If effort alone could win football games, Emmett Johnson would’ve beaten Iowa by himself. Instead, he watched Nebraska sink to new lows, closing the regular season with a 16-40 home embarrassment against the Hawkeyes. Johnson ripped off 217 yards, carried an offense that offered him nothing in return, and still ended the night in his family’s arms, unsure if he’ll ever call Memorial Stadium home again.

“An emotional Emmett Johnson exits the field for what could be his last time at Memorial Stadium. The Husker running back rushed for 217 yards against the Hawkeyes.” Hail Varsity shared on X.

Emmett, set to decide his future, looked visibly shaken after finishing the season, especially with it being the seniors’ final game. He has been the team’s anchor since Dylan Raiola went down earlier this season, shouldering a lineup that otherwise failed to produce.

“I was just trying to leave it all out there on the field. We talked a lot about helping the seniors go out with a win, so I just wanted to leave it all out there for them. I just trust in my training and trust what God put me on this earth to do. Just keep running hard, trying to make winning plays for the team,” Johnson said in the postgame press conference.

His 217 yards marked the first 200-yard game by a Nebraska back since Ameer Abdullah in 2014. It was his fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game and eighth of the season. But they came in a 24-point loss on what could’ve been his final game at home. While compiling 2243 yards on 429 receptions and 14 touchdowns, he made his case to turn pro.

Well, every Cornhusker fan would be out there praying he doesn’t leave and comes back for another season. But it looks highly unlikely, barring some drastic changes from the Cornhuskers administration.

Even Matt Rhule has weighed in, saying Johnson “should be a Heisman candidate” and a Doak Walker finalist, then adding he should “go play in the NFL.” Now Johnson must decide, cash in on his stock while the NFL evaluates that tape, or come back for one more run at redemption. Even though he had a great individual season, the team struggled.

Bad officiating played a part in Nebraska’s loss

The 2025 college football season will be known for its poor officiating. Nebraska became the latest victim of it in a must-win match against Iowa. The Black Friday rivalry game turned into a game of gaining position, which the Cornhuskers couldn’t overcome, partly due to some controversial calls against them.

“That’s the worst call I’ve ever seen. Fire every referee,” Will Compton, Nebraska alumnus and Bussin’ with the Boys co-host, expressed his frustration publicly.

It all started when Nebraska got hit with a 15-yard facemask penalty during an Iowa kick return. It gave up position and resulted in an Iowa field goal from 41 yards in the first quarter. This kept happening over the course of the game, breaking Nebraska’s momentum and conceding position to Iowa. This had the Nebraska defense under pressure from the very start of the game. Next was a punting penalty in the third quarter.

It resulted in Nebraska conceding a safety in its end zone, giving Iowa 2 points and regaining possession of the ball due to safety rules. The last one happened as Nebraska fell prey to a missed targeting penalty. If all these decisions had been judged properly, it would have given Nebraska ample chance to make a comeback. But it didn’t happen, and they fell short of finishing the regular season on a high, giving Emmett Johnson and the seniors something to celebrate.