Sunday Morning Quarterback with Jay Stockwell and Bob Frady

Nebraska Had the Money… And Still Blew the Season

Nebraska had the resources, the facilities, and a schedule that set up perfectly. and somehow it still slipped away. This clip breaks down the frustration from a season that should have been different, and why fans are running out of patience. From missed opportunities to bigger program-level issues, this is an honest Husker conversation about expectations, accountability, and why “next year” isn’t good enough anymore. If you’re a Nebraska fan, you’ve felt this pain before.

This Feels Familiar

Nebraska football is changing, but are they changing the right things?In this episode of Sunday Morning Quarterback, Jay, Bob, and George break down everything surrounding Nebraska’s bowl matchup, recent coaching changes, and what those decisions really signal about the program’s direction.We dive into:- Why this bowl game feels like a mismatch- Nebraska choosing a system over personnel- Defensive staff changes and what they actually mean- Transfer portal uncertainty, especially at quarterback- Whether this is real progress, or the same cycle repeatingThere’s optimism. There’s frustration. And there’s a familiar feeling Nebraska fans know all too well.Go Big Red!

Iowa Hung 40 on Us. Then the Firings Started.

Iowa Postgame and Butler fired! Wow…that was quick. Iowa rolled into town and - despite the heroics of team MVP Emmett Johnson - steamrolled the Big Red 40-16. While Jay was optimistic in calling for a Big Red victory, Bob saw this coming in last week’s podcast, predicting an Iowa blowout. The game actually started well and was a 1-point game late in the 2nd quarter. A late score put Iowa up by 8 at halftime. Not great, but not insurmountable. The problem is, Nebraska is a terrible second-half team. Not counting the tomato cans from Akron and Houston Christian, Nebraska was outscored 138-82 this season in the second half. The only two times they scored more than an opponent were the Michigan State and Northwestern games. There are really only two reasons for continually getting outscored in the second half. The first (and most obvious) is the lack of halftime adjustments by the coaching staff - time after time SMQ seemed to see a light switch go off with other teams that said “here’s how we’re going to beat them and they’re powerless to stop us.” The second reason is that the team is out of shape and gets worn down. With the advent of the 3-minute break on timeouts, you would think this is a lesser concern…but who knows. The end result? Embarrassment, combined with a serious re-thinking of Coach Rhule’s extension. While we were busy licking our wounds and wondering what was going to happen, Coach Rhule dropped a bomb and fired defensive coordinator John Butler. In a world where things move fast, THAT was fast. Whenever you make such a big decision, it begs one question: Did Rhule know that he was going to do this before the game? As business guys, Bob and Jay know that “knee-jerk” decisions aren’t really so knee-jerk. The next question is, what other dominoes are going to fall? While TJ Lateef did his best to run the offense, the Huskers went from over 25 points a game with Raiola (not counting the tomato cans) to only 18 with Lateef (and 13 in the last two games.) To be fair to Butler, if your offense can’t score, you’re already behind the defensive 8-ball. At SMQ, we think the problem is one of philosophy - we keep bringing in JV offensive and defensive philosophies into the Big 10. For the defense, we bring in a Pro-style defense that protects the pass first…while teams maul the Huskers in the run game. For the offense, we have long, long, long-developing plays that lack the speed needed to win in the Big 10. Letting Butler go is a good first step. The big question is - what happens next?

