Tag: Heinrich Haarberg

Who will be the starting quarterback for Nebraska in 2024?

Who will be Nebraska’s starting quarterback in 2024?

Who will be Nebraska’s starting quarterback in 2024? Head coach Matt Rhule was asked that very question while appearing on The Hard Count with J.D. PicKell of the On3 network.

Rhule made it clear that there is no timetable for announcing the starting quarterback.

“I think when we know, we know. It’s one of those deals like, I don’t want to play games with people. If we know, we know. At the same time, I’ve watched enough major college football, and we’ve figured out here it’s gonna take a couple of guys. Most years, you’re not gonna play just one quarterback. So, our job is to push all of those guys to be great. Our job is to give them all opportunities to show what they can do and grow.”

The Cornhuskers currently have three quarterbacks on the roster. Junior Heinrich Haarberg and freshmen Dylan Raiola and Danny Kaelin. The Husker head coach spoke in detail about the need for multiple quarterbacks on your roster to be ready to play at any given moment.

“You go back to our last year at Baylor, and we sat there with Charlie Brewer all year long. All of a sudden, he’s hurt, and we’re in the Big 12 Championship Game. We’ve got our third-string quarterback, who’s played one snap the entire year out there trying to bring us back, which he did. So we’re gonna coach everybody, but in terms of naming a starter, we know when it’s clear we’ll do it.”

Nebraska started three quarterbacks (Jeff Sims, Chubba Purdy, and Heinrich Haarberg) last season. The Cornhuskers’ spring game will take place on April 27 at 11:00 a.m.

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Purdy discusses the mood of the quarterback room

Nebraska quarterback Chubba Purdy met with the media on Monday afternoon.

Nebraska quarterback Chubba Purdy met with the media on Monday afternoon. During his time with the press, Purdy discussed his relationship with fellow quarterbacks Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims.

“Me, Heinrich (Haarberg) and Jeff (Sims). We are all really tight. Off season we were all hanging out and whoever the next man up was for that game we were always there for each other, watching film with each other, giving each other encouragement and on the sidelines we’d ask them what they see. We’d go through our reads and coverages. I think our friendship is super tight and I think that’s what is important.”

Last week, the quarterback was 15/24 passing for 169 yards with one touchdown and one interception in an overtime loss at Wisconsin. Purdy also added 105 yards on the ground on 14 carries. Matt Rhule told the media on Monday that he was pleased with how Purdy played on Saturday.

“I thought Chubba played well. He came in on Sunday and he and I sat down. I think the thing that takes you from good to great is when you go back and look and say ‘hey, what are the plays I could have done?’, not just concentrate on the things that you did well. I think there were maybe four, five, six plays where the first progression wasn’t there, maybe he scrambles in the backside and cuts wide open, but a couple more reps over the course of the season, maybe he gets back to that a little easier. But I thought he was in command the whole game. I thought he protected the ball. I thought he had great energy. I thought he was making a lot of good decisions.”

Purdy has thrown for 193 yards for the season with one touchdown and two interceptions. He’s also carried the ball 17 times for 138 yards and one touchdown.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has not yet named a starter for Friday’s game against Iowa. Kick-off is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and can be seen on CBS.

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Matt Rhule gives update on Nebraska’s quarterback room entering Saturday vs Wisconsin

Matt Rhule gives update on Nebraska’s quarterback room entering Saturday vs Wisconsin:

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule met with the media earlier today in advance of his team’s Saturday night road battle against Wisconsin.

He importantly gave an update on his team’s quarterback room — a point of interest all season.

The Cornhuskers began the year with Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims under center, though switched to Heinrich Haarberg after early struggles. Haarberg then left last week’s loss at Maryland with an injury, paving the way for Sims to return to game action. Nebraska even tried third-string Chubba Purdy at quarterback after Haarberg’s injury, though nothing seemed to work.

Here’s Rhule’s update on Nebraska’s quarterback situation:

“Heinrich’s going to practice tomorrow. He’s obviously been out there on a limited basis. Chubba [Purdy] and Jeff [Sims] have gotten most of the reps…But I know he definitely wants to play. He’s pushing to come back and play, and so we’ll see how he does tomorrow and get him to the game, warm him up.”

The head coach then clarified that Haarberg is healthy enough, though it is unknown whether he will start.

“He’ll definitely be available in some capacity, but whether he starts or not, I think will just depend on how he feels at game day,” Rhule said. “We obviously wouldn’t want to put him out there if we weren’t able to run him and run the option and do the things that he does best. And so he’ll test it full speed again tomorrow and see if he has the same good results.”

Haarberg is 3-2 in five starts this season, during which he’s recorded 967 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions, 477 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

Sims’ numbers, conversely, are not good at all.

Given Rhule’s tone, I’d be shocked if Haarberg doesn’t start on Saturday. Then again, it still has been college football’s No. 114 offense this season (out of 130 teams).

Nebraska unsure who will start at quarterback on Saturday

Who will play quarterback for Nebraska on Saturday night?

