Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule – Page 2

Matt Rhule gives honest answer about Scott Frost’s tenure

Scott Frost went 16-31 in his four-plus seasons on the sideline in Lincoln.

Since becoming Nebraska’s head football coach, Matt Rhule has been asked multiple times about the previous man in charge, Scott Frost. The current head coach has always spoken positively of the former Husker, even referring to him as a friend at his introductory press conference.

With Nebraska’s 2023 record standing at 5-4, Rhule was asked by Andy Staples of On3 about the process-oriented philosophy of the current roster. The head coach said that Frost and his staff played a significant role in creating that culture.

“It has been amazing. I think it’s a credit to Scott Frost and his staff. To me, if you’re a smart coach? You follow good staffs. I remember watching Urban Meyer, one of the coaches I look up to, and he followed Gary Blackney. He followed coaches that had taught guys the right things. So I try to emulate that. I have a lot of respect for Scott.”

Scott Frost went 16-31 in his four-plus seasons on the sideline in Lincoln. He is not currently coaching but has been linked to several possible head coach and offensive coordinator vacancies for next season.

Find a photo gallery of Scott Frost’s Nebraska coaching career below.

Huskers disappointed with performance in loss

Following Nebraska’s 20-17 defeat to the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday afternoon, head coach Matt Rhule expressed his disappointment in the result.

“You know, obviously disappointed in the result today. A lot of credit goes to Michigan State. They battled, they fought. They’re a team that’s lost these games this year in the fourth quarter and they found a way to win it. That’s a credit to them, credit to coach Barnett. It was a great atmosphere. Disappointed. Just wasn’t our best game today. I think all across the board. We didn’t tackle the way we normally do. We gave up some big plays.”

The Husker defense only allowed 295 total yards of offense but did surrender 232 yards in the air for an average of 9.7 yards per pass. The offense struggled heavily, with only 277 yards of total offense and three turnovers. The Husker head coach also said he was proud of the way his team played, regardless of the result.

“Proud of the guys’ effort. I thought they fought at the end to go back and get the ball back on defense and try to block the kick. Go down and try to give us a chance to kick a field goal and tie the game, which I expect us to go do. But, the whole performance was just not our best.”

Nebraska will now prepare to host the Maryland Terrapins this Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and can be seen on Peacock.

Find social media reactions to the game below.

Husker head coach laments fan discussion ‘everyone has to have a take’

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule had some strong opinions on the current state of fan discourse surrounding the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule had some strong opinions on the current state of fan discourse surrounding the Cornhuskers. The head coach said that while he’s pleased that the team is succeeding on the field, he wishes the fans weren’t so critical.

You come to a place like Nebraska, and Nebraska has won so much in history that if it doesn’t look like the ‘97 team, all I hear people tell me is that it was ugly. 31-14 wasn’t too ugly to me. I understand it, I’m not complaining about it. When I say these things, I say them for the players.

He also lamented the current state of sports media and fan culture in which everyone must have an opinion on each and every aspect of the game.

Everyone has to have a take. I don’t know how many people follow you, if all the things you say on your things are super positive. You have to find something to talk about. I thought we did a lot of positive things in the game. I thought we did a lot of negative things in the game. The truth is always there, let the tape be the truth.

Nebraska and Michigan State will kick off at 11:00 a.m. this Saturday. The game can be viewed on FS1. Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s victory over Purdue below.

Rhule discusses the importance special teams

Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule met with the media on Thursday afternoon.

Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule met with the media on Thursday afternoon. He was asked about the importance of special teams for the remainder of the season.

“Especially in games like this week, where weather could be a factor, you want to play great on the special teams,” he said. “Purdue has dynamic kickoff and punt return games. They blocked a field goal against Iowa in a crucial time, they’re excellent on special teams. We’ve made some good plays on special teams, pinning the ball down, Tommi (Hill) with the kickoff return last week.”

He also made it clear that Huskers have left big play opportunities on the field this season.

