Nebraska Holds Off Cincinnati in 20-17 Thriller With Late Pick/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Nebraska edged Cincinnati 20-17 at Arrowhead Stadium after Malcolm Hartzog Jr. intercepted a potential game-winning pass in the end zone. Dylan Raiola threw for 243 yards and two TDs, while Emmett Johnson added 108 rushing yards. Cincinnati’s late push fell short despite Brendan Sorsby’s two rushing touchdowns.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — August 29, 2025 — Nebraska relied on defense in crunch time to hold off Cincinnati 20-17 on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadiumas Malcolm Hartzog Jr. intercepted a pass in the end zone with 34 seconds remaining to secure the Huskers’ season-opening victory.
Quarterback Dylan Raiola led the way with 243 passing yards and two touchdownswhile running back Emmett Johnson powered the ground game with 108 rushing yards. Receivers Dane Key and Nyziah Hunter each caught touchdown passes as Nebraska improved on last year’s reputation for struggling in close games.
Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby didn’t do much through the air — finishing with 69 passing yards — but he nearly carried his team to a comeback with 96 rushing yards and two scores.
The Bearcats trailed 13-3 at halftime after a costly turnover: with just over a minute left in the second quarter, receiver Caleb Goodie fumbled, setting up Nebraska’s first touchdown.
Sorsby responded in the second half by leading two quick scoring drives, pulling Cincinnati within three points with 7:15 left. But his final pass — aimed at a potential game-winning touchdown — landed in Hartzog’s hands.
Coach Scott Satterfield praised his quarterback’s grit:
The Huskers dominated statistically, holding the ball nearly 19 minutes longer than Cincinnati and limiting the Bearcats to 271 total yards. Yet the scoreboard stayed tight because of missed opportunities and Cincinnati’s opportunistic offense in the second half.
Coach Matt Rhule acknowledged both positives and areas for improvement:
Though officially designated as a Cincinnati home game, the setting told another story: 95% of the 70,000 fans wore Husker redmaking Arrowhead feel like Lincoln West.
Adding to the buzz, Travis Kelce — a Cincinnati alum and Kansas City Chiefs star — appeared in a suite with fiancée Taylor Swifttheir first public outing since announcing their engagement. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Jason Kelce were also spotted in attendance.
Nebraska’s defense delivered in the clutch, offsetting missed chances on offense. Cincinnati proved it could fight back from adversity, but turnovers and offensive inconsistency cost them in the end.
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