Cornhuskers Wire offers insight on Nebraska’s new offensive play-caller

A Nebraska analyst explains why the Huskers and Matt Rhule had to change offensive play-callers before playing USC. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes.

Earlier this week, Nebraska football announced that it will make a major offensive change ahead of the matchup with USC on Saturday. Former Houston and West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen, who recently joined the Cornhuskers as an offensive consultant, will take over the team’s offensive play calling for the remainder of the season.

Holgorsen replaces Marcus Satterfield, who had served as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator since the start of the 2023 season. Satterfield will now solely serve as the team’s tight ends coach.

Following the announcement, Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire offered some perspective on the move.

“Matt Rhule had to make a change. I don’t know that any of us thought he would do something this drastic, especially considering how loyal he is to the guys on his staff. The fact that he made the change though is welcomed news. The offense had been regressing the last two years under Marcus Satterfield. Quarterback Dylan Raiola is playing worse now than he did at the start of the season, and if a staff change wasn’t made at the top of the offense, the chances of him hitting the portal was possible.

“With Holgorsen, I expect to see shorter passes designed to get the quarterback into rhythm early. Nebraska’s passing game had evolved to screen pass or deep shot. Nothing really in between. I also think we’ll see a lot more of the tight ends being involved in the passing game. Dana is known to have an affinity for using tight ends and the huskers actually have some depth at that position group and have not been utilizing it in any effective way this season.

“And they will run the football. Even though DH is an Air Raid guy, all of his top offenses always had a very good running game. Matt Rhule has said over and over again since arriving in Lincoln that he wants to be able to run the football consistently with power. The offense has simply not delivered on that front.”

USC takes on Nebraska at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time this Saturday.

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Nebraska names Dana Holgorsen offensive coordinator and play-caller for the remainder of the season

Nebraska Football has a new offensive coordinator.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have made offensive consultant Dana Holgorsen the team’s offensive coordinator and play-caller. Coach Matt Rhule confirmed this on Monday during his weekly press conference.

Holgorsen joined the Nebraska football program last week. He was previously a defensive assistant on the TCU Horned Frogs staff, having taken the position this summer.

Holgorsen will bring a variety of offensive experiences to Nebraska football. He was the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders before taking over the entire role in 2007. He has also served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Houston Cougars and Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Nebraska offense needs a jolt. They currently rank 96th in total offense, averaging 354.1 yards per game, and 99th in scoring offense, with an average of 23.6 points per game.

Holgorsen is known for his air raid offense. The air raid is a spread, no-huddle offense that relies heavily on the passing game. The hope is that his track record of success will immediately impact the Huskers.

Former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield will remain on staff as the team’s tight ends coach. Head coach Matt Rhule has expressed his desire for Holgorsen to stay on staff after this season.

The Huskers are getting ready to take on the USC Trojans on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. CT.

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Huskers kicker John Hohl getting recognized for clutch performances

John Hohl came through in the clutch for the Huskers on Saturday.

Nebraska football offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield has been impressed with the work kicker John Hohl is doing. Former starting kicker Tristan Alvano is on the mend, and the offensive coordinator gave full praise on Tuesday afternoon.

Hohl had a stellar game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. He kept the Huskers close throughout it, making all three of his field goals for nine points. A 54-yard kick was his longest of the afternoon.

The freshman has gone four-of-eight on-field goals for the year and made all 11 of his extra points.

Satterfield gave him praise during his press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s amazing. He just put on a show out here today. I’ll let Coach (Rhule) tell you all about that. Coach was putting him in some weird situations with the wind and he just kept coming through. It’s from a lot of hard work. We watch him every day, we come up to him as a team and watch him kick. From where it started to where it is now has been really cool to watch, how he’s developed and worked at it.”

Hohl’s development and stellar play could be important. Nebraska has been searching for stability in the kicking game throughout the entire season. A strong finish to the 2024 campaign could allow the coaching staff to have some flexibility for this year and beyond.

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Marcus Satterfield recognizes Thomas Fidone’s impact

Marcus Satterfield is impressed with how Thomas Fidone plays tight end.

