Tag: 2023 Nebraska Football Season

US LBM Coaches Poll for October 1

The latest edition of the US LBM Coaches Poll has been released.

The latest edition of the US LBM Coaches Poll has been released. The weekly poll uses a panel of 66 head coaches at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

According to USA TODAY Sports, the voters are a random selection of coaches.

The panel is chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches Association their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.

Scroll below to find the entire top ten for this week’s edition of the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Rhule says ‘everyone in Nebraska will find out about this team next Friday night’

Rhule says ‘everyone in Nebraska will find out about this team next Friday night’ after loss to Michigan

Nothing went right for Nebraska on Saturday afternoon. The Huskers were blown out at home by the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines 42-7 in front of a sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska will now prepare for a rare Friday night game when they travel to Illinois. After the loss, head coach Matt Rhule said that the game on Friday and how the team responds will tell the story of the 2023 season.

We should never accept losing. We should never be like ‘it’s okay. It’s Michigan, it’s okay.’ We should never accept that at all. They shouldn’t be real positive. Everyone in Nebraska will find out about this team next Friday night. We’ll find out about me. We’ll find out about them. We’ll find out about all of us on Friday night. And that doesn’t mean winning and losing. If Illinois is better than us, so be it.

Rhule also made it clear that this will not be a loss that he will forget about any time soon.

But, we’ll see it on Friday night. We’ll see how excited we look, how much we’re flying around, what we look like. We’ll see. I hope it bothers them and we’re in a day and age where sometimes, everyone wants to be too cool for school. I hope it bothers them because it bothers me. I can tell you that much right now. That game bothered me a lot.

He also stressed the importance of winning and losing as a team.

I will say this – I love these players. They’re great young men and they all want to win. There’s no ‘hey, it’s their fault.’ We’re all in it together. We’ll battle. We’ll find out who we are Friday night, so I hope everyone watches.”

Nebraska now prepares for Illinois on Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on FS1.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s loss to Michigan below.

Nebraska football blown out by No. 2 Michigan 45-7

The Huskers fall to 2-3 on the season.

The Huskers entered the ultimate storm of the 2023 season, hosting No. 2 Michigan in a David and Goliath showdown. But the Wolverines’ first touchdown, a helmet catch from Roman Wilson, showed how stacked the cards were against Nebraska as it was blown out 45-7.

The Husker’s lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter. Senior receiver turned running back Josh Fleeks took his only handoff of the game and went 74 yards for a touchdown. Fleek’s only run of the game made him the team’s leading rusher, as the offense rushed for just 106 total yards. Heinrich Haarberg started once again for Nebraska at quarterback, finishing 14-of-25 with 199 passing yards.

This added to the offense’s total of 305 yards in the game. However, 126 came in the fourth quarter, with 74 yards coming from Fleeks’ touchdown run. In the first three quarters, Michigan tallied 368 yards on offense, leading to five touchdowns. The Wolverines ended the day with 436 total yards on offense, with 249 yards on the ground, the most Nebraska’s surrendered all season.

The Huskers fall to 2-3 on the season, but their most challenging game of the season has now passed them. Nebraska will travel to Champaign, Illinois, to face off against the Fighting Illini. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night and can be viewed on FS1.

Nebraska football takes down Louisiana Tech 28-14

The Nebraska football team hosted its second game of the season on Saturday afternoon.

The Nebraska football team hosted its second game of the season on Saturday afternoon. After taking down Northern Illinois to improve to 1-2, the Huskers welcomed in Louisiana Tech. Though Nebraska snatched win number two for the 2023 season, it was closer than last week’s victory, walking away with a 28-14 win.

Heinrich Haarberg started for Nebraska for the second straight week and led the Huskers both in the pass and ground games. Haarberg went 8-of-17 in the air for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 157 yards and one touchdown off 19 carries. Haarberg’s touchdown run came off a huge 72-yard option, which put Nebraska up 28-7 with over 11 minutes to go in the game.

