Nebraska Football Breaks Bowl Drought with Pinstripe Win

Written by: Isaiah Lucas

Matt Rhule’s second season as Nebraska’s head man ended with an exclamation mark. The Huskers beat Boston College, 20-15, in the Bad Boy Movers Pinstripe Bowl, helping them finish 2024 with a winning record.

The triumph was significant for a few reasons. It marked the program’s first bowl victory since the 2015 season, when it downed UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl. It also signified that the new era under Rhule was on the right trajectory, as the 7-6 finish was the team’s best since 2016.

Nebraska built a 20-2 lead after rushing touchdowns from running backs Rahmir Johnson and Kwinten Ives, plus a receiving score from sophomore star Emmett Johnson. 

Speaking of Rahmir Johnson, it was a big day for the senior. He’s the one the team relied on to drain the remaining 4:18 off the clock after the Eagles made it a one-score game late. The NYC native was one of many Rhule was happy to send off the right way.

“I think that’s the biggest thing, is that finally, finally they can walk off the field and say we got it done,” the coach said postgame. 

Freshman phenom Dylan Raiola made his spot in the record books during the victory. He finished with 224 yards, pushing his season passing total to 2,819 yards and giving him the record for most by a freshman, surpassing Adrian Martinez’s mark of 2,617 set back in 2018.

Seniors Bryce Benhart and Ty Robinson also made school history, each playing in their record 60th career game at Nebraska. Benhart set a new program record with his 54th career start as well.

In a game featuring suboptimal field and weather conditions, it was a positive that the Huskers played lockdown defense when it mattered most and ran the ball at will, all while depending on a bunch of their younger players. Those are the types of things that help build culture. 

For Rhule, everything about the game, including the preparation in the weeks before, served as an important building block in the process of returning the program to glory.

“But playing that last game, going back out on a Tuesday, we came to New York City, we had no distractions, no one was late to anything, no one missed anything,” he said. “All those things are how you win moving forward in my mind.”

An early-season victory over Colorado, then hard-fought contests against the likes of Illinois and Ohio State during conference play, showed signs of life for the program that’s been coasting for years. The victory in the Pinstripe Bowl served as a cherry on top and an affirming sign that those dark days are a thing of the past.