Nebraska football offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield wants to get tight end Thomas Fidone II more involved in the offense. He made that clear in his press conference on Tuesday.

Fidone recorded four catches for 55 yards against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. This was his second-most productive game of the season. He recorded six catches for 91 yards against Indiana the week before. It seems as though Nebraska has put more focus on getting him involved in the scheme.

The junior has recorded 24 catches for 273 yards on the season. He has shown an ability to stretch the field, averaging 11.4 yards per reception. Satterfield recognizes the tight end’s big-play ability, as he noted on Tuesday.

“Giving him opportunities. His special trait is going vertically down the field. He’s extremely explosive and fast and can separate and use his body with 50/50 catches. Just giving him more opportunities as we go along the way to make more plays vertically down the field.”

Getting Fidone more involved could help quarterback Dylan Raiola, who has struggled over the last couple of games. Production from the outside receivers has also been a challenge. Continued progress from Fidone could be important as the offensive unit looks to find its groove.

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Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield discusses Dylan Raiola’s mindset

Marcus Satterfield indicated Dylan Raiola is confident heading into this weekend’s game against Ohio State.

Nebraska football offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield discussed quarterback Dylan Raiola’s struggles on Tuesday. The program looks to right the ship this Saturday against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Raiola has struggled over the past two games. He has thrown for 368 yards and four interceptions over that stretch. His 94.7 quarterback rating on Saturday against Indiana and 82.4 rating against Rutgers the week before have been his lowest of the season.

All told, he is still having a decent year. He has thrown for 1,592 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions. The true freshman has hit a bit of a roadblock after a hot start to the year.

Satterfield discussed Raiola’s confidence level heading into Saturday.

“Super confident. He’s not swayed at all. He understands, he’d like to have some of those throws back. Coach (White) said it best, it’s one day, we got punched in the face, we don’t just quit now. We keep fighting and we keep working, we’re building something special here.”

It will be interesting to see if Raiola and Satterfield can make any adjustments on Saturday as they face their stiffest test yet. Nebraska is still searching for its sixth win as it looks to make it back to a bowl game.

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Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield challenges physicality of wide receivers

Marcus Satterfield issued a challenge to his receivers on Tuesday.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield challenged his receivers at Tuesday’s press conference after two Nebraska interceptions were wrestled away from wideouts.

The first interception was in the fourth quarter of the Northern Iowa game, and it was on a ball intended for wide receiver Jaylen Lloyd.

The second interception came last Friday night against Illinois, when Isaiah Neyor had a ball ripped away from his hands in the end zone, halting the Nebraska drive and resulting in a touchback for Illinois.

Both plays would have resulted in major conversions for Nebraska, with Friday’s interception ending up being pivotal. As transcribed by The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman, Satterfield put it bluntly when talking about the physicality of his wide receivers.

“We have to fight for the ball. There’s no other option… That’s twice. It’s not being treated lightly.”

The wide receiver unit has a chance to redeem themselves on Saturday as they look to make explosive plays against the Purdue defense. Increased physicality will be important, especially with some of the secondaries the Huskers face moving forward.

Nebraska will travel to West Lafayette this Saturday to face the Purdue Boilermakers. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT, and the game can be seen on Peacock.

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Marcus Satterfield wants Heinrich Haarberg on the field with Dylan Raiola

Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield indicated Heinrich Haarberg could see time on the field this Saturday.

Nebraska football offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield revealed some strategy on Tuesday afternoon. He indicated that quarterback Heinrich Haarberg would see time on the field alongside quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Haarberg was the team’s starting quarterback for much of the 2023 season. He threw for 967 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The junior has a solid frame at six-foot-five, 225 pounds.

The Nebraska native also saw a bit of time at wide receiver last season, playing a few snaps in the opener against Minnesota. His versatility and overall athleticism are assets to the program. Satterfield made it clear that Haarberg would see the field in some capacity, as noted by The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman.

It will be interesting to see exactly how the program utilizes Haarberg and in what capacity and how much playing time he will see. This offense is going to look a bit different from last season’s unit, and it’s clear the coaching staff wants to put the best athletes on the field.

