Tag: Nebraska Purdue Football

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 says Nebraska’s offense must work through fumble issues

Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule met with the media following the Huskers 31-14 victory over Purdue.

Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule met with the media following the Huskers 31-14 victory over Purdue on Saturday afternoon. The Husker defense held Purdue’s offense under 200 total yards, surrendering only 96 rushing yards and 99 passing yards.

It’s the first time Nebraska held an opponent to 100 yards rushing and 100 yards passing since 2012. On offense, the Cornhuskers fell victim to the turnover bug, suffering four lost fumbles.

I just can’t live in a world where it’s what if this happens and what if that happens? Like we have to go out there and play. Good teams play, and bad things happen. We gotta go play, so if I don’t want the players to live in that whole what if world, then we have to be that. I’m not saying that we have to run the option. I didn’t come here to have people say why you didn’t run the option on the last drive. Like that’s what we’re going to do.

Rhule even said that a former Cornhusker told him to keep coaching.

Eric Crouch told me hey, we had 49 fumbles in 1999, so keep coaching and playing. Everything can’t be negative. I’m saying that for me. I got to go out there and be like, hey guys. Part of it is throwing the ball away. There’s no reason to come off the field with your nose bloody.

The head coach also emphasized that the Cornhuskers will continue to run the option and be aggressive.

Run the option, go to pitch it, don’t stop, and take a huge hit. We’re coaching them all the way through it. Heinrich was kind of bloody, so I put Jeff (Sims) in. The ball came to the ground twice with Jeff, so we have to hold the ball. They cleared Heinrich to go. Heinrich went back out there. It was good to go downhill one game pop for a big play. That was kind of what we were looking for.”

The Huskers will retake the field next Saturday when Nebraska takes on Michigan State in East Lansing. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. and can be seen on FS1.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s victory over Purdue below.

Nebraska strikes first against Purdue

The Nebraska Cornhuskers struck first in their Big Ten matchup with Purdue.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers struck first in their Big Ten matchup with Purdue. Tight end Thomas Fidone caught a play-action pass from Heinrich Haarberg on the goal line.

The score capped a 15-play, 87-yard drive that lasted 8:52. Nebraska now leads the Boilermakers 7-0.

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Nebraska learns kickoff time against Purdue

Nebraska has learned their kickoff time for another conference game.

Nebraska has learned their kickoff time for another conference game. The Huskers will face the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 28, at 2:30 p.m.

This means that Nebraska will have back-to-back 2:30 p.m. kickoffs. The Cornhuskers will host Northwestern on October 21 at 2:30 p.m.

This Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, while the Purdue game will be seen on FS1. The Huskers currently hold a record of 3-3 with a 1-2 mark in the Big Ten.

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Nebraska comeback at Purdue falls short

Too many mistakes for Nebraska to overcome in road loss!

A Big Ten Conference win slipped through the fingers of the Nebraska Cornhusker football team on Saturday evening. A 43-37 defeat at the hands of the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette has now placed Nebraska under .500 with a record of 3-4 (2-2), while Purdue improves to 5-2 (3-1).

The inconsistent play of Casey Thompson continues. The quarterback threw two interceptions on the day and was sacked several times after failing to get rid of the football on time. However, the bright spot of the offense was the play of wide receiver Trey Palmer. Palmer set a Nebraska school record in receiving yards for a game with 237 yards. The previous record was set by JD Spielman, who had 209 yards against Wisconsin in 2018.

The most frustrating aspect of the offense continues to be Mark Whipple’s refusal to want to run the football. As a result, Anthony Grant had only 11 carries for 35 yards. There’s no excuse for a running back of his talent only to get 11 touches running the ball. Whipple has always been a pass-first coach but his refusal to adapt his scheme to his personnel is somewhat concerning.

The Nebraska defense took a massive step backward this week. As a unit, they surrendered 608 in total offense while allowing Boilmaker quarterback Aiden O’Connell to throw for 391 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. In addition, Nebraska’s run defense continues its struggles giving up 217 yards which is 31 more yards than their season average of 186 yards per game.

Nebraska is on a bye week next Saturday and will return to Memorial Stadium on October 29th, where they will host the No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini.

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Media nearly unanimous in picking Purdue to beat Nebraska

The media predicts a rough night for Nebraska!

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will try to extend their winning streak to three games in a row when they travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to take on the Purdue Boilermakers in a Big Ten clash. Nebraska enters with a record of 3-3 (2-1), with their last two wins coming over conference opponents Indiana and Rutgers. Purdue is 4-2 (2-1) on the season and will take the field riding a three-game winning streak. Their two losses on the season are by a combined seven points.

Both teams currently sit at the top of the Big Ten West in the standings sharing first place with Illinois. All three teams are 2-1 as of this morning.

The media is more than convinced of the superiority of Purdue this year as Nebraska media, Purdue media, and national media have all overwhelmingly selected the Boilermakers to win tonight’s ball game. Scroll below to see just a sampling of the predictions made for tonight‘s 6:30 pm kick-off.

Blackshirts won’t return this season

The tradition dates back to 1964!

It’s official; The Blackshirts will not be returning to Nebraska football this season. Interim head coach Mickey Joseph made the announcement during his Thursday appearance on the Husker Radio Network.

“I think with this group, being a Blackshirt adds more pressure to them. And if they don’t play well, then they get a whole bunch of negative comments about the Blackshirts. We’re talking about being just a team, so we’re going to be a team right now and we’re going to let the Blackshirts sit down for a while. We won’t give them back this year so everybody can stop wondering what we’re going to do. They’re not getting them back this year.”

Nebraska had previously awarded The Blackshirts before the Northwestern game in Dublin, Ireland. However, coach Joseph took those Blackshirts away when he assumed head coach duties.

Below is a collection of social media reactions regarding the announcement that The Blackshirts will not return this season.

Joseph talks about lessons learned since becoming Interim Head Coach

Kickoff is just a few days away!!

Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph spoke with the media prior to a trip to Purudue this weekend. The man in charge is looking to keep the Huskers on top of the Big Ten West as Nebraska moves into the heart of the Big Ten Conference schedule.

“Great week of practice,” Joseph said. “Great week for the kids. Great week for the coaches. We are excited about this opportunity to play a top-notch football team. I think they are only like seven points from being undefeated. They are really good on all three phases of the game. We are going to have to play well when we go there.”