Matt Rhule's Nebraska football team once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Friday.

The Huskers did so in increasingly heartbreaking fashion, beginning with a 13-10 loss to Minnesota to open the year, only to win five of six during one stretch for a 5-3 mark, which gave way to a four-game losing streak to end a season that culminated in the third 13-10 loss of the year on Saturday.

That loss to Iowa on a field goal as time expired was one of three losses during that four-game skid to come by a three-point margin, another came in a seven-point overtime loss that extended their losing streak in extra sessions to seven games dating back to 2014 (which was a three-point OT win over Iowa, ironically enough), and the ultimate result was a 1-5 mark in one-score games in Rhule's first year leading to the Huskers' 5-7 overall finish and 3-6 in the Big Ten.

Nebraska was in the thick of the West division race and essentially controlled its own destiny with four games remaining (a 4-0 finish and one loss by Minnesota would have resulted in a Big Ten Championship Game appearance).

They lost control of the wheel in rather disastrous fashion as the one-score bugaboo and barrier continues with the Huskers now 3-18 in 21 such games over the last 36 contests from 2021-23. This year, Nebraska lost by an average margin of 30 points to then-No. 2 Michigan (45-7) and then-No. 22 Colorado (36-14) on the road. In the other five losses, the Huskers' average margin of defeat was 3.8 points (five losses by a total of 19 points: 3, 3, 3, 7, 3).

By far the biggest issues, of course, were ball security and QB play, two problems that are not mutually exclusive:

>> 31 total this season (worst in FBS)

>> 26 giveaways by the QBs alone (which would be 2nd-worst among all *teams* in FBS)

>> Turnover margin of -17 for the program's second-worst all-time turnover margin in the storied 133-year history of Nebraska football (the 1967 team holds that crown of thorns with a mark of -18)

>> 16 interceptions, 15 lost fumbles, 30 total fumbles (all three marks of which are bound to finish bottom-3 in each category across the Power Five by season's official end)

>> Those three 13-10 losses were marred by turnovers: Four turnovers against Minnesota, five against Maryland, three against Iowa for a total of 12 turnovers (10 of which came from three different QBs). All three games ended in the same fashion: 10-10 tie, Nebraska with the ball and driving with a chance to win the game on the final play, only to throw an interception (two around midfield, one in the end zone) and allow the opponent to quickly and seamlessly march down into field-goal range themselves to kick the game-winner as time expires.

>> The 20-17 loss at Michigan State was fueled by three turnovers (all by the QB), and the Huskers did not commit a single turnover – and did not put the ball on the ground once – in regulation of the 24-17 overtime loss at Wisconsin. A game that looked like would be just the second game all season of Nebraska having no turnovers (La Tech), naturally, ended with an interception on its final fourth-down play.

Nebraska's postseason drought has now extended to eight seasons. At 5-7, the Huskers could theoretically back their way into a bowl game if there are not enough 6-6 teams that qualify, but that's not worth even considering right now. If it happens, it happens. But there's no real reason to hold out hope.

So, Nebraska is going to retain its "lead" for the longest stretch without making a postseason game.

The following are the 10 programs with the longest bowl drought coming into the 2023 season. Four of those 10 have already clinched postseason berths to end their bowl skids, and one more has a final chance to seal a bowl game on Saturday. Nebraska is one of five that will see its postseason drought continue.

In BOLD are the teams whose bowl skid will continue at least one more year after officially losing at least seven games:

1: NEBRASKA

Record: 5-7 (lost to Iowa 13-10 on Friday)

Bowl skid: 7 years

Last bowl: 2016

2: ARIZONA

Record: 8-3, ranked No. 16 in the country (at Arizona State on Saturday)

Bowl skid: 6 years

Last bowl: 2017

3: VANDERBILT

Record: 2-9 (at Tennessee on Saturday)

Bowl skid: 5 years

Last bowl: 2018

4: GEORGIA TECH

Record: 6-5 (clinched bowl, host Georgia on Saturday)

Bowl skid: 5 years

Last bowl: 2018

5: STANFORD

Record: 3-8

Bowl skid: 5 years

Last bowl: 2018

6: CAL

Record: 5-6 (chance to become bowl eligible with win at UCLA on Saturday)

Bowl skid: 4 years

Last bowl: 2019

7: BOSTON COLLEGE

Record: 6-6 (lost to Miami 45-20 on Friday)

Bowl skid: 4 years

Last bowl: 2019

8: VIRGINIA

Record: 3-8 (vs. Virginia Tech on Saturday)

Bowl skid: 4 years

Last bowl: 2019

9: COLORADO

Record: 4-7 (at Utah on Saturday)

Bowl skid: 3 years

Last bowl: 2020

10: MIAMI

Record: 7-5 (def. Boston College 45-20 on Friday)

Bowl skid: 3 years

Last bowl: 2020