Shut vs. Far Away, East vs. West

The Huskers journey to College Park, Maryland, for his or her first true highway recreation of the season this Saturday. After Penn State’s inexplicable loss at UCLA final week, the phrase “travel” has been within the information rather a lot recently. James Franklin listed this as one of many causes his Nittany Lions misplaced their second straight recreation. On Monday, Matt Rhule assured the media that his workforce gained’t complain about journey.

There are solely two groups left which have but to go to an opponent’s stadium this season: former Big 8 rivals Nebraska and Missouri. The Tigers will outlast the Huskers by one week earlier than making their first highway journey to Auburn. Mizzou ties the FBS file for the most recent first highway recreation. The Huskers have additionally tied their longest-ever hiatus earlier than their first highway journey at six video games, which final occurred in 2022 after the journey to Ireland.

The journey to Maryland is the primary of the Huskers’ two video games over 1,000 air miles away this season (UCLA is the opposite). Making journeys to each coasts of the United States will rack up some airline miles for the workforce. This season is the tenth most traveled in program historical past, with the Huskers protecting over 7,600 miles round-trip (a bowl recreation may push them even greater). However, this ranks simply 56th in faculty soccer in 2025. Penn State ranks 57th for miles traveled in 2025.

In the College Football Playoff period, touring east has been higher for groups than touring west, so James Franklin could have some extent. Teams touring east for a real highway recreation win 42.7% of the time, whereas groups heading towards the Pacific Ocean have gained solely 40% of their video games. The Huskers have underperformed in comparison with the remainder of faculty soccer in both class. Since 2014, Nebraska has gained simply 33.3% of its video games whereas touring east, however solely 16.7% when going west (notice that it has performed simply six highway video games west of Nebraska).

No workforce has been as dominant all-time because the Huskers of their area. The Huskers have gained over 82% of their video games inside 250 miles of Lincoln (together with impartial websites). This file was established primarily after Nebraska beat groups like Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State throughout the Big 8 and Big 12 eras. The LSU Tigers are second in win proportion towards faculties inside 250 miles, having gained 74.5% of their video games all-time.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

– Laozi

The Cincinnati recreation in Kansas City was the Huskers’ first recreation inside 250 miles of Lincoln within the playoff period. The Huskers have fared properly in lengthy highway journeys within the playoff period, nonetheless. Among the 82 groups which have performed at the very least 5 video games 1,000 miles away from dwelling, the Huskers rank sixteenth in win proportion at 58.3%. Penn State is 2 spots forward, having gone 5-3 over the identical time.

Matt Rhule has a file of simply 4-6 when touring over 1,000 miles to a recreation. He was 3-3 at Temple and 0-2 at Baylor on lengthy highway journeys. With the Huskers, he’s 1-1, having misplaced on the highway to USC final 12 months however beating Boston College within the bowl recreation in New York City.

Despite Matt Rhule saying the workforce gained’t complain about journey, he’s being proactive in regards to the potential results it may have. The workforce is flying out a day sooner than normal, opting to reach in College Park on Thursday reasonably than Friday, as they’ve prior to now. The most vital results that journey might need on a workforce are prone to be on the gamers’ routines the day earlier than the sport. If touring a day earlier to the highway recreation may also help the gamers get the quantity of sleep they want on Friday night time, then it’s going to assist the workforce carry out on Saturday.

A well-disciplined workforce can have mentally ready itself for the sport, no matter how distant it’s performed. We will know within the first few drives how properly Matt Rhule ready his workforce for this highway journey.

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