“We’re also missing some opportunities. We had a punt block last week, we missed it. We’re just going to continue to try and get better at it…Guys fill in the void as we have injuries. I think special teams are vital. They’ll be really vital this week. We’re down our starting kick returner. We’re down our starting punt returner. Those are big things, so other guys have to step up.”

The Huskers are 30th in the nation in kick returns, with 12 returns for an average of 23.58 yards. The team has taken a step back regarding punt returns, as they stand at 113th in the county for an average of 3.33 yards per return.

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Nebraska’s plan at running back moving forward

Nebraska has been dealing with a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the ball during the 2023 season.

Nebraska has been dealing with a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the ball during the 2023 season. The running back position has been impacted as heavily as any Husker unit.

Gabe Ervin Jr. and Rahmir Johson are both done for the year after suffering injuries earlier in the season. Ervin dislocated his hip and Johnson dislocated his shoulder.

Ervin started the first two games for the Huskers and totaled 196 yards on 38 carries. He has 95 carries for 414 yards and three touchdowns for his career.

Johnson had 12 carries on the season for 65 yards, including a 44-yard run against Northern Illinois before his season ended. He’s amassed 739 yards in five seasons on 172 carries with six touchdowns.

The position has seen a three-man rotation of Emmett Johnson, Anthony Grant and Josh Fleeks. The leading rusher for Nebraska is quarterback Heinrich Haarberg, who has 424 rushing yards on the year.

Matt Rhule told the media that it’s still a work in progress.

“It’s one of those deals where Emmett (Johnson) can kind of do everything for us and Emmett had some good plays for us. Anthony (Grant) held on to the ball, Anthony had a great run on a run. Josh Fleeks is a guy we want to continue to get in the game so I think all three of those guys are going to continue to play and I’d like to have more plays. I’d like to have more tailback runs so hopefully we can continue to get those guys more involved but it’ll be all three of those guys pending a good week of practice and pending ball security.”

Nebraska will take the field again on Saturday when the Huskers welcome Purdue to Memorial Stadium. Find a gallery of Nebraska’s running backs below.

Rhule credits Tom Osborne for help with Malachi Coleman’s first touchdown

A Nebraska wide receiver scored his first collegiate touchdown in Saturday’s win against Northwestern.

A Nebraska wide receiver scored his first collegiate touchdown in Saturday’s win against Northwestern. Freshman Malachi Coleman hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Husker’s 17-9 victory.

Nebraska scored on a play reminiscent of the Cornhuskers of the 80s and 90s. Head coach Matt Rhule said the man in charge of the program during that time suggested the play.

I don’t do anything theatrical during games. I don’t point to the crowd. I don’t point to my family. But I did point up to Coach (Tom) Osborne’s box. Because Coach Osborne came in and said, ‘if you guys are going to keep running the belly g-option, you have to run the belly g-pass’. And (director of player support and outreach) Ron (Brown) has been telling us that.

Rhule said that the offense knew that they would be running the play at some point on Saturday, and after a big turnover in the fourth quarter, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield pulled the trigger.

We got that turnover and we said ‘let’s run it.’ And Malachi… that’s the route you run for the love the game to get everyone else open. And Malachi ran by everyone and ran the belly g-option pass and hit it for a touchdown. We played as a team.

You can find social media reactions to the option pass touchdown below.

Rhule still believes in his freshman kicker

Nebraska’s field goal-kicking has been a roller coaster experience during the 2023 season.

Nebraska’s field goal-kicking has been a roller coaster experience during the 2023 season. Since winning the job during the offseason, freshman Tristan Alvano has gone 3-7 on field goals with a long of 37 yards.

Regardless of the early struggles, head coach Matt Rhule says he’s still very confident in his young kickers.

“The thing I love about Tristan is I don’t really feel like ‘oh man I’ve got be careful here.’ I don’t feel a drop in his confidence because when he does miss it’s just technical. He missed the one kick last week but it was a bobbled snap and hold. For him to get the ball as close as it was, was really a challenge.

