Game Day Guide: What you need to know for Nebraska-Cincinnati
The 2025 football season is here for Nebraska. Here's everything you need to know ahead of kickoff in Kansas City.
For the first time since 1906, Nebraska faces Cincinnati. For the first time since 2006, the Huskers return to Arrowhead Stadium. Tonight under the lights in Kansas City, Matt Rhule’s third Nebraska team begins its season on one of the NFL’s biggest stages.
The Huskers arrive with new captains, unsettled tackles and a defense built on aggression. The Bearcats counter with a dual-threat quarterback, a clean bill of health and a chip on their shoulder. It’s a stage built for answers.
For Nebraska, the first chance to show how far it has come since last December’s bowl win.
It’s game night in KC. Let’s get into it.
Broadcast Details
TV: ESPN (Mark Jones, Roddy Jones, Quint Kessenich)
Radio: Huskers Radio Network (Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
Stream: Huskers.com / Huskers App
Kickoff: 8 p.m. CT
Weather: Mostly clear skies, highs in the mid-80s during the day cooling into the 70s by kickoff. Light winds.
Line: Nebraska -6.5 | O/U: 51.5
Series and Setting
This is just the second-ever meeting between Nebraska and Cincinnati. The first came in 1906 — a Husker shutout. Tonight also marks Nebraska’s third appearance at Arrowhead Stadium. The Huskers beat Oklahoma State there in 1998 before falling to Oklahoma in the 2006 Big 12 title game.1
Nebraska owns a 98-32-5 record in season openers. In August, the Huskers are 15-3 all time, including wins in each of the past four seasons.
What Matt Rhule Sees in Cincinnati
Rhule didn’t hesitate in praising Scott Satterfield and the program he’s building.
“I think Scott Satterfield is a winner,” Rhule said. “He’s someone I’ve known for a long time… They’ve got good players, they’ve got a history of winning, and a lot of things in the first game – I can’t wait to watch the games tomorrow and make a cut up and show our guys. It’s going to come down to special teams. It’s going to come down to tackling, it’s going to come down to turnovers, it’s going to come down to mistakes early on.”
The Bearcats enter the season fully healthy. They also return quarterback Brendan Sorsby, a dual-threat who Rhule says offers challenges Nebraska hasn’t seen from its own roster in practice.
“Their ability to run the speed option, run the zone read, drop back and throw, attack the pocket, quarterback draw… the ability to have a running quarterback is something we really have to be focused on,” he said.
Storylines to Remember
1. Defense sets the tone
New defensive coordinator John Butler has preached aggression from the start. His message? Play to the edge of the whistle and match the toughness of Cincinnati’s quarterback.
“You always got to know the type of animal you are hunting, so to speak,” Butler said of Sorsby. “He delivers the blow more so than he takes hits.”
Nebraska’s defense will also have to tackle in space. Poor tackling stood out across Week 0 games, and Butler knows it could be the difference.
“If you're going to wonder if we’re playing good on defense or not, it's going to come down to ‘can we tackle their players?’”
2. Captains take the reins
For the first time under Rhule, Nebraska has permanent captains: Dylan Raiola, Dane Key, Ceyair Wright, Marques Buford, DeShon Singleton and Henry Lutovsky. Each signed an oath committing to lead the team and embody Rhule’s standard.
“It was along the lines of ‘I will protect the process and the brotherhood,’” Raiola said. “It’s a lot more than just a patch.”
The mix of veterans and young stars reflects what Nebraska hopes this team becomes: player-led, accountable and united.
3. Tackles unsettled
The biggest personnel question is at tackle, where five names—Gunnar Gottula, Turner Corcoran, Elijah Pritchett, Teddy Prochazka and Tyler Knaak—are all in the mix.
“There’s legitimately five bodies that they just keep rotating,” offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said. “That’s kind of what ‘OR’ means.”
The interior—Justin Evans, Rocco Spindler and Lutovsky—is set. But keeping Raiola clean against Cincinnati’s standout defensive tackle Dontay Corleone will be the test. Holgorsen remembers him well from his time at Houston.
“Yeah, he retired our center a couple years ago,” Holgorsen said of Corleone. “He three-and-outed us on the first drive — by himself.”
4. Arrowhead atmosphere
The opener doubles as a showcase in one of the NFL’s most intimidating venues. For some Huskers, it’s familiar ground. Kansas City native Williams Nwaneri called it “kind of like a story out of a book.”
For Butler, the message is simple: embrace the stage but don’t get overwhelmed.
“Don’t make it bigger than it is,” Butler said. “Play with energy and enthusiasm, but don’t make it bigger than it is.”
The difference this time? Nebraska expects the crowd to tilt in its favor.
“Hopefully everybody shows up and they're cheering their ass off for us,” Butler said.
5. Raiola, Year 2
Raiola returns after setting the Nebraska freshman passing record with 2,819 yards in 2024. He also completed over 67% of his passes, ranking 13th nationally.
Now, the sophomore captain steps into Arrowhead as the face of the program. He called Thursday night “a tremendous honor” and said he’s excited to put all the offseason work into action.
Holgorsen said Raiola has a better grasp of the offense and more command at the line. The expectation: cleaner execution, fewer mistakes and leadership that shows up when the game is tight.
New-look Nebraska?
Nebraska kicks off year three under Matt Rhule Thursday night in Kansas City, and you know what that means. Or, at least, you’ve been unable to avoid hearing what a third season has meant in the past for Rhule—10 wins at Temple, 11 at Baylor.
Numbers to Know
2,819: Passing yards for Raiola last year, a Nebraska freshman record.
4: Nebraska is one of only four teams to finish top-20 nationally in rushing defense, total defense and scoring defense in each of the past two seasons.
10: Both at Temple and Baylor, Matt Rhule’s third year produced double-digit wins.2
Final Word
Nebraska enters tonight with momentum from last year’s bowl win, new leadership in place and questions still lingering at key spots. Cincinnati arrives healthy, hungry and with a quarterback capable of wrecking a game on his own.
The Huskers are favored but nothing is guaranteed under the lights of Arrowhead. As Rhule said: it will come down to tackling, turnovers and mistakes early on.
Happy game day, everyone.3
As a note for our paid subscribers, the game day chat will return this evening. I will be in Kansas City for the game and will provide updates live in the chat. Keep an eye out for the email and notification.
I was there for that one. Boomer Sooner on repeat for hours has yet to leave my brain.
Did you know this is Year 3 of the Matt Rhule era at Nebraska?
If you’re wondering where our “other games we’re watching” section is, don’t worry — it will make its debut next week. The first weekend (especially when Nebraska plays on a Thursday) makes things more complicated. But if you want to know what we’re watching, just ask. We’re always down to chat for football.