Tag: Matt Rhule

Former Husker coach to join Florida State staff

A former Husker coach will join Tony White in Tallahassee.

A former member of Nebraska’s coaching staff is heading to Tallahassee. The Florida State Seminoles announced Saturday that they hired former Nebraska safeties coach Evan Cooper.

Cooper resigned from the Huskers before training camp commenced in July. He now returns to coaching after a five-month absence, joining former Husker defensive coordinator Tony White and former defensive line coach Terrance Knighton in Tallahassee.

Cooper spent one season at Nebraska and 11 consecutive under Matt Rhule before resigning. In his lone season with the Huskers, Cooper put together a tough secondary.

The secondary recorded seven interceptions and 30 pass breakups in 2023, and the Blackshirts’ pass defense limited opponents to 6.1 yards per attempt, which ranked ninth nationally in the same year. Nebraska also kept seven of 12 opponents to less than 200 passing yards, including two under 100 yards.

Cooper joins a Florida State team that allowed 7.41 passing yards per attempt and only four interceptions. The Seminoles kept teams under 200 passing yards and one team under a hundred. The most passing yards the team allowed occurred in its win over California, where it surrendered 303 passing yards.

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Nebraska announces new wide receivers coach

Shorts was a standout receiver under Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia from 2013-16.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have officially hired Daikiel Shorts Jr. as the new wide receivers coach. Shorts has Power Four coaching experience, having previously coached with offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia and Houston.

“It is exciting to add Daikiel Shorts Jr. to our offensive staff. Daikiel is someone who has played for and coached with Coach Holgorsen, and Dana really trusts and believes in him. Daikiel is one of the best recruiters in the country, and he’s a great coach who is familiar with our system.”

Shorts spent the 2024 season as the Kentucky Wildcats’ wide receivers coach. The new coach says he is excited for a chance to coach with Matt Rhule and is looking forward to reuniting with Coach Holgorsen.

“I am extremely grateful for the chance to work for Coach Rhule at the University of Nebraska. When you walk into this place, you can feel the history and tradition associated with Nebraska Football and what it means to everyone inside the program and the fan base. It also means a lot for me to reconnect with Coach Holgorsen. He is a special person in my life, and I have learned a lot from him as a player and a coach.”

Shorts was a standout receiver under Holgorsen at West Virginia from 2013-16. He finished his collegiate career ranked fifth on the WVU career chart with 177 receptions and sixth with 2,263 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

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What Nebraska HC Matt Rhule said after big win over Badgers

What Nebraska HC Matt Rhule said after big win over Badgers

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule spoke with the media following the Cornhuskers’ 44-25 blowout win over the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday.

His program defeated the Badgers for the first time in 12 years, and captured the Freedom Trophy for the first time in its existence. From the opening kickoff, the Cornhuskers left little doubt.

Nebraska amassed 473 total yards, including 180 on the ground on five yards per carry, to throttle the Badgers. The 44 points is the most Nebraska has ever scored in the rivalry matchup.

“I thought it was as well-rounded as we can be,” Rhule said following the win. “Dylan [Raiola] was really on, and we ran the football really well. Jacory [Barney Jr.] worked the middle of the field really well. The tight ends showed up. The ball went to where it was supposed to be. We were able to protect the quarterback. I just think they went out, and they executed.”

After establishing a 14-10 edge in the second quarter, Rhule’s team didn’t look back. Fresh off a four-game losing streak to No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 Indiana, UCLA and USC, the Cornhuskers corrected most of their self-inflicted wounds and exploded on the offense end.

Running back Emmett Johnson logged 113 yards on the ground, and quarterback Dylan Raiola completed 28 of his 38 passing attempts for 293 yards and one touchdown. Nebraska, seeking its first bowl game appearance since 2016, kept its foot on the gas pedal for the entire game.

“There [were] no negative plays,” Rhule said. “The players made the explosive plays. Emmett [Johnson] was untackleable at times today. And then we were probably more aggressive in the fourth quarter. We threw the ball more in the fourth quarter than I normally would, and Dylan made those plays.”

Wisconsin, meanwhile, played poorly on the defensive end. After allowing just 16 points against No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16, the Badgers couldn’t seem to stop any of Nebraska’s playmakers in the run or pass game.

Rhule spoke on facing the Badgers’ defense.

“That’s Wisconsin,” Rhule said. “That’s a tough, physical team. Nobody during the whole year, except maybe Alabama, scored this many points against them. I would assume we ran the ball well. I thought we were able to drop back and throw the ball on first and second down without any heat coming at us. Guys executed.”

Nebraska officially clinched a bowl game appearance with its sixth win of the season. Fans stormed the field, players grasped the Freedom Trophy and Rhule’s players walked off with a grin.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, is soul-searching. The Badgers are in jeopardy of missing their first bowl game since 2001 and will face Minnesota on Nov. 29 at Camp Randall.

WATCH: Nebraska fans storm field following historic win over Wisconsin

WATCH: Nebraska fans storm field following historic win over Wisconsin

For the first time since 2016, Nebraska’s football program is bowl eligible.