Who will play quarterback for Nebraska on Saturday night? The top three quarterbacks on the depth chart took the field in the Huskers’ loss against Maryland, and all three are options this weekend.

The Cornhuskers are trying to decide between the injured Heinrich Haarberg, former starter Jeff Sims, and backup Chubba Purdy. Head coach Matt Rhule met with the media on Thursday afternoon and said all three quarterbacks are still in the running to start on Saturday.

“Heinrich’s going to practice tomorrow. He’s obviously been out there on a limited basis. Chubba and Jeff have gotten most of the reps. But I know he definitely wants to play. He’s pushing to come back and play, and so we’ll see how he does tomorrow and get him to the game, warm him up.”

He also complimented the work that Sims and Purdy have done in practice this week. Rhule went on to state that the quarterback room has been hard at work to try and fix the five-turnover performance last Saturday.

“I think Jeff and Chubba have done a really nice job this week. Obviously any time you have the things that transpired last week, I think everyone comes in determined, knowing that they can fix some of those things. I think we fixed a lot of things as a staff and as players. They both, with a chance knowing, ‘Hey, I get all the reps,’ they’ve been able to get a lot of reps, and they’ve done a really nice job. And so we’re prepared to play either one or both.”

When asked about Haarberg’s recovery from his injury, Rhule made it clear that Heinrich will only see the field if he can contribute to the offense in some impactful way.

“He’ll definitely be available in some capacity, but whether he starts or not, I think, will just depend on how he feels on game day. We obviously wouldn’t want to put him out there if we weren’t able to run him and run the option and do the things that he does best. And so he’ll test it full speed again tomorrow and see if he has the same good results.”

Nebraska will take the field at Camp Randall Stadium this Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers. Kick-off is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on NBC.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s three quarterback options below.

What’s next for Nebraska at quarterback?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a problem at quarterback.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a problem at quarterback. The Huskers started the game with Heinrich Haarberg under center but were forced to pivot to former starter Jeff Sims and then backup Chubba Purdy.

All three quarterbacks would throw an interception for a total of four picks (Jeff Sims threw two). Following the team’s 13-10 loss to Maryland, head coach Matt Rhule discussed the play of his quarterbacks and was less than pleased.

“Heinrich (Haarberg) went out there. We had discussed he’s been a little beat up lately. Maybe we’ll give Jeff (Sims) a series. Heinrich came out with the ankle. They cleared him to go back in but he was trying to run and he looked like he was laboring. So we went with Jeff. We had two turnovers, really three. The fumble, it’s a quarterback counter. It’s not there.”

After the injury to Haarberg and the turnovers by Sims, the Huskers then turned to Chubba Purdy. Rhule told the media that once your third quarterback enters the game, anything can happen.

“Let’s give Chubba (Purdy) a shot. Chubba started moving us down the field. We were in a position to win the game. Anytime you put the third guy who hasn’t gotten many reps, things can happen. The same play he pulled the ball on, it looked like a bad snap. Where I am looking from, you can’t tell why he ran the ball. We wanted to run the clock there and get the ball tight. Have a safe third down call and kick a field goal, then let the defense go win it. Even with the fumble, I told the team there will always be different narratives.”

The head coach went on to say that at some point, the turnovers have to stop.

“It’s not good enough when you have that many turnovers yet again. It has to stop at some point.”

Rhule has yet to give an indication of who will start at quarterback for Nebraska next weekend. The Huskers will take the field this Saturday when they travel to Wisconsin. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Camp Randall Stadium.

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

Turnovers doom Nebraska football in 13-10 loss to Maryland

The Huskers spent the entire season struggling to perform on offense.

The Huskers spent the entire season struggling to perform on offense. Nebraska averaged under 20 points and over two turnovers per game, with two quarterbacks heading into its Saturday showdown with Maryland. Somehow, the Huskers’ offense hit rock bottom, losing to the Terrapins 13-10.

Nebraska saw three quarterbacks sit under center throughout the game: Heinrich Haarberg, Jeff Sims, and Chubba Purdy. The trio combined for 86 passing yards, 66 rushing yards and five turnovers. Haarberg got the start but was benched after an interception and an injury. Sims took over and helped Nebraska score all 10 points. But he threw two interceptions and fumbled once.

Purdy then came in on what would be Nebraska’s final drive and almost led the Huskers to a game-winning score. But threw an interception in the endzone, which ended up being the play of the game for Maryland. The Terrapins marched down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal on the next drive for the win. They only scored six points off the five turnovers, but it was enough to secure a win.

This overshadowed the rest of Nebraska’s play in the game, as they rushed for 183 yards and held Maryland to its lowest-scoring scoring performance of the season, as well as forcing three turnovers.

The Huskers now stand at 5-5 on the regular season and will travel to Wisconsin next Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be viewed on NBC.

Nebraska football overcomes miscues en route to 31-14 win over Purdue

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case.

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case. The Huskers delivered a strong showing in the victory over the Boilermakers, but it was anything but consistent.