Anthony Grant and Thomas Fidone II also found their way into the endzone for the second straight week. Grant scored on the ground off a two-yard run, adding to his 135-yard rushing on the day. Fidone had only one catch in the game but made a big one, scoring a 29-yard touchdown.

Billy Kemp IV finished as the top receiver for the Huskers, hauling in five catches for 62 yards. Kemp also scored Nebraska’s first touchdown of the game off a jet sweep, which came after a fake field goal by the Huskers. Louisiana Tech responded quickly to the score, running in for a touchdown on its next drive.

Nebraska’s defense, however, delivered another big showing in the run game, holding the Bulldogs to 46 total yards. The Huskers did surrender 292 passing yards, 146 of them coming in the fourth quarter, which led to Louisiana Tech’s second touchdown. Another significant factor in the game was the Bulldogs’ penalties. Louisiana Tech surrendered 12 penalties for 100 yards, which halted many of its drives and even kept some of Nebraska’s drives alive.

The Huskers improve to 2-2 on the season but face a significant task next week as they welcome in No. 2 Michigan. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and can be viewed on FOX.

Nebraska football takes down Northern Illinois 35-11

After starting the season off with two tough losses, the Huskers entered their home opener facing off against Northern Illinois.

It was a big game for Nebraska football on Saturday night. After starting the season off with two tough losses, the Huskers entered their home opener facing off against Northern Illinois. Last season, Nebraska suffered a loss to a non-power five school, Georgia Southern, in its third game of the season. This time, the Huskers pulled through on the night, taking down the Huskies 35-11 to earn their first win of the season.

Sophomore Henrich Haarberg stood under center for Nebraska, with Jeff Sims being out with a high ankle sprain. Haarberg stepped up to the challenge, leading the Huskers’ offense to their best outing so far this season. The Nebraska native went 14-of-24 in the air, throwing for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing yards, going for 98 yards off 21 carries and a touchdown.

Haarberg’s ground game accompanied Nebraska’s 224 rushing yards, a good chunk of them coming from Anthony Grant and Gabe Ervin. Jr. Haarberg’s top target in the game was tight end Thomas Fidone II, who hauled in four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Though the offensive performance seemed shaky, it helped the Nebraska defense stand out more than in the previous couple of weeks. The Blackshirts held Northern Illinois to just 149 total yards, 75 of which came on the Huskies’ touchdown drive late in the game when Nebraska was ahead 35-3.

Outside of the late touchdown, the Huskies couldn’t get the ball moving, only getting their field goal off a Haarberg strip-sack fumble which set them up in prime field position.

With the win, Nebraska moves to 1-2 on the season. The Huskers will remain home next week as they welcome Louisiana Tech. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and can be viewed on Big Ten Network.

Husker football falls to Minnesota in season opener

Despite all the new, it seemed to be same old Nebraska.

Nebraska enters the 2023 season with a new head coach, a new coaching staff, and many new players. But despite all the new, it seemed to be the same old Nebraska as the Huskers blew a 10-3 lead to Minnesota to fall 13-10 to open the year.

The Golden Gophers’ win came off the foot of Dragan Kesich, who nailed a 46-yard field goal as time expired. Kesich’s kick came following two straight Nebraska drives, resulting in turnovers and ten total points for Minnesota. The Huskers also suffered numerous penalties, suffering seven on the night, resulting in a loss of 55 total yards, including one on the goal line right before halftime.

Outside of that, it was a tense battle throughout. Only three points were scored in the first half, which was by Kesich to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead. Right before halftime, the Huskers attempted to score a touchdown with 11 seconds left. The choice resulted in an interception and no points, which came back to haunt Nebraska in the end.

But the Huskers opened the second half up with a bang. Rahmir Johnson kicked things off by returning the kickoff 65 yards to set his team up. Then, off a broken play, Jeff Sims took a botched lateral from Anthony Grant and found a wide-open Alex Bullock for a 34-yard touchdown.

Outside of three interceptions on the night, Sims went 11-of-19 through the air for 114 yards. He also rushed for 91 yards off 19 carries. Later in the game, Omar Brown snatched an interception, leading to Tristan Alvano extending Nebraska’s lead to 10-3 off a 27-yard field goal.