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Nebraska Football OC praises running back Dante Dowdell

Marcus Satterfield is pleased with the dynamic Dante Dowdell brings to the offense.

Nebraska football offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield praised transfer running back Dante Dowdell during Friday’s media session.

Dowdell has impressed over the course of the spring for the Huskers. He had seven carries for 76 touchdowns on the afternoon, and it gave fans a preview of his physical running style. The former Oregon Ducks back figures to be a big-time weapon in a running back room that is full of talent.

In the meantime, Satterfield is excited about the talent Dowdell brings to a rushing attack that ranked second in the Big Ten last season, as noted by Rivals.com’s Steve Marik.

“If he gets past that box, DBs do not want to tackle him. I mean, he’s getting downhill.’

The Huskers have been searching for consistency at the running back position for quite some time. Lack of depth and health have plagued the Huskers at running back over the past couple of seasons. Dowdell’s style and ability to run downhill should be able to fit well within the offense.

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Huskers OC Marcus Satterfield pleased with Dylan Raiola’s progress

Marcus Satterfield will be entering his second season in as many years with a new Huskers quarterback.

Nebraska football offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield had high praise for quarterback Dylan Raiola when speaking to the Big Ten Network earlier this week.

Satterfield is in his second season running the Huskers’ offense. Last season, the offense ranked ninth in Big Ten total offense with 312.8 yards per game, including 13th with 135.9 passing yards per contest. However, they did produce on the ground, as they ranked second in the conference with 176.8 rushing yards per game.

Now, Satterfield has several new playmakers on the offense, headlined by freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. The offensive coordinator praised Raiola during his interview with Big Ten reporters earlier this week.

“I mean he’s very mature when you talk to him, you would think he was in his early 20’s. He’s super competitive and he grinds at the game to the point where you have to pull him away sometimes and tell him to go be a kid. He stays up all night rewriting the playcalls. It’s just fun to watch him. He’s trying to be the best version of him, and since he got here, Christmas, he’s really just kept taking step after step after step after step, and we like where he is and all the quarterbacks are.”

Raiola will upgrade a quarterback room plagued by inconsistencies and injuries last season. The wide receiver room received additional talent as well, headlined by transfers Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks. Satterfield will certainly have more talent to work with in what is a pivotal year for him and the program.

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Nebaska’s offensive coordinator talks about expectations for quarterback Dylan Raiola

Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield is speaking out about the Husker offense heading into the 2024 season. One of the biggest talking points of the off-season has been freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Satterfield was about the …

Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield is speaking out about the Husker offense heading into the 2024 season. One of the biggest talking points of the off-season has been freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Satterfield was about the expectations for the Cornhusker quarterback as fall camp begins for Nebraska.

“All three quarterbacks, I haven’t really seen them. Coach (Rhule) really made us get away this year and let the players kind of take over. Last time I saw those guys in June, they had taken another step since the spring from throwing the football. That was an emphasis for us going into spring ball was throwing the football. They had a good June, and then I’m anxious to get back to see where they are. I obviously heard people talking about how all those guys are developing. Danny (Daniel Kaelin), Heinrich (Haarberg), and Dylan (Raiola). All of them had great summers. A great last three weeks especially.” 

Nebraska’s offense needs to improve markedly this season. Last year, it ranked 115th in the nation in total offense, averaging a paltry 312.8 yards per game.

They also struggled in scoring offense ranking 120th overall and averaging only 18.0 points per game. Satterfield was also asked on how far ahead Dylan Raiola is mentally compared to other true freshmen he’s coached.

“I think it’s his work ethic the way he attacks it. He’ll stay up all night just rewriting notes and rewriting plays just to make sure he can call them in the proper cadence in the proper rhythm. He’s just obsessed with trying to be really good and that shows in the development thus far since he’s been here since January and I’m just anxious to see what it’s going to look like this week for all three of those dudes.”

Find more comments from offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield.

“There isn’t a lot of changes, I think it’s just the mindset on how we are teaching the quarterback. The reason that we hired Glenn (Thomas) is that we are very familiar with him and I know how he is going to teach the quarterback and the calmness he does it with. I’m really pleased from the spring to this point where these guys are.”

