Thomas Codo, Cornhuskers WireSat, November 29, 2025 at 11:15 AM UTC·2 min readNebraska (7-5, 4-5) concluded the regular season with a Black Friday clash against Iowa (8-4, 6-3) at home. Despite a steady first half, the Hawkeyes took over in the second, pulling away and blowing out the Huskers 40-16.
Nebraska and Iowa traded blows in the first quarter, each pulling off big plays to lead to big scores. For the Huskers, it was a 70-yard run from Emmett Johnson and a kickoff recovery. This helped Nebraska initially stay in the fight against Iowa. But it came crashing down in the third quarter after the Huskers coughed up a safety on a punt return.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe momentum shifted entirely to the Hawkeyes, who ran the ball all over Nebraska to score two more touchdowns and take the win. Despite Iowa rushing for less than the Huskers (213-231), it ruled the trenches against the Blackshirts. Mark Gronowski was the workhorse, earning 64 rushing yards and 166 passing yards for the Hawkeyes.
Kamari Moulton also did damage against Nebraska, going for a team-high 93 yards on the ground. Johnson remained the only highlight for Nebraska, tallying 217 yards on 29 carries, scoring the only touchdown for the Huskers. TJ Lateef struggled once again, finishing 9-of-24 for just 69 yards.
Nebraska now awaits its fate in the postseason. For the Big Ten, the first bowl game is set for Dec. 26, with the GameAbove Sports Bowl and the Rate Bowl. On Dec. 27 is the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, then it's the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Finally, it's the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on New Year's Eve.
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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football falls 40-16 in season finale against Iowa
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