Then, with less than five minutes left, Grant fumbled, setting the Golden Gophers up near midfield. This led to Athan Kaliakmanis nailing a pass to Daniel Jackson on fourth down for a 13-yard touchdown, tying the game with 2:32 left.

Sims followed it up with a backbreaking interception with less than a minute left. It all culminated with a game-winning field goal by Kesich, sealing the defeat for the Huskers.

This is the fourth straight season Nebraska opens the season with a loss. The team’s next game will be at Colorado on Sept. 9. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on FOX.

Nebraska Depth Chart: Defense

As Nebraska moves closer to the start of the 2023 season, the Huskers have finally released their team depth chart.

As Nebraska moves closer to the start of the 2023 season, the Huskers have finally released their team depth chart. With the release, we now have a better idea of what the first-string defense will look like.

This season sees Nebraska adopt a 3-3-5 defense under new coordinator Tony White. He learned the defense under Rocky Long, considered one of the significant influences on the modern spread defense.

White’s defenses have developed a reputation for their aggressive blitz packages and unorthodox alignments. This won’t be head coach Matt Rhule’s first time with the new base defense, either. He used the 3-3-5 during his time at Baylor.

You can find the listing of the first-string defense for the Cornhuskers below.

Nebraska vs. Minnesota: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Thursday

Nebraska plays Minnesota on Thursday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Nebraska plays Minnesota on Thursday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Matt Rhule era at Nebraska will kick off on Thursday night when the Cornhuskers travel to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Minnesota is coming off of a 9-4 campaign, while Nebraska went 3-9.

This is the fourth straight season Nebraska will open with a Big Ten Conference game. The Huskers are 0-3 in the three previous season/conference openers.

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

  • Date: Thursday, August 31
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
  • TV Channel: Fox
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

Players to watch: Nebraska

Lincoln high school graduate Kenneth Williams walks on at Nebraska

A Lincoln high school graduate announced he’s officially walked on at Nebraska on Tuesday afternoon.

A Lincoln high school graduate announced he’s officially walked on at Nebraska on Tuesday afternoon. Kenneth Williams made the announcement on Twitter that he’s a Husker and that he can’t wait to represent the team.

Williams played numerous positions throughout his high school career, playing as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, corner, and safety. A class of 2023 prospect, the 5-11 190-pound athlete attended Lincoln high school for his senior year after playing for Detroit Leadership Academy in 2021. 

Along with his skills on the football field, Williams is also a track star, where he posted blazing times. At the 2023 NSAA Class A Track and Field Championship, he finished third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.52.

Williams finished just behind Husker receiver Jaylen Lloyd, who earned the silver medal with a time of 10.47. Williams also finished ahead of Nebraska commit Isaiah McMorris, who ran a 10.65.

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Three more Nebraska football players receive single-digit numbers

Kickoff to the 2023 Nebraska football season is two weeks away, and the Huskers unveiled their next set of players that will don single-digit numbers.

Kickoff to the 2023 Nebraska football season is two weeks away, and the Huskers unveiled their next set of players that will don single-digit numbers. Last week, four players earned the number. Three more players also received the honor, bringing the total number to seven, leaving just two remaining.

There was a fourth player that earned the honor. Offensive lineman Ethan Piper received the recognition, but he can’t wear a single-digit number due to his position.

Head football coach Matt Rhule is implementing a system that awards single-digit jersey numbers to the toughest players on the team, a tradition he utilized at Temple and Baylor.

“What we decided was 0 through 9 would go to the nine or 10 toughest guys on the team” Rhule said. “When I say ‘toughest’, we define that for the guys. Really the guys who best exemplify what it means to be a Cornhusker, to be accountable, to be dependable, to be tough, hardworking, competitive every single day. As we get into training camp, the players will vote on it, and we hope it becomes a tradition. As we have embraced all the great traditions that are here, hopefully this will be something new that people will get in to.”

Find a list of all the recently awarded single-digit numbers below.