NEWSLETTER

Top 15 Highlights from Nebraska’s 2024 Football Season (1-5)

T.J. Birkel

The Nebraska football team finished 7-6, securing bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 and winning a bowl game for the first time since 2015. While the second half of the season included some disappointing losses in ways Husker fans have become all too accustomed to seeing, this past season represents progress for Matt Rhule. With a busy offseason already in full swing, it’s a good time to look back at some of the top moments from the year that was. This week, we’ve already looked at highlights 11-15 as well as 6-10 from the 2024 season; today we’ll take a look at the top 5.

5. 400th Consecutive Sellout. Count this Common Fan as a sucker for all the Husker history, traditions, and streaks, and that includes the sellout streak. I know it’s been on life support a few times in recent years, given the subpar product on the field. But to me, the sellout streak is an indication of the faith, passion, and resilience of the Nebraska fan base, and it’s been worth the effort to preserve it. It stands as a testament to the fact that we are the greatest fans in college football. Even in some of those lean years when there was not a butt in every single seat, and donors had to buy up the last handful of tickets for some games, the stadium was still almost entirely full. As Omaha World Herald columnist Tom Shatel has said, “Nebraska fans remain undefeated against apathy.” Husker fans keep coming back. We keep filling up that beautiful stadium, even when the team is flat out bad. This fan base deserves a winner, and I believe Coach Rhule is in the process of building just that. With the positive trajectory of the program, you can bet the sellout streak will be alive and well for years to come. 

4. Beating Colorado. Boy oh boy, this one was sweet, wasn’t it? The Huskers had lost to the Buffaloes the last three times the teams had faced each other. During both Nebraska-Colorado games of the Frost era, it felt like the Big Red gave those games away, blowing 4th quarter leads in each. In 2023, Nebraska went into Boulder and never seemed to get on track, turning the ball over early and often and playing from behind the entire game. This was the win the fan base needed. It wasn’t just that Nebraske beat Colorado. It was the sheer domination of our former conference rival that was so thoroughly satisfying. The Blackshirts imposed their will from start to finish, only giving up 10 points to an offense with several future NFL players on it. The Nebraska offense looked dang near perfect in the first half, scoring 21 points, and did enough in the 2nd half to hold the ball, bleed clock, and allow the Huskers to win comfortably. The Memorial Stadium crowd was incredible, and they were treated to a beatdown of one of Nebraska’s most hated rivals. As I wrote in my topline takeaways column after the game, “The Buffs got knocked in the chin strap early, were in a big hole by halftime, and flat out quit by the 4th quarter…The Buffaloes waltzed into Memorial Stadium with a boatload of swagger; it ended up buried on the turf under a pile of Blackshirts.” Knowing that Nebraska doesn’t have Colorado on the schedule for any future season at this point, this was the perfect way to leave the series (for now) on a high note. 

3. Getting the Badger Off Our Back. Before Nebraska was in the Big Ten, I think it’s safe to say many Husker fans approvingly observed the Wisconsin program from afar. Upon becoming the Badgers head coach, former Husker player Barry Alvarez took the Bob Devaney blueprint with him to Madison and built a winner. Even once we joined the Big Ten, I thought Wisconsin was the best option to become our rival in this new conference. Both teams were (at the time) perennial top 25 squads and regular conference contenders. And, when they split the first two games after Nebraska’s entrance into the Big Ten (with Wisconsin winning in 2011 and Nebraska winning during the 2012 regular season), it felt like we were off to the races. I never, ever would have guessed the Huskers would go more than a decade without beating the Badgers, starting with the dreadful 2012 Big Ten championship game. There were a few ugly blowouts, but most of the time, these games went down to the wire, including two that went to overtime. Unfortunately, Nebraska was always on the losing end of those contests. Until this year. The Huskers thoroughly dominated their elusive nemesis, winning 44-25 as they ran away with it in the 2nd half. Not only did the Huskers finally beat the Badgers; the game also secured bowl eligibility for Nebraska (more on that below). Let’s hope this is the beginning of a trend of beating Big Ten heavyweights and getting back on the right side of Big Ten trophy games. 

2. Winning the Pinstripe Bowl. What a difference one game can make. By winning the Pinstripe Bowl, the Huskers secured a winning season for the first time since 2016. The warmth of that victory will carry Husker Nation all the way to spring ball (and perhaps even to August). Ultimately, the Huskers finished 7-6, in a season Husker fans hope is a transition on the pathway back to relevance in the college football universe. It won’t go down as one of the great seasons in the history of this storied program, but it absolutely matters for the trajectory of the program. Would 6-7 have been much different? I would argue yes, it would have. The win can serve as a springboard to offseason recruiting efforts, winter workouts, and spring practices. It gives the fan base something to believe in and hold onto. After a largely disappointing back half of the season, the Huskers won two of their last three and have palpable momentum heading into Year 3 for Matt Rhule. 

1. Securing Bowl Eligibility. The aforementioned win against Wisconsin not only broke a 12 year losing streak to the Badgers; it also secured bowl eligibility for Nebraska for the first time since 2016. Here’s what I wrote after that game: “You could feel the collective sigh of relief across the entire fan base, combined with the elation that came with the moment. It felt like we were exorcizing so many demons from the last decade of Nebraska football. Fans stormed the field. Social media went nuts. Friends and family members shared in the moment as if the Berlin wall had just come down. I’m not exaggerating or lying when I say, I actually cried.” It’s true, I did. It wasn’t that long ago that we as Husker fans were able to take going to a bowl game as a given. Even after the dominant years of the ‘90s had passed, the Huskers more often than not had top 25 caliber bowl teams through 2016. The recent pain and anguish of so many losing seasons was at one time unfathomable to generations of Nebraska fans; I still can’t quite believe things ever got so low. Yes, we hope that Rhule is building a winner that can contend for conference championship and college football playoff appearances. We hope we’re never celebrating getting to six wins again. But this year, it was worth celebrating, and the most loyal fans in college football deserved that celebration. The jubilation, relief and joy could be felt far and wide across the windswept plains. When Nebraska runs off a string of national championships, and they’re making the Netflix documentary, it may well start with this moment, when the Big Red finally got over the hump and got back to a bowl game. 

Author’s Note: Longtime play-by-play announcer Greg Sharpe revealed in April that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. Many Husker fans got more of a glimpse into Greg’s battle when Tom Rinaldi interviewed him before the Rutgers game. Sharpe said his goal in April was to make it long enough to call the first Nebraska game on August 31. He accomplished that and much more during the course of the season. The outpouring of love and support from Husker Nation and opposing teams alike was outstanding throughout the year. As I wrote in October, “It’s heartening to see the level of support he has received, both from Husker Nation and beyond. It’s a reminder of how Nebraska football is more than just a game; it’s part of who we are as a people, one great Big Red family.” When I did my top ten highlights for the first half of the season, support for Greg Sharpe was #1. For the year-end highlights, I’m going to place this right up front each day we post (we’re posting five at a time). Please keep Greg and his family in your prayers as he continues his battle. 

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