Game Day Guide: Nebraska vs. Akron

There is no place like Nebraska on a game day, and the Huskers are home. This week's opponent? Akron, and the weather looks better than the last time the two met.

Photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics

There is no place like Nebraska on a game day, and the Huskers are home.

After surviving a tight opener against Cincinnati at Arrowhead in Kansas City, the Huskers return to Memorial Stadium on Saturday night for the first of four straight games in Lincoln.¹ It’s a chance to settle into rhythm, put the new-look stadium experience to use and, if all goes well, answer some lingering questions on the depth chart.

Akron isn’t Ohio State but coach Matt Rhule has made it clear he isn’t taking this matchup lightly. The Zips are a five-touchdown underdog after being shut out 10–0 by Wyoming but their offense—coordinated by head coach Joe Moorhead—is creative enough to challenge the Huskers if Nebraska plays down to the opponent.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday under the lights, with Big Ten Network on the broadcast.

Nebraska vs. Akron

When: Saturday, Sept. 6 | 6:30 p.m. CT

Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln

TV: BTN (Mark Followill, Anthony Herron, Dannie Rogers)

Radio: Huskers Radio Network (Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)

Streaming: Huskers.com / Huskers App

Line: Nebraska -34.5 | O/U: 47.5

This is the second official meeting between the programs. Nebraska won the 1997 opener 59–14 on its way to a national championship. The 2018 opener against Akron was canceled by severe weather after the opening kickoff.*

The good news? Saturday looks like a beautiful day in Lincoln, with mainly sunny skies and a high of 73 degrees.

Rhule on Akron

Rhule said this week that Akron’s offense is “a ton of really hard stuff,” referencing Moorhead’s creativity and past history of giving his teams trouble. He admitted being “uptight” ahead of the matchup, worried more about execution than point spreads.

“We don’t ever want to play the brand, we want to play the man,” Rhule said. “That’s kind of always our message. That’s whether we’re playing Ohio State or we’re playing Kent State. We want to play the guy lined up in front of us and play to a standard where we’re trying to attack that man.”

Storylines to remember

A test of discipline up front

Akron isn’t Cincinnati but the Zips watched the same film everyone else did. Nebraska’s front seven struggled to keep quarterback runs in check last week and Moorhead is creative enough to find ways to stress that again. 

Even if Akron doesn’t have a game-breaking runner, Saturday is about proving the defense can rush aggressively without losing containment. That’s as much about discipline as talent.

Left tackle clarity

Nebraska rotated three players at left tackle in the season opener. This week, Rhule ended the guessing game: Gunnar Gottula will start. 

Protecting Dylan Raiola’s blindside is one of the most important jobs on the roster. If Gottula can hold it down, it brings much-needed stability to an offense still finding its rhythm.

Building depth without Bonner

The Huskers lost one of their most versatile pieces when Janiran Bonner went down with a season-ending knee injury. He was a Swiss army knife, lining up in multiple spots and adding toughness to both the run game and special teams. His absence can’t be covered by one player. 

Saturday is the first chance to see how Nebraska adapts and which young names step into bigger roles.

The running back balance

Emmett Johnson carried Nebraska to the finish line last week, touching the ball 32 times. That’s not a sustainable model for the season. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen made it clear others need to step up and Akron offers the right stage to spread the work around. 

The question is whether Mekhi Nelson, Isaiah Moze, or Kwinten Ives can grab the coaches’ trust when it matters.

Memorial Stadium’s new look

Fans will notice changes immediately on Saturday: a no re-entry policy, expanded concessions and alcohol sales. Beer and seltzers will be available until the end of the third quarter, with a two-drink limit per transaction. Alongside the familiar Runzas and Valentino’s slices are new items like tacos, nachos, chicken strips and plenty more.

Then there’s the light show. Rhule has gone from telling his players not to look, to encouraging them to take it in. The third quarter blackout and drone display have become part of the Memorial Stadium brand.

And Rhule isn’t worried about the addition of the alcohol sales and what it might do to the environment. 

“It’s not like it’s $1 beer night,” Rhule said. “We have the best fans in sports. I think people can have a couple beers at the game.”

Rhule’s underdog paranoia

Akron arrives as a 35-point underdog. Rhule’s been in that spot many times, back at Temple and Baylor, and he knows how it feels from the other side.

“You really have nothing in the world to lose and everything in the world to gain,” he said. “And you have a bunch of players on your team who believe that they should be playing at the highest level and know they’re good players.”

That’s why he’s been openly “uptight” this week. He’s lived the letdown, from losing to Fordham at Temple to seeing his teams play down after near-upsets of powerhouses. It’s the lesson he keeps hammering: respect every opponent and play to your own standard.

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Saturday night in Memorial Stadium. What could be better? 

The expectation is a comfortable win but there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on. Can the Huskers control QB runs, spread the running back workload and stabilize the offensive line? How will the defense hold up compared to last week?

Those questions matter. Also, remember how I promised “other games we’re watching” for this week? Surprise, it’ll debut next week. For now, all eyes in Lincoln will be on how Nebraska handles its first home test of 2025.

Kickoff is 6:30. BTN on TV. Memorial Stadium at night. No place like it.

1. There’s a bye week in there too.