Nebraska Fans… This Iowa Prediction Is Brutal 😳 | SMQ Meltdown Mode

SUNDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: The “Corn Supremacy” EditionNebraska rebounds and defeats Iowa 21-14.Black Friday in Lincoln has always carried its own electricity, but this year’s Heroes Game feels especially charged. Nebraska sits at 7–4, coming off a humbling 37–10 loss at Penn State, licking wounds and reevaluating identity. Yet here come the Iowa Hawkeyes, the annual reminder that while both states grow corn, only one grows the kind people actually want to eat. Nebraska’s is sweet, golden, and worthy of a Thanksgiving table. Iowa’s… well, it looks like it was grown in a ditch beside a fireworks stand and tastes like gravelThis week marks the beginning of a new chapter for Nebraska football. With Dylan Raiola sidelined for the season and recovering from a fractured fibula, the offense now belongs to T.J. Lateef. The freshman brings California cool, but Black Friday in Lincoln demands something more elemental, grit that cuts through cold winds and pressure-filled drives. The question isn’t whether Lateef has talent. It’s whether he can shoulder the weight of a rivalry defined by razor-thin margins and emotional swings that carry through the entire offseason.If Lateef is going to succeed, he’ll need help from the most dependable unit on the team: the ground game. The Law Firm of Johnson, Nelson & Ives must be open for business from the opening whistle. Emmett Johnson has been the workhorse, but this is a game that demands depth and physicality. Mekhi Nelson and Kwinten Ives can spell him with the kind of complementary styles that challenge even Iowa’s famously stubborn front. Establishing the run does more than control the clock, it unlocks Lateef’s play-action ability and gives threats like Dane Key and Jacory Barney Jr. the downfield opportunities that Iowa hates to defend. Oh and let’s not forget about the tight ends. SMQ has been calling for the tight ends for weeks.On the defensive side, the Blackshirts must rediscover their bite. Without Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher after their departures to the pros, the burden shifts to Cameron Lenhardt and Elijah Jeudy to impose themselves at the line of scrimmage. Marques Watson-Trent remains the emotional heartbeat of this group, a missile against the run and a disruptor in passing lanes. Iowa’s offense thrives only when opponents make mistakes. Clean football takes the Hawkeyes out of their comfort zone.Special teams could likely be the difference and Mike Ekeler will have his group ready as always, the most dependable unit on the Husker’s squad.Ultimately, this game comes down to discipline. Iowa survives on field position, turnovers, and forcing opponents into ugly football. Nebraska cannot oblige them. No giveaways. No special-teams disasters. Make Iowa earn every inch, they usually can’t.Memorial Stadium will be loud, cold, and restless. Fans are tired of Iowa’s recent success in this rivalry, tired of close losses, and tired of watching the Heroes Trophy sit on the wrong side of the river. This feels like a day when the energy of Lincoln tilts the field.In a game where style points evaporate and toughness reigns, I’m picking the Huskers to take back what’s theirs.Prediction: Nebraska 21, Iowa 14.The Heroes Trophy returns to Lincoln, and the nation is reminded once again: the good corn grows west of the Missouri.

How Nebraska Erased a 16-Point Deficit, and Why They Might Be a Top-10 Team

Nebraska vs. Penn State: Saturday Night Lights, Corn vs. Mysterious Cat CreatureVegas Odds Makers have this all wrong a +9.5 for NebraskaSaturday night in Happy Valley means one thing: national television, 100,000 fans, and a showdown between two programs that both believe they’re climbing back toward Big Ten supremacy. Nebraska rolls in with momentum, toughness, and a defense that has quietly matured into one of the more disruptive units in the conference. Penn State counters with talent, speed, and of course the Nittany Lion, a mascot that continues to confuse zoologists everywhere. Is it a mountain lion? A house cat with a gym membership? A taxidermy project gone wrong? No one really knows. But he’ll be there, leaping awkwardly and doing that single-paw flex he loves so much.Nebraska arrives with a swagger we haven’t seen in years, and a big chunk of that starts with TJ Lateef, the California-cool quarterback who plays like he’s ordering acai bowls between drives. Lateef has settled into the offense with surprising calm, reading defenses, making smart throws, and keeping plays alive with his legs. He’s not rattled by the moment, the noise, or the fact that a grown man in a furry lion suit is going to be screaming at him from six feet away. TJ’s seen weirder things in Los Angeles.Next to him is the engine of the offense, Emmett Johnson, the best running back in the Big Ten and the human embodiment of “we’re gonna keep running it and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.” If Emmett hits the second level, call your insurance agent because someone’s about to file a claim. Penn State’s linebackers may be fast but fast doesn't matter when you’re meeting a man who treats arm tackles like minor inconveniences and/or speed bumps on the highway to the end zone.Penn State’s defense will throw athletes at Nebraska, but this isn’t the old Huskers offense. This version has rhythm, purpose, and a nasty streak. And defensively, Nebraska is built for this kind of game. The Blackshirts have been punching offensive lines in the mouth all year, and they’d love nothing more than to turn the Nittany Lion into a nervous house cat by halftime.And speaking of the Lion, look, if that creature showed up on your porch at night, you wouldn’t run. You’d hand it a bowl of milk and call animal control. Meanwhile, real corn feeds nations, feeds livestock, and feeds victory. Corn is currency. Corn is power.Prediction: Under national-television lights, Nebraska leans on Lateef’s poise and Emmett’s relentless motor.Huskers 27, Penn State 23.