Huskers snap Badgers hex, become bowl eligible for 1st time in 8 years - ESPN

LINCOLN, Neb. — Dylan Raiola threw for 293 yards and a touchdown, Dante Dowdell ran for three scores, and Nebraska beat Wisconsin 44-25 on Saturday to become eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2016.

Nebraska (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) stopped a four-game losing streak and beat the Badgers for the first time in 11 meetings. The Cornhuskers sprinted to the Wisconsin sideline as time ran out to claim the Freedom Trophy as students poured out of the stands onto the field to celebrate.

The victory was the Cornhuskers' first in nine tries under second-year coach Matt Rhule when playing for bowl eligibility.

The Huskers came into the season with the longest bowl drought among power-conference teams and the program's longest since 1955-61. UMass and Louisiana-Monroe, who last went to a bowl game in 2012, are the only other FBS teams with longer droughts than the Huskers.

«The cloud that kind of hangs over everything, it's gone,» said Rhule, who envisions bigger and better things for the Huskers. «This will be the last time we ever celebrate six wins.»

Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) dropped its fourth straight game a week after it lost 16-13 to No. 1 Oregon, the Ducks' lowest point total of the season.

«We played really well against the No. 1 team in the country and then we come out today — and I'm not saying Nebraska is not a good program, but they're not No. 1 in the country — and we gave up three times the points to Nebraska,» Badgers defensive lineman Ben Barten said. «This is on our defense today.»

Nebraska's Emmett Johnson went over 100 yards for the first time in his 27 career games, finishing with 113 on 16 carries.

The Huskers, who last year squandered an early 14-0 lead at Wisconsin and lost 24-17, came away with points on six