In fact, the head coach says he likes it when young players struggle as it allows him to evaluate a player’s reaction to adversity.

I’m happy with where he is. I love the fact that when young players struggle to go through some adversity we see them not cracking but getting stronger. Either you crack this thing or you get cracked. He is at the precipice of something great. He is handling it well.”

Alvano made headlines during his senior year of high school when he went five-for-five on field goals in Omaha Westside’s 43-41 win over Gretna in the NSAA State Championship game. During his senior year, Alvano was 16-20 in field goals with a career-long of 57 yards.

The Nebraska native is highly thought of as a talent. Radio analyst and former Husker I-back Damon Benning has stated that he believes Alavano is a ‘Sunday talent.’ Rhule also believes that the freshman will only get better as he grows into the role.

“He will only get better and better. I have confidence in him and even in that game we put him out there a third time to make it a three-score game. He’s handled it really well and I think he’ll play well.”

Nebraska will take the field again on Saturday against Northwestern when the Wildcats visit Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.

Rhule on game with Northwestern ‘they’re just a lot like us’

Nebraska has had some memorable football games with the Northwestern Wildcats over the years.

Nebraska has had some memorable football games with the Northwestern Wildcats over the years. What impact will that history have, if any, on the impact of this weekend’s game?

Head coach Matt Rhule told the media earlier in the week that while reviewing the tape for the last couple of meetings is essential, the change in personnel, coaches, and scheme doesn’t allow for much input in creating a game plan for Saturday.

“Yeah I watched the 2021 game and I watched last year’s game a lot. I thought what Coach (Scott) Frost and the offensive staff did two years ago was phenomenal, (Adrian) Martinez was amazing, a lot of great things happened. They played great defense. Obviously last year was a hard fought battle back and forth, but you know they have a new defensive coordinator, so there’s not a lot of things that translate, so it’s all kind of new.

He also told the media that he believes there are some similarities between the Wildcats and the Cornhuskers.

I get into game week, I usually try to go back and watch personnel, you know Coach (D.J.) Vokolek is there who was here, so obviously he’ll know our personnel, so I try to go back and watch their players versus our guys a little bit, but for the most part now I have six games on them versus really good competition, two top-25 teams that they’ve played, they’re just a lot like us.”

Nebraska will face off against the Northwestern Wildcats this Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Kick-off is set for 2:30 p.m. Find a photo gallery of Nebraska and Northwestern on the football field.

Rhule looking for Nebraska to be more explosive in passing game

As Nebraska enters the second half of the 2023 season, head coach Matt Rhule is looking for a way to spark his team’s passing game.

As Nebraska enters the second half of the 2023 season, head coach Matt Rhule is looking for a way to spark his team’s passing game. The Huskers offense currently ranks 102nd in the nation in total offense with 342.3 yards per game.

The Huskers passing offense currently ranks 125th in the nation with an average of 141.8 passing yards per game and 71st overall with an average of 12.16 yards per catch. The head coach says Nebraska needs to have more explosive plays in the passing game if the team is going to have sustained success.

“We have to be more explosive on offense. We’re not going to be able to win long-term if you can’t make explosive plays in the passing game. We’re one of the top teams in terms of explosive run plays but we’re going to need explosive pass plays.”

Rhule went on to say that the Huskers have the talent to make explosive plays in the passing game. They just need to make the plays.

“Part of that is getting comfortable and part of that is playmakers as they develop, as you recruit them. There’s a lot of teams on Saturday that catch a slant and take it 80. We have guys that can do that, we just have to continue to get them confident and I see them becoming a more confident team day by day.”

He also made it clear that the defense has been giving up too many explosive passing plays. The Huskers are ranked 27th in total defense, giving up 323.0 yards per game while surrendering 247.2 passing yards per game, good for 94th overall in the country.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s first six games below.