eventually racking up a career-high 217 rushing yards. But then, the second half happened.
Nebraska scored zero points in the final 30 minutes. Zero. Iowa poured it on, scoring 16 unanswered points in the second half to win 40-16. It was the 10th time in 11 years that the Hawkeyes took the trophy back across the border. For a lot of Husker fans, this score mattered more than the bowl game. It was a reminder that until you can beat the guys in your own backyard, "being back" is just a theory.
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Breaking Down the 2025 Season Results
Honestly, looking at the full season, the scores reflect a team that can beat the "should-wins" but struggles with the "could-wins." Here is how the 2025 campaign played out in the score column:
- The Blowouts: Nebraska handled business early. They demolished Akron 68-0 and Houston Christian 59-7. These games were basically expensive practices, but they allowed the offense to find some rhythm.
- The Heartbreakers: The Michigan game on September 20 was a 30-27 loss. That one hurt. A field goal difference against a Top 25 team showed the potential was there. Same goes for the 21-17 loss to USC in November.
- The Gritty Wins: Beating Colorado (28-10) and UCLA (28-21) on the road were massive steps forward. Winning in the Rose Bowl isn't easy, no matter how much UCLA is struggling.
2025 Schedule and Key Scores
| Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| @ Cincinnati | W | 20-17 |
| Akron | W | 68-0 |
| Houston Christian | W | 59-7 |
| Michigan | L | 27-30 |
| Michigan State | W | 38-27 |
| @ Maryland | W | 34-31 |
| @ Minnesota | L | 6-24 |
| Northwestern | W | 28-21 |
| USC | L | 17-21 |
| @ UCLA | W | 28-21 |
| @ Penn State | L | 10-37 |
| Iowa | L | 16-40 |
| Utah (Bowl) | L | 22-44 |
Why the Scoreboard Doesn't Show the Whole Dylan Raiola Impact
You can't talk about a Nebraska Cornhusker football score without talking about No. 15. Dylan Raiola's sophomore season was, by almost every statistical measure, a success. He finished the year with 2,000 passing yards through the first nine games alone and an 18-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
His efficiency was through the roof. At one point in September, he was completing over 75% of his passes.
But here’s the nuance: while Raiola was efficient, the offensive line was... well, let's call it "leaky." Against Power Four defenses, the cracks were visible. They gave up 10 sacks in just two games against top-tier competition. You can have Patrick Mahomes back there, but if he's running for his life by the second read, the score is going to suffer.
The Defense: A Tale of Two Units
The "Blackshirts" were a weird paradox this year.
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On one hand, the secondary was elite. Truly. Through the first month of the season, they were allowing just 75.8 passing yards per game. That was the best in the nation. Opposing quarterbacks were basically terrified to throw the ball.
On the other hand, the run defense was like a screen door in a hurricane at times. They surrendered 5.2 yards per carry in certain stretches. If you look at the Penn State (10-37) and Iowa (16-40) scores, you see the result of a defense that gets worn down by physical, downhill running.
What Most People Get Wrong About Nebraska's Scores
People see 7-6 and think "mediocrity."
In reality, for Nebraska, 7-6 is a foundation. After years of 3-9 and 4-8 heartbreaks under Scott Frost, Matt Rhule has established a floor. They are beating the teams they are supposed to beat. They went 4-0 against "Quadrant 4" opponents.
The next step? Not just "competing" with Michigan or USC, but actually closing those games out. The average margin of defeat in their three closest losses was only 4 points. That is the difference between 7-6 and 10-3. It’s a slim margin, but in the Big Ten, it’s a canyon.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
If you’re a fan looking ahead, don't just stare at the 16-40 Iowa score and despair. There are specific things to watch that will change the Nebraska Cornhusker football score in 2026.
- Transfer Portal Trenches: Watch the offensive line recruitment. If Rhule doesn't bring in two or three immediate-start tackles, Raiola will continue to take too many hits.
- Roster Retention: Keeping guys like Jacory Barney Jr. and Emmett Johnson in Lincoln is priority number one. In the NIL era, success breeds "poaching." Nebraska needs to keep this young core together.
- The Ranked Opponent Mental Block: The 29-game losing streak against ranked teams is a psychological weight. The first chance they get to play a ranked team in 2026 will be the most important game of the season.
The 2025 season provided a lot of "almosts." But in college football, "almost" doesn't show up on the scoreboard. The task for 2026 is simple: turn those 3-point losses into 3-point wins and finally silence the critics who say Nebraska can't win the big one.