Tag: Heinrich Haarberg

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.

Husker football fends off Illinois to win 20-7

Nebraska hit the road for a Friday night lights matchup with conference foe Illinois.

Nebraska hit the road for a Friday night lights matchup with conference foe Illinois. Both teams were coming off tough losses and were looking to right the ship. Mistakes plagued the Huskers and the Fighting Illini throughout the night. But Nebraska managed to make the most of them, pulling away from Illinois in a tense 20-7 win.

The Huskers’ defense returned to form following the blowout loss to Michigan, announcing it with a major goal-line stand on the first drive of the game. Illinois finished with just 21 rushing yards, forcing quarterback Luke Altmyer to throw 47 total passes. Altmeyer completed 29 of those passes for 289 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Issac Gifford led the charge for the Blackshirts, finishing the night with eight total tackles, four solo tackles, three pass breakups, and 0.5 tackles for loss. Gifford and the defense delivered big plays for Nebraska, including a forced fumble, an interception, a blocked punt, and even a kickoff recovery.

This gave Heinrich Haarberg and the Husker offense numerous opportunities to score. Haarberg finished the game 12-of-24 through the air, throwing for 154 yards and one interception. On the ground, Nebraska rushed for 158 total yards, with Haarberg leading the way with 82 yards and a touchdown. Haarberg’s touchdown came following the kickoff recovery, which came following a touchdown run by Anthony Grant.

But missed opportunities, ten penalties, and three turnovers by Nebraska’s offense kept Illinois alive throughout the second half. Following the forced fumble, Nebraska only produced a field goal, which made it the 20-7 final score.

Unlike its previous outings, Nebraska’s defense managed to fend off the Fighting Illini, forcing its third fourth-down stand on the night with under two minutes to play. The Huskers ran out the clock from there to seal their first victory over Illinois since 2019.

Nebraska, for the third straight year, stands at 3-3 through six games and enters its bye week. The Huskers will return from the bye week and host Northwestern to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Memorial Stadium. The kickoff time for the game is to be announced.

Who will Nebraska start at quarterback against Michigan

Who will be Nebraska’s starting quarterback when the Huskers take the field this Saturday against Michigan?

Who will be Nebraska’s starting quarterback when the Huskers take the field this Saturday against Michigan? Head coach Matt Rhule addressed the question on Monday afternoon.

“I play the guy I think gives us the best chance to win. It’s unique in that, I have a guy that was the starter, that couldn’t finish the game, really. And I have another guy that was the starter this past game that couldn’t finish the game. I have two quarterbacks that couldn’t finish the game. For me to sit up here on a Monday and say ‘this is what’s happening’ – this isn’t gamesmanship. Both guys do the same thing, really”

Rhule went on to say that his job is to make sure every quarterback on the roster is ready to take snaps should the need arise.

“My job is to get everybody ready. Chubba (Purdy) was going into the game as the number three, and he was down there at the end of the game, playing. We get Chubba reps. Everything we do is reps, reps, reps, reps, reps, reps, reps, because I don’t know who the hero is going to be this week. I don’t know who the hero is going to be next week. We just try to split the reps because we get so many reps because we’re always doing multiple drills. It’s the Nebraska way, and we do it, so that helps us, as opposed to most teams.”

Jeff Sims has thrown for 220 yards for the season with one touchdown and four interceptions. He’s also added 156 yards on the ground with one touchdown.

Heinrich Haarberg has 278 passing yards with four touchdowns on the season. He’s also added 272 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Nebraska will take the field against Michigan this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on Fox. Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s quarterbacks below.

Nebraska’s offensive depth chart for Michigan game

Nebraska has released their updated depth chart for this weeks game against the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines.

Nebraska has released their updated depth chart for this weeks game against the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines. When releasing the depth chart, head coach Matt Rhule told the media that he will continue the montinor the quarterback battle between Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims throughout the week.

“Excellent team. They’re the number two team in the country for a reason. It’s a great opportunity for us, experience for us. We’ll see tomorrow, Heinrich (Haarberg) and Jeff (Sims), in terms of how they practice. Obviously, Heinrich didn’t finish the game. I don’t think it’s much, but I’ll reserve judgment until I see him. We’ll see where Jeff is at, so we have a full picture of that. Luke Reimer will be questionable for the game as we sit here right now. We’ll see where he’s at. With that, I’ll see what questions you guys have.”

Scroll to take a look at Nebraska’s most updated offensive depth chart prior to this weekend’s game against Michigan.

Husker quarterback discusses learning curve of the option

Nebraska has always had a strong history of running quarterbacks.

Nebraska has always had a strong history of running quarterbacks. From Eric Crouch, Tommie Frazier, and Turner Gill, the Cornhuskers were once known for their option offense.

On Saturday, quarterback Heinrich Haarberg continued that tradition with 19 carries for 157 yards and one touchdown. The Nebraska native was asked after the game about the learning curve of the option.

“As a quarterback, if you know the weapons that you have and can disturb the ball, then you’re gonna be successful. I think when you get really fluent knowing who the pitch key is and being comfortable with the backs, that offense becomes deadly.

Haarberg said that the coaching staff is even talking to Husker coaches of the past to gain insight into the option.

These coaches have sat down and studied this offense and the option side of the playbook, and they watched a lot of film and obviously coach Ron Brown has been there since the 80s, and he’s seen a lot of option QBs, so he gives us some insight into this too. Attacking angles, knowing when to pitch and stuff like that.”

Haarberg and Nebraska will now prepare to host the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s victory over Louisiana Tech below.

Rhule says Nebraska will play the quarterback that ‘gives us the best chance to win’

Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule met with the media following the Cornhusker’s 28-14 victory over Louisana Tech.

Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule met with the media following Cornhusker’s 28-14 victory over Louisana Tech. The head coach was asked about the future of the quarterback position after the performance of Heinrich Haarberg.

Haarberg was 8/12 passing for 107 yards and one touchdown while carrying the ball 19 times for 157 yards and one touchdown. The Nebraska native was filling in for the injured Jeff Sims the last two weeks.

Rhule said that moving forward, the Huskers will play the quarterback that gives them the best chance to win.

“Jeff (Sims) was able to go but limited in what he can do, in terms of the ability to run the football. He did come in for one play. Chubba’s (Purdy) signaling and Heinrich’s finding his helmet. Jeff went in at the end, I think Jeff was probably tight there, just his ankle after being out there all day didn’t see the use of having him go reinjure that but I think Jeff’s an excellent player. He played two really tough teams on the road and a lot of things that happened people are just going to lump on him, some of those things weren’t his fault. We’re going to get him all ready to play and play the game that gives us the best chance to win.”

Nebraska now prepares to host Michigan this Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Find a photo gallery of the Huskers win over the Bulldogs below.

Watch: Recap Nebraska’s win over Louisiana Tech

Watch: Recap Nebraska’s win over Louisiana Tech

Nebraska goes to 2-2 on the year and will walk into Ann Arbor on the backs of two wins. It did take the Huskers a while to get rolling, which seemed to be catapulted by a successful fake field goal, but once they did, they looked like the better team. While the level of the opponent does come into question, and how slow Nebraska started off this week, next week will be the toughest test yet.

However, before you get to next week, check out the highlights from today’s win over Louisiana Tech at home. Nebraska will be back in action next week aginst Michigan.

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.