Anthony Colandrea Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

Husker Nation, your quarterback just picked up some hardware.

Anthony Colandrea was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Nebraska announced, for his performance in Saturday’s 56-7 win over Bowling Green. It’s his first Big Ten honor — he was a four-time Mountain West Player of the Week at UNLV in 2025.

It started with a pick

Nebraska’s opening drive lasted two plays and ended in an interception.

Here’s how Colandrea handled it, in his own words after the game: “At the end of the day, the kid made a good play on it… But at the end of the day, it’s just what’s next. There’s four quarters left.”

What came next was 17-of-20 for 184 yards and four touchdowns in the first half — five straight touchdown drives and a 35-0 lead at the break.

“I think it’s just keep attacking,” he said. “That’s our offensive motto, right? Just attack.”

The numbers

He finished 20-of-24 for 222 yards with a career-high four touchdown passes, all before halftime. That’s the most by a Husker since Dylan Raiola threw four at Maryland last season, and it made Colandrea the first Nebraska quarterback with three or more touchdown passes in back-to-back games since Tommy Armstrong Jr. against Wyoming and Oregon in 2016.

Through two games he’s 38-of-56 (67.9 percent) for 497 yards and seven touchdown passes, with a rushing score on top. He ranks second nationally in points responsible for per game (24), ninth in passing touchdowns and 21st in passing efficiency (180.1).

(Nebraska’s announcement lists Saturday’s yardage as 224. The box score has 222 — and 222 is the number that adds up to his season total of 497.)

Rhule didn’t have any complaints

A reporter asked Colandrea about Dana Holgorsen’s note that he’d been putting too much zip on some short throws. “Sometimes I kind of threw it too hard,” he said, “but I think that’s just something I can go work on next week.”

His head coach wasn’t worried. Asked about Colandrea’s accuracy, Matt Rhule said, “I didn’t have any issues with anything” — and called the touchdown throw to Kwazi Gilmer “absolutely outrageous.”

Up next

Colandrea and the Huskers host North Dakota on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. on BTN and the Huskers Radio Network. (Cole Swindell plays a postgame concert, too!)

Husker Nation, a pick on play two and four touchdowns by halftime. Now let’s see what’s next.