Arrowhead Stadium belongs to the Chiefs most weekends, but on August 28, 2025, the stands were painted scarlet red. Nebraska fans outnumbered Cincinnati supporters by an overwhelming margin, creating a home-field roar that followed the Huskers 200 miles south for their Kansas City opener.

Nearly 73,000 fans filled the stadium to see the iconic University of Nebraska football team defeat the University of Cincinnati in the inaugural Kansas City Classic by a final score of 20-17.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers put on a show of resolve, defense, and clutch execution to survive a late scare and walk away with a 20-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. The opening week win lived up to all the hype in Nebraska’s first game at Arrowhead since 2006.

The matchup itself carried historical weight. Nebraska and Cincinnati had not met since 1906, when the Cornhuskers shut out the Bearcats 41-0. In the matchup’s revival, Cincinnati was officially designated as the home team, but make no mistake — the crowd fooled nobody in making sure it felt like a Nebraska home game.

Add to that the celebrity presence — Cincinnati alum Travis Kelce was in attendance alongside fiancee Taylor Swift, while other Chiefs stars like Patrick Mahomes II and George Karlaftis got a rare glimpse of football at Arrowhead from the stands.

“I told our guys, we’re getting a little bougie around here,” Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said. “We played our last game at Yankee Stadium; we show up yesterday and Andy Reid shakes everybody’s hand. We go in there and Patrick Mahomes is on the sideline. Patrick Mahomes is being restrained from where he can go. It’s kind of cool to be a Husker right now.”

Sluggish Start, Big Plays, and a Final Interception

Once the pregame festivities drew to a conclusion, the start of the game turned quite dull. The first half was a defensive battle punctuated by a few flashes of opportunism.

Cincinnati drew first blood with a 45-yard field goal by Stephen Rusnak late in the first quarter to cap off an 8-play drive. The second quarter belonged to Nebraska as kicker Kyle Cunanan got rid of his first-game jitters by hitting a 52-yard field goal before knocking a 22-yarder later in the half.

The Huskers were gifted another opportunity when Cincinnati receiver Caleb Goodie caught a short pass and turned upfield when Nebraska defensive back Vincent Shavers Jr. hit Goodie hard in the abdomen to force a fumble recovered by Kansas City native Williams Nwaneri for the Huskers with just 24 yards from the end zone. Nebraska capitalized on the turnover as quarterback Dylan Raiola found Nyziah Hunter on a fade three plays later for a 5-yard touchdown reception as Arrowhead Stadium was finally able to erupt with Nebraska taking a 13-3 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Cincinnati chipped away at the deficit. Bearcat quarterback Brendan Sorsby punched in a 7-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, but Nebraska executed a long, methodical 13-play drive in the fourth quarter, culminating in a Raiola-to-Dane Key touchdown that made it 20-10.

Cincinnati roared back yet again — another Sorsby run made it 20-17 in the fourth quarter. Facing a final threat, Nebraska’s famous Blackshirt Defense stiffened. With 34 seconds left, Sorsby’s pass into the end zone was picked off by Malcolm Hartzog Jr. — effectively sealing the 20-17 victory.

For Kansas City, Arrowhead proved to be a compelling neutral site stage. The Chiefs’ stadium, with its capacity and central location, hosted what event organizers hope will become an annual showcase — the Kansas City Classic. Kansas City’s fans will no doubt take notice when high-profile matchups like this bring top-tier college football into the metro.

“That was one I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Emmett Johnson said. “Playing at the Chiefs stadium, that’s crazy, man. I’ve seen a couple of the Chiefs players out there. It’s a great environment. Then Husker Nation, of course, best fans in college football, showed out once again. It was amazing to be out there.”

Nebraska nearly doubled Cincinnati’s time of possession, but the Huskers were most effective passing the ball. Raiola went 33 of 42 for 243 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Johnson ran for 110 yards with a touchdown on 25 carries.

“That speaks to what we have here,” Rhule said. “Especially a tight ballgame like this, where the crowd is so energized, so alive. You saw the impact of that, some false starts by them in crucial times.”

The crowd was even admired from a Cincinnati perspective as having a major impact on the game. Rhule said between 92 and 95% of the tickets were distributed through the University of Nebraska.

“It was definitely the loudest stadium I’ve ever played in,” Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday said. “That was a great atmosphere. You really can’t ask for much better than that.”

The Bearcats, who used their running game to great effect, had four penalties for a total of 20 yards.

“It was Cincinnati’s home game, but it certainly didn’t feel like it,” Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield said. “It was one of the louder stadiums that I’ve been a part of or played a game in. It certainly affected us offensively.”

The night was ultimately about the Huskers hanging tough in a beneficial away environment, and bright flashes of big plays grabbing momentum. In a game where both teams’ offenses found strengths in contrasting areas of the game, Nebraska’s ability to win a few key moments was enough to tilt the result.