“More of a position made for him. I think that whether you’re playing 8-man football or 11-man football, when you go from high school to the Big Ten, that’s a huge transition physically. As athletic, with all the tools that he’s been given, we didn’t want to slow his path to the field down by trying to make him block a 6-foot-5 285 pound defensive end. We wanted him to do what he does best which is run routes, get open, catch the ball, play in space. So we thought if we taught from the outside, back to inside, it’ll get him on the field a little bit quicker. That’s kind of the direction of why we did that.” 

“It’s amazing. The depth that we have. Last year when we were going through it, it was not a lot of fun when all those freshmen that had to play receiver. The depth that we have now because of that is awesome and it’s a super power for us because competition is everything in our program. You could go out there this week and be a one and look up and you’ll be a three next week if you are not performing at the right standard that we are asking for. It’s the same with the offensive line. We’ve got some older guys that have played a lot of football there but just the depth that we have that we’ve developed there has been really good.”

“The cool thing is the veteran guys that we brought in, when we were recruiting those guys like Isaiah (Neyor) and Jahmal (Banks), we talked to them about being big brothers and I think they really embraced that role. I think the younger receivers have not looked at them as ‘I’m not going to get on the field because we have older guys.’ They’ve looked at them as big brother types and I think they’ve done a really nice job of mentoring the young guys and teaching them how to practice, teaching them how to work, teaching them how to be pros. Again, I think they’re going to play off each other. There’s great competition in that room.” 

“Obviously you all, we, the citizens of Nebraska, know that you can’t turn the ball over and I think you can talk about that but once our guys globally, coaches, players, everything, look back and know how different the season could have been if we don’t turn the ball over. I think they know how critical that is and I think starting last spring the emphasis on not turning the ball over. If we have to just take a knee three times and punt the ball but we don’t turn it over we will do that. But we are not going to turn the ball over. And they know that if you turn the ball over you are not going to play. Just talking about the depth that we’ve developed on offense we’re at a point now where if you do turn the ball over you are coming out of the game and whether you get out there again or not that is yet to be seen.”

“I think it is just sped up a lot. Back in the day when you were a quarterback you played baseball, basketball, you did everything. Now, especially the high-end quarterbacks, they’ve played quarterback for 6-7 years now and that’s all they’ve done. They prepared and learned how to prepare. They learned how to watch film at an early age. The offenses, going back down into the high-school level, are so advanced now that by the time they get on campus here mentally they are at a higher rate then they were 10 years ago. Just the physical component, like how fast can they physically get ready to get out there and perform.”

“It’s amazing. I’ve listened to so many interviews from coaches and how some teams haven’t even used it yet. I think Coach (Rhule) pushed us to make sure we are the best that we could possibly be on headsets and using the iPads. We’ve used those at every scrimmage. I think it’s great. I think we have to be careful to not say too much. I can’t imagine being out there during a Big Ten game as a quarterback and us talking to you the whole time. You just can’t do that. You need to give them the proper information in a sequence that gives them rhythm in a way that they can call plays. And obviously in 15 seconds if there’s things that we can’t get to I’m going to try to not talk too much. Just front load it early. Like ‘A, B, C, D, E, let’s go baby here we go.’ And then if there’s something that pops obviously we will tell them. I don’t want to be talking the whole time.”

“I’m really pleased with where he is. He’s put weight on, he’s running really well, changing direction really well. All skills are improving. He’s had a really good summer, and I love the fact that he is obsessed with being the best version of himself. I think he works toward that and he has a standard every day and he lives up to it. I’m really excited to see how far he can take it this year. We’re definitely going to need him to produce for us, we’re going to put him in a position of use.” 

“I think it’s huge just to have pass protection. Sometimes offensive lines get a bad rap for sacks and it has nothing to do with what they were doing. It has something to do with the quarterback’s depth, the quarterback not getting rid of the ball, the receivers not running the proper routes, things like that. I think just their ability to pass protect and their comfort in our system in year two is going to allow them to protect the quarterback and block and create seams for the running backs which bleeds out through the entire team for success.