The offense scored three touchdowns and a field goal, but also lost three fumbles, resulting in Purdue’s 14 total points. The second touchdown came off a fourth down strip fumble on Jeff Sims, which Purdue took 55 yards to the house. Special teams also put the ball on the ground a few times, losing the ball on the opening kickoff and nearly giving up the ball during a punt return. But despite the major miscues, Nebraska stood its ground.

Heinrich Haarberg went 6-of-11 in the air but threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas Fidone II and freshman Jaylen Lloyd were on the receiving end of those touchdown passes. Fidone hauled in a one-yard catch for a touchdown, while Lloyd was all alone for his 73-yard touchdown. Emmett Johnson scored the final touchdown, running up the middle for a 28-yard score to put the game away.

The Blackshirts were the shining light in the game once again for Nebraska. The Huskers held Purdue to under 100 yards in both rushing and passing. This is the first time Nebraska has accomplished this achievement since 2012 when it defeated Minnesota 38-14. The Blackshirts also recovered a fumble, snatched two interceptions and blocked a field goal and took it for a touchdown.

Tommi Hill hauled in both interceptions for Nebraska, while Quinton Newsome ran the blocked field goal back for a touchdown.

Nebraska is now 5-3 on the season, its first five-win season since 2019. The Huskers will travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Saturday, with a win punching their ticket to a bowl game. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on FS1.

Husker football pulls away in 17-9 win over Northwestern

The 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium saw a wild showdown.

The 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium saw a wild showdown. In the first few minutes of the game, Nebraska found itself in a disastrous position against Northwestern. The Huskers’ two first drives resulted in two straight interceptions, giving the Wildcats prime field position. But Nebraska stepped up and fended off Northwestern when it counted, resulting in a 17-9 2023 win.

Heinrich Haarberg stumbled out of the gate with the two interceptions. But he went the rest of the game without any costly errors. Haarberg threw eight completions off 17 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he ran for 72 yards and a touchdown off 16 rushes. Emmett Johnson led the Huskers in rushing yards in the win, going for 73 yards off 12 carries.

Though Northwestern finished with more total offensive yards than Nebraska, the Huskers’ defense kept the Wildcats to just nine points. The Blackshirts brought the pressure, delivering eight total sacks in the game.

But the Huskers also struggled to put points on the board. However, each time Nebraska scored, it was big. Haarberg’s rushing touchdown handed the Huskers the lead and his 44-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman extended that lead to 17-6.

With the win, Nebraska moves to 4-3. The last time the Huskers got to four wins before the last game of the season was in 2019, when they defeated Northwestern 13-10 to move to 4-2. Nebraska will remain at home next Saturday against Purdue. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and can be viewed on FS1.

Nebraska names starting quarterback moving forward

Head coach Matt Rhule met with the media on Monday afternoon.

Head coach Matt Rhule met with the media on Monday afternoon. The head coach was asked about the current status of the quarterback position moving forward for the remainder of the season.

Jeff Sims had started this season under center, but injuries and a problem with turnovers led to sophomore Heinrich Haarberg taking over as the QB. Rhule says that Haarberg will remain the starter for the foreseeable future.

“Yeah I think we’re working hard to get Jeff to be the best he can be, working hard to get Heinrich (Haarberg) and Chubba (Purdy) to be the best they can be. We’ll play with Heinrich for now, Jeff is ready to go on a moment’s notice. We mix him in with the ones a lot in practice, I would have no problem ever having a package to play too, not saying we would do that, but I have no problem with the way he works. But to me, Heinrich’s played well, Heinrich’s done some good things, so he’ll be the starter.”

Haarberg has thrown for 631 yards for the season with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also run for 353 and three touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per rush.

Find a photo gallery of Heinrich Haarberg’s season below.

Rhule confident in all three quarterbacks moving forward

Nebraska has had two quarterbacks start games during the 2023 season.

Nebraska has had two quarterbacks start games during the 2023 season. Transfer quarterback Jeff Sims and sophomore Heinrich Haarberg have both led the Big Red offense on the field.

Haarberg has thrown for 621 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also added 352 yards on the ground with three touchdowns. Sims has thrown for 220 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. He’s also added 153 yards rushing.

Head coach Matt Rhule believes Nebraska has the quarterbacks that can do the job.

“I think that room has that culture. I’ll be honest you, had Chubba not gotten hurt that day, I’m not so sure Chubba wouldn’t have gone out there first. I think Chubba would have done the same thing. That’s not a knock on Heinrich… (Jeff Sims) he’s back healthy now just out there. He’s competing like crazy. We have three quarterbacks that I believe we can win with.”

Rhule also said that he believes his current starter, Heinrich Haarberg, is still learning how to become a starting quarterback and take of his body during the wear and tear of a long season.

“I think Heinrich is ready for his moment. He’s capitalized on it. He has a long way to go. He’s leaving a lot of things out there. The wear and tear of running him as many times as we’re doing, that can have an effect on you.”

Nebraska will next take the field on Saturday, October 21, at 2:30 p.m. when they host the Northwestern Wildcats. Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s top three quarterbacks below.