// This is the single game page 2025 Nebraska vs. Cincinnati football - HuskerMax game page
Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Emmett Johnson rushed for more than 100 yards, including this short gain during the third quarter.

Nebraska 20
Cincinnati 17

Aug. 28, 2025 • 8 p.m. Central
Arrowhead Stadium • Kansas City, MO • ESPN
1st 2nd 3rd 4th  F 
Nebraska 0 13 0 7 20
Cincinnati 3 0 7 7 17

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

First quarter
  UC: Rusnak 45 field goal, 4:47
Second quarter
  NU: Cunanan 52 field goal, 14:56
  NU: Cunanan 22 field goal, 5:36
  NU: Hunter 5 pass from Raiola, 0:11
Third quarter
  UC: Sorsby 7 run (Rusnak kick) 6:53
Fourth quarter
  NU: Key 3 pass from Raiola (Cunanan kick) 10:36
  UC: Sorsby 1 run (Rusnak kick) 7:15

                       NEB      CIN
FIRST DOWNS ........... 23       16
  By rushing .......... 10       12
  By passing .......... 13        3
  By penalty ........... 0        1
TOTAL OFFENSE ..... 78-353   55-271
  Avg Yds/Play ....... 4.5      4.9
RUSHING YARDS ........ 110      202
  Attempts ............ 36       30
  Average ............ 3.1      6.7
  Gained ............. 127      202
  Lost ................ 17        0
PASSING YARDS ........ 243       69
  Comp-Att-Int ... 33-42-0  13-25-1
  Comp. Pct. ......... 79%      52%
  YAC ................ 108       25
Punts-Avg. ........ 4-36.8   4-45.3
Punt Returns-Yds ..... 2-3      0-0
K.O. Returns-Yds .... 2-33     1-20
3rd Downs .......... 10-18     3-10
4th Downs ............ 1-2      2-2
Penalized-Yds ....... 3-27     4-20
Fumbles-Lost ......... 2-0      1-1
Possession Time .... 39:30    20:30

Attendance: 72,884

RUSHING
  NEB: Johnson 25-108; Haarberg 2-4; Bonner 2-4; Nelson 1-0; Raiola 4-minus-1; Mozee 1-minus-2; TEAM 1-minus-3.
  CIN: Sorsby 13-96; Walker 7-53; Pryor 5-29; Allen 2-18; Williams 1-5; Covey 1-1; TEAM 1-0.

PASSING
  NEB: Raiola 33-42-0 243.
  CIN: Sorsby 13-25-1 69.

RECEIVING
  NEB: Johnson 7-27; Hunter 6-65; Key 6-51; Lindenmeyer 5-47; Barney 5-27; Mills 1-13; Clark 1-7; Bonner 1-4; Mozee 1-2.
  CIN: Allen 5-41; Royer 3-11; Gurd 1-6; Goodie 1-5; Caldwell 1-5; Pryor 1-5; Walker 1-minus-4.
Nyzaih Hunter makes a catch for a 24-yard gain during the second quarter.
Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Nyzaih Hunter makes a catch for a 24-yard gain during the second quarter.
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Huskers Hold On, Edge Bearcats

Malcolm Hartzog’s interception in the end zone thwarted a Cincinnati comeback in the final minute, and the Huskers held on to win a tense season opener, 20-17.

The senior defensive back’s pick sent a pro-Nebraska throng home from Kansas City happy. It also sealed the Huskers’ first season-opening win against a power-conference opponent since 2003.

A big defensive play also was pivotal late in the first half, helping to give Nebraska a 13-3 lead after placekickers had done all the scoring during the game’s first 29 minutes. Vincent Shavers Jr. jarred the ball loose from a Bearcat after a catch, and Williams Nwaneri pounced on it at the UC 24. With just 11 seconds left in the half, Dylan Raiola lofted the ball to Nyziah Hunter in the end zone, and the transfer from Cal pulled it in despite tight coverage, getting a toe down in bounds for 5-yard touchdown reception.

Early in the third quarter, a fourth-and-2 gamble backfired on the Huskers when they failed to convert. Cincinnati marched 57 yards in 10 plays to cut Nebraska’s lead to 13-10.

After an exchange of punts, the Huskers rolled the dice again, but this time it paid off. Facing fourth-and-2 at the Cincinnati 3, Nebraska eschewed the chip-shot field goal and went for it. Raiola faked a handoff and found Dane Key alone in the end zone, and it was a 20-10 game with 10½ minutes left.

The Bearcats weren’t done. They made a 75-yard drive look easy, gashing the Blackshirts repeatedly and pulling within 3 points again, 20-17. More than seven minutes remained.

The Huskers’ offense ran five minutes off the clock before Archie Wilson’s punt pinned the Bearcats at their own 9 with 2:10 to play. Cincinnati drove all the way to the Nebraska 33 before Hartzog’s pick sealed the win.

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FRI | MON | TUE
More pregame press
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2025 results
08/28 @ Cincinnati W 20-17
09/06 Akron W 68-0
09/13 Houston Christian W 59-7
09/20 Michigan L 27-30
10/04 Michigan St. W 38-27
10/11 @ Maryland W 34-31
10/17 @ Minnesota L 6-24
10/25 Northwestern W 28-21
11/01 South­ern Cal L 17-21
11/08 @ UCLA W 28-21
11/22 @ Penn State L 10-37
11/28 Iowa L 16-40
12/31 Utah L 22-44
— 2024 | 2026 —

Commentary

Stryker

The Blackshirts were in the process of giving away the game when Hartzog bailed them out.

Tad Stryker
HuskerMax
Christopherson

A 20-17 Nebraska win. A lot to work on. Better to go back to work on it when you’re 1-0.

Brian Christopherson
Husker247
Cobb

It was no masterpiece, but it was a gritty victory for a program that has so often fallen in short in pressure-packed moments over the years.

David Cobb
CBS Sports
Shatel

OK, it was more like survival. But that counts. And for a program learning how to stack wins and confidence, the way this played out couldn’t have gone better.

Tom Shatel *
Omaha World-Herald
Marik

You were left wanting a bit more from a quarterback with the talent of Raiola. However, it was the first game. Gotta keep that in mind.

Steve Marik *
Inside Nebraska
Just

The Husker defense left something to be desired in the run game, as the Bearcats combined for 202 yards rushing.

Amie Just *
Lincoln Journal Star
Ketterson

Raiola and company did not take a three and out all night, although a brutal 1st half false start by Elijah Pritchett inside the 1 was tough to take as it brought back memories of Horrible Flags Past.

Andy Ketterson
Corn Nation
Shereman

Since 2015, Nebraska has fallen one play short in a season-opening moment many times. ... Thursday night in Kansas City, Nebraska made a play to end its decade of darkness.

Mitch Shereman *
The Athletic
Feit

For fans expecting the patented Matt Rhule Year 3 Jump to look like an Andi Jackson spike, the sluggish start ... had to look like a dud. Respectfully, I do not share these concerns.

Dave Feit
HuskerMax
Stukenholtz

Matt Rhule made many decisions in Nebraska’s 20-17 win over Cincinnati. The Huskers’ head coach should feel really good about five of them in particular.

Cole Stukenholtz
HuskerMax
Rubek

Offense, defense and special teams all had their moments, good and bad, making for an interesting night in front of nearly 65,000 Nebraska fans.

Anthony Rubek
Daily Nebraskan
Doody

Some of the worst-case scenarios for this team are already off the table. The best-case scenarios, where NU is unbeaten late into the fall, are still in play.

Ben Doody *
Omaha World-Herald
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