Following a historic 44-25 beatdown against the Wisconsin Badgers, hundreds of Cornhusker fans stormed Memorial Stadium’s field to celebrate the program’s feat.

To make matters worse, the venue’s speakers blasted Wisconsin’s iconic theme song, ‘Jump Around,’ during the final portion of the fourth quarter.

Nebraska’s win against Wisconsin marks the first time the Cornhuskers have beaten the Badgers since September 2012. That season, Joel Stave served as UW’s quarterback, running back Montee Ball was in his final season in Madison and Bret Bielema manned the sidelines.

Fans tend the storm the field following an upset against a ranked opponent or collegiate juggernaut. In this instance, Cornhusker fans’ jubilance stemmed from defeating a storied rival and clinching a postseason berth.

For the first time in program history, Nebraska also received the Freedom Trophy, a piece of hardware awarded to the winner of the rivalry game dating back to 2014.

Nebraska dominated Wisconsin in every facet of the contest. The Cornhusker offense ran for 180 yards, scored five touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per play.

The only silver lining for the Badgers surrounds Braedyn Locke’s play in the passing game. The redshirt sophomore threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns in his first game without former offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

Still, the loss encapsulates most of the games during the back half of Wisconsin’s season. In a high-pressure situation, the Badgers eventually lost control and played horribly on the defensive end.

UW is now in jeopardy of missing its first bowl game since 2001. Luke Fickell’s program will need a win against Minnesota on Nov. 29 to prevent that from happening.

RECAP: Wisconsin football suffers historic loss to rival Nebraska

RECAP: Wisconsin football suffers historic loss to rival Nebraska

Historic is an apt word to describe Wisconsin football’s 44-25 loss to Nebraska on Saturday.

The Badgers entered the contest on a 10-game winning streak against the rival. That win streak was defined by dominance on the ground, headlined by historic days from Melvin Gordon, Jonathan Taylor and Braelon Allen.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s 44-25 loss to Nebraska

On Saturday, Nebraska flipped the script. The Cornhuskers totaled 473  yards, including 180 on the ground on five yards per carry. Matt Rhule’s team, one that had lost four straight entering the matchup, scored on its final six possessions.

Wisconsin took a minor step forward on offense after making a coordinator change after its Week 12 loss to Oregon. Braedyn Locke led that effort with 292 yards and three passing touchdowns. But just like at Iowa two weeks ago, the story of the game was Wisconsin’s defense falling apart.

Nebraska’s offense averaged nearly 6.4 yards per play on the afternoon. Its 44 points are its most in the all-time series. It is the third time Wisconsin has allowed 40+ points this season. The last time that happened was 2001 — also the last year the program missed a bowl game.

Big picture, the defeat is Wisconsin’s first to Nebraska since 2012. The result also clinched Nebraska’s first bowl appearance since 2016, snapping a nine-game losing streak with bowl eligibility at stake. Finally, it handed the Cornhuskers the Freedom Trophy for the first time in its existence.

By any measure, the loss was an historic one.

Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) needs a win over Minnesota in Week 14 or the program will not be bowl eligible for the first time in 23 years.

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Matt Rhule reveals larger role for freshman WR Quinn Clark

Nebraska football freshman Quinn Clark may get a chance to make an impact on Saturday.

Nebraska football coach Matt Rhuke indicated that freshman wide receiver Quinn Clark practiced with the top offensive units this week. He could have a chance to play on Saturday.

The freshman played in the season opener against UTEP. He was targeted once but did not have a catch. He was a dynamic high school player, recording 1,791 yards and 30 touchdowns in three seasons, according to Maxpreps.com.

Clark’s height is also intriguing. He is six-foot-five, 205 pounds. His athleticism and speed make for an explosive combination. Earlier in the week, Dana Holgorsen told the press that he had found a player in practice that could make an impact in Saturday’s game and Rhule confirmed on Thursday that Quinn Clark was the player in question.

Nebraska football must pull out all the stops as they aim to get that sixth win with two games remaining. Clark appears to be going up the depth chart, and it will be interesting to see if he will play a factor on Saturday.

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Rhule declares ‘there is no curse’

Matt Rhule took a strong stance on the talk surrounding his program.

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule took a strong stance on a polarizing topic following Saturday’s 28-20 loss to the USC Trojans.

The loss gave Nebraska its fourth in a row, and they dropped to 5-5 on the season. The Huskers kept close with the Trojans throughout the game but were unable to finish.

The loss gave Rhule his sixth defeat in November. He has not won in November during his tenure as the Huskers’ head coach.

Fans have speculated that Nebraska is cursed and that the team is unlucky. The coach met with the media on Monday and declared that none of that is the case.

“We’re not snakebit, we’re not unlucky, there’s no curse.”

The Huskers will take on a Wisconsin Badgers team this Saturday, as they look to get that elusive sixth win and make a bowl game. Kickoff time for the game is set for 2:30 PM CT.

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Wisconsin stands in the way of Nebraska extending a record losing streak

Wisconsin stands in the way of Nebraska extending a record losing streak

The stakes are high for the Wisconsin Badgers (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) road matchup against rival Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) on Saturday.

