Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule met with the media following the Huskers 31-14 victory over Purdue on Saturday afternoon. The Husker defense held Purdue’s offense under 200 total yards, surrendering only 96 rushing yards and 99 passing yards.
It’s the first time Nebraska held an opponent to 100 yards rushing and 100 yards passing since 2012. On offense, the Cornhuskers fell victim to the turnover bug, suffering four lost fumbles.
I just can’t live in a world where it’s what if this happens and what if that happens? Like we have to go out there and play. Good teams play, and bad things happen. We gotta go play, so if I don’t want the players to live in that whole what if world, then we have to be that. I’m not saying that we have to run the option. I didn’t come here to have people say why you didn’t run the option on the last drive. Like that’s what we’re going to do.
Rhule even said that a former Cornhusker told him to keep coaching.
Eric Crouch told me hey, we had 49 fumbles in 1999, so keep coaching and playing. Everything can’t be negative. I’m saying that for me. I got to go out there and be like, hey guys. Part of it is throwing the ball away. There’s no reason to come off the field with your nose bloody.
The head coach also emphasized that the Cornhuskers will continue to run the option and be aggressive.
Run the option, go to pitch it, don’t stop, and take a huge hit. We’re coaching them all the way through it. Heinrich was kind of bloody, so I put Jeff (Sims) in. The ball came to the ground twice with Jeff, so we have to hold the ball. They cleared Heinrich to go. Heinrich went back out there. It was good to go downhill one game pop for a big play. That was kind of what we were looking for.”
The Huskers will retake the field next Saturday when Nebraska takes on Michigan State in East Lansing. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. and can be seen on FS1.
Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s victory over Purdue below.