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Emmett Johnson left it all on the field against Iowa. He was the lone bright spot on an otherwise dreary day Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Huskers Fail the Test

Originally posted on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI
By Eric Hess | Last updated Nov 29, 2025 11:23 AM ET

Emmett Johnson came out firing in this game.

He had his career-best game in what could be his final appearance in college football. Unfortunately, he was one of the few who played with such intensity against Iowa. Iowa had whatever they wanted against Nebraska offensively against the Blackshirts. It was one of Mark Gronowski’s best days passing on the season. Kaden Wetjen had a huge kick return. The Hawkeyes’ defense held a hobbled TJ Lateef to Nebraska’s worst passing output since the 2019 Ohio State game. It was the third game this season that Nebraska dominantly lost all three phases.

To start with the positive of this game, Emmett Johnson’s name belongs with other Husker greats at the running back position. His effort against Iowa was the 23rd-best individual rushing performance in school history and the 42nd 200+ yard rushing game by a Husker. He ran for the 4th most yards of any individual against a Phil Parker-coached defense at Iowa. His 2025 season ranks 8th among rushing seasons in program history. In a season that had plenty of areas to be disappointed, Emmett Johnson was a primary reason for excitement.

One of the deceptive things about Iowa is how great they can look despite their box score. Nebraska “held” Iowa to 379 yards total. That’s just half a yard below Nebraska’s season average yardage output, which ranks 8th in the conference. It’s not until you look at the advanced stats that they really shine. 48% of Iowa’s plays in this game were successful. Meaning they contributed to Iowa scoring points. The net success rate margin was the 5th-highest against Nebraska in the Rhule era.

Iowa, in typical Iowa fashion, also dominated on special teams. After Nebraska scored the opening touchdown, it let Iowa start its next drive within field goal range. Kaden Wetjen returned the kickoff 51 yards, followed by a facemask penalty, setting up Iowa at Nebraska 29. This was a crucial mistake by Nebraska, giving Iowa a short field where the Hawkeyes could score without moving the ball. Iowa also picked up two points after a momentum-changing safety after Jacory Barney fumbled a punt return.

Iowa had a 7-yard advantage in the average starting field position in this game. This would have been much worse if Wetjen hadn’t misjudged the bounce on a kickoff, giving Nebraska the ball back for a second straight field goal opportunity. The Huskers lost the field position battle four times this season. They lost all four of those games.

Perhaps the single worst aspect of this game was the defense's play. Mark Gronowski had the best game of his career at Iowa with 230 yards between his rushing and passing output. Iowa was able to stay ahead of the sticks in this game, averaging just 3.9 yards per 3rd attempt compared to Nebraska’s 4.9. The Huskers had to defend Iowa’s entire playbook on these short third downs. The Hawkeyes were able to capitalize by gaining a whopping 10.3 per third-down attempt.

In year three of a coaching tenure, losses like Nebraska’s to USC and Michigan are understandable. Nebraska’s other three losses, Minnesota, Penn State, and Iowa, certainly leave a bad taste in the mouth of Husker fans all offseason. All three of those losses were games in which the Huskers lost all three phases.

To me, the Iowa game was a test of where Nebraska stood as a program. The Hawkeyes are the perfect definition of a “good” football team, and they weren’t going to do anything to surprise anyone. While I didn’t expect Nebraska to win, I thought they would have a bounce-back effort against Iowa. Matt Rhule’s team left a lot to be desired heading into the offseason.

This article first appeared on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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