Nebraska is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016 after a 44-25 win over Wisconsin on Saturday. The win snapped a four-game skid for the Cornhuskers after a 5-1 start to the season.
Nebraska jumped out to a 21-10 halftime lead and didn't look to get the blueblood program back to the postseason. Quarterback Dylan Raiola completed 28 of 38 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown and running back Dante Dowdell ran for three scores in the win.
The Cornhuskers lost last weekend to USC -- their ninth consecutive defeat with bowl eligibility on the line. Eight of those losses came within the last two seasons. Nebraska improved to 3-5 in Big Ten play, matching its conference win total from last season.
A thing of beauty.
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) November 23, 2024
📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/Lm7WjsKERe
The postseason drought extended across three coaches, dating back to Mike Riley's last year in 2017. Nebraska started this season 3-0 with wins over UTEP, Colorado and Northern Iowa before falling to Illinois 31-24 in overtime. The Cornhuskers won their next two games over Purdue and Rutgers before dropping their last four to Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA and USC.
The Cornhuskers went 9-4 during the 2016 campaign and lost in the Music City Bowl to Tennessee in the penultimate season of Riley's tenure. Nebraska followed that up with a 4-8 showing the final season of the Riley era before hiring Scott Frost away from UCF to become the program's new coach. The Cornhuskers have a chance to add to their win total when out the regular season against Iowa on Nov. 29.
