After beating Cincinnati 20-17 in Week 1, the odds have Nebraska as an overwhelming favorite to beat Akron in Week 2 and begin the 2025 college football season with a 2-0 record. Aware of the trap game potential, head coach Matt Rhule is determined to keep his team motivated.
Nebraska, which secured its first winning season in 2024 since 2016, is not used to being the favorite. Rhule knows his team cannot overlook Akron and lose the momentum it gained in Week 1.
“[We have] everything in the world to gain,” Rhule said, via On3 Sports. “You have a bunch of players on our team who believe that they should be playing at the highest level and know that they're good players… You guys probably always hear me say, ‘Don't listen to outside noise.' Don't listen to this. Don't listen to that. That's just really a mindset of, what do we say as football players to ourselves? ‘I've got to play at a certain level.' So, just do that.”
The betting odds have Nebraska closing as a 35-point favorite over Akron. The same day that the Cornhuskers topped Cincinnati in Kansas City, the Zips suffered a 10-0 loss to Wyoming.
Nebraska has not beaten an opponent by 35 or more points since topping Northwestern 56-7 in the 2021 season, two years before Rhule's tenure began. However, the Huskers collected two 30-point wins early in 2024 over UTEP and Northern Iowa.
Nebraska looking to make statement in Week 2 against Akron
Despite picking up a win over a Power Four opponent, Nebraska did not do enough to earn a spot in the AP Week 2 college football rankings. Regardless, they are likely to begin the season with a 3-0 record for the second consecutive season. The Cornhuskers will be heavily favored to beat Akron and Houston Christian in the next two weeks.
After an up-and-down season in 2024, Nebraska's offense showed improvement in Week 1. While their defense struggled to contain Cincinnati's ground game, the Cornhuskers amassed 353 yards of total offense and committed only one turnover.
Akron, meanwhile, struggled to get anything going against Wyoming. Despite returning six offensive starters, the Zips could only muster 228 yards of total offense against a Cowboys defense that allowed 410.6 total yards per game in 2024.
With Nebraska's expectations higher than they have been in years, fans will undoubtedly show out in the team's home opener. The Cornhuskers have won their last six home openers.