Both teams enter the game at 5-5, needing just one more win to clinch bowl eligibility.

Related: Everything Luke Fickell said about the Phil Longo firing, Badgers’ offensive plan moving forward

Normally, that would be enough stakes alone. But how each team has reached this point is significant to note.

Wisconsin was 5-2 through seven games after a win over Northwestern capped an impressive three-game winning streak. The season has somewhat tanked since then, with demoralizing losses to Penn State, Iowa and Oregon, respectively.

The Badgers fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo after the latest loss, signaling the current state of affairs in year two of the Luke Fickell era. Overall, the program is far from where many expected it to be.

The Nebraska side is somehow even worse. The Cornhuskers were 5-1 to start the year, headlined by a big win over Colorado. They appeared to be at the start of a resurgence in year two under Matt Rhule.

Since that point: 56-7 loss to Indiana, 21-17 loss to Ohio State, 27-20 loss to UCLA and 28-20 loss to USC. Nebraska brings a four-game losing streak into Saturday’s matchup.

That four-game losing streak means a bit more to Nebraska than Wisconsin’s losing streak does to its program. Nebraska has not made a bowl game since 2016. It is now a whopping 0-9 in games with bowl eligibility on the line during that time, including now 0-8 under Rhule — 0-4 in 2023, 0-4 in 2024.

The FBS record for consecutive losses with bowl eligibility at stake is 10 (Mike MacIntyre and Colorado from 2017-18 and Lou Holtz at South Carolina from 2002-04). Another loss for Rhule would bring him within one defeat of the record. Losses to both Wisconsin and Iowa to close the season would bring him to that mark.

That’s what Wisconsin has to play for on Saturday, other than the famous Freedom Trophy — that Nebraska has yet to possess. With a win, the Badgers would put Nebraska in a record category of programs to lose 10 straight games with bowl eligibility at stake. With a loss, Wisconsin would forever be the team that ended that record bowl drought.

There are larger Fickell vs. Rhule implications after both were high-profile hires before the 2023 season. But that conversation can wait until postgame. Just note: coaches that lose nine or ten straight games with bowl eligibility on the line usually don’t stick around for very long.

Wisconsin and Nebraska will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. CT from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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Nebraska true freshman quarterback predicts win vs. Badgers

Nebraska true freshman quarterback predicts win vs. Badgers

Nebraska true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola predicted a Cornhuskers over the Badgers on Nov. 23.

Following Nebraska’s 28-20 loss to the USC Trojans in Los Angeles on Saturday, Raiola did not lack confidence when asked about the adjustment process moving to new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

“We’re only gonna keep building on it these next two weeks,” Raiola said. “We’ll get the win next week and get us to a bowl.”

He was referring to Nebraska’s 11th game of the season vs. the Wisconsin Badgers. Like UW, the Cornhuskers are on a multi-game losing streak dating back to October.

Raiola’s crew has dropped four consecutive contests, to No. 5 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, UCLA and USC. The Badgers, meanwhile, have lost three straight to No. 4 Penn State, Iowa and No. 1 Oregon.

Through 10 games as a true freshman this season, the Georgia native has registered 203 completions, 2,112 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. Earlier this season, he led his group to a signature win over Shedeur Sanders and the No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes in Lincoln.

Raiola has attracted a decent amount of media attention this season because of his uncanny physical resemblance to Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. His level of play, however, is far from that caliber — during the four-game skid he’s thrown just two touchdowns to six interceptions.

Wisconsin hasn’t dropped a game to Nebraska since 2012. The Badgers will look to continue that streak when the two teams meet on Saturday.

One fan base will be very angry about USC-Nebraska, regardless of who wins

The USC-Nebraska matchup is a must-win game for both teams. Fans are showing frustration toward both Lincoln Riley and Matt Rhule.

USC football has a big matchup this weekend against Big Ten foe Nebraska. The matchup contains an intriguing twist. Both Lincoln Riley, head coach for the Trojans, and Matt Rhule, head coach for the Cornhuskers, could very likely be under a lot of fire with a loss on Saturday.

The Trojans have clearly had a lot of problems this season with a 4-5 record after being ranked as high as No. 11 in the AP Poll this season, while Nebraska is sitting at 5-4 and is on a three-game losing streak.

Heading into the matchup, Nebraska fans are feeling reasonably frustrated with Rhule, but they are optimistic about handling the Trojans.

Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire put it this way:

“Nebraska fans are very nervous. Matt Rhule overachieved going 5-7 with last year‘s team and people were expecting the program to take the next step in year two. That hasn’t really happened and frustration is now starting to build and for the first time since he’s gotten here, he’s feeling the heat. With all that being said I think fans are optimistic about this Saturday’s game due to the change in offensive coordinator, but also due to the dysfunction within the USC program. From the outside, looking in, it looks like Lincoln Riley is really struggling and Husker fans think now is the perfect time to meet.”

This weekend will be very telling about the Trojans. With a new quarterback, a head coach in hot water, and future commits falling left and right, the game against Nebraska feels like a must-win.

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