Week 2 • September 06, 2025, 11:30 PM UTC
0
0-1
MAC
Power Rank: -21.4
@
FINAL
68
1-0
Big Ten
Power Rank: 13.0

Nebraska defeated Akron 68–0 in a dominant performance.

General Information

Week: Week 2
Kick Off (at stadium): 06:30 PM CDT
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)
Capacity: 85,458
Elevation: 1204 ft
HFA Rating: 2.3
Playing Surface: Artifical Turf

Betting Information

Spread None
Total (O/U) -
Odds Implied Score -
Power Rank Implied Line Nebraska -34.4
Prediction Markets Nebraska 98% Win Chance (Kalshi)

Line Value Calculator

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Akron
Nebraska
Home field — Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)
Weather: Clear
Travel impact

Positive adjustment = favours home team

Akron @ Nebraska Preview

Weather Conditions

Forecast for: February 02, 2026
Clear

Clear

23.5°F

Wind Chill: 18.7°F
Wind: 4.0 mph ENE
Gusts: 8.1 mph
Precipitation: 0.0"
Humidity: 69%
Rain Chance: 0%
Snow Chance: 0%

Travel & Rest

Akron (Away)

This Week: 794.3 miles
Last Week: Home Game
Season Total: 1018.6 miles
Body Clock Time: 19:30
Rest Days: 9

Nebraska (Home)

This Week: 0.0 miles
Last Week: 339.8 miles
Season Total: 339.8 miles
Body Clock Time: 18:30
Rest Days: 8

What are the key factors for Akron vs Nebraska?

Akron: Key Factors

Jordan Gant reaches 1,000-yard milestone

Running back Jordan Gant rushed for 86 yards to finish the season with 1,032 yards, crossing the 1,000-yard threshold and establishing himself as a reliable offensive weapon. He was the 13th-leading rusher in FBS entering this game and sealed the victory with an 18-yard carry in the final moments.

Kicking game proves reliable in close contests

Matthew Schramm converted all four field goal attempts, including a career-long 48-yarder, providing consistent scoring in a low-scoring affair. This reliable kicking game could be crucial in future close games, especially given Akron's tendency to play in tight contests.

Passing game shows big-play potential but inconsistency

QB Ben Finley completed only 9-of-26 passes but delivered a crucial 75-yard touchdown strike to Israel Polk when needed most. The low completion percentage (34.6%) indicates ongoing passing game struggles, but the ability to connect on game-changing plays provides hope.

Defense creates game-winning turnover

Bruno Dall's interception with one minute remaining sealed the victory after Bowling Green had driven to the Akron 42-yard line. This clutch defensive play in crunch time shows the team's ability to make critical stops when the game is on the line.

Season ends with fourth consecutive losing record

Despite the victory, Akron finished 5-7 overall and 4-4 in MAC play, marking head coach Joe Moorhead's fourth straight losing season. The team showed improvement in conference play but still struggles with overall consistency and finishing above .500.

Nebraska: Key Factors

Second-Half Collapse

Nebraska was outscored 23-0 in the second half after leading 16-14 at halftime, with the offense gaining only 69 yards after the break.

Emmett Johnson's Dominance Fades

Running back Emmett Johnson had 177 yards in the first half but was held to 40 yards on 10 carries in the second half as Iowa adjusted.

Quarterback Struggles

Freshman TJ Lateef, playing with a tight hamstring, completed only 9 of 24 passes for 69 yards, failing to sustain drives.

Costly Mistakes

Nebraska lost a fumble at the goal line, muffed a punt leading to a safety, and committed two personal fouls, contributing to the loss.

Late-Season Slide Continues

The Huskers lost four of their last six games after a 5-1 start and are now 2-10 in November games under coach Matt Rhule.

What happened in the game?

Akron travels 794 miles to this game, a moderate road trip.

Akron arrives with a 1-hour body clock shift.

Nebraska won by 68 in a dominant performance.

Does weather affect this game at Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)?

At 23.5°F, this is a cold-weather game. Cold conditions below 35°F historically compress scoring and reduce passing efficiency, favouring unders and run-heavy offences.

Full conditions are shown in the data panel above. Forecast data sourced from WeatherAPI.com. Use the Line Value Calculator to apply a manual weather adjustment to your projected line.

How do Akron and Nebraska compare on power ratings?

Blue Chip Analytics power ratings favour Nebraska (13.0) over Akron (-21.4) by 34.4 points on a neutral field. After adding home field advantage, the rating-implied line may differ meaningfully from the market spread. Nebraska brings a meaningful home field advantage to this matchup (Blue Chip HFA: 2.3). Add this to the neutral-site differential to arrive at a venue-adjusted line.

Blue Chip Analytics power ratings represent expected point margin against an average FBS opponent on a neutral field, calculated from game data sourced via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD). They are one input — cross-reference with the travel, rest, and weather data above before drawing conclusions.

Sources

Weather

Nebraska won this game.