Tag: Nebraska Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg

Turnovers doom Nebraska football in 13-10 loss to Maryland

The Huskers spent the entire season struggling to perform on offense.

The Huskers spent the entire season struggling to perform on offense. Nebraska averaged under 20 points and over two turnovers per game, with two quarterbacks heading into its Saturday showdown with Maryland. Somehow, the Huskers’ offense hit rock bottom, losing to the Terrapins 13-10.

Nebraska saw three quarterbacks sit under center throughout the game: Heinrich Haarberg, Jeff Sims, and Chubba Purdy. The trio combined for 86 passing yards, 66 rushing yards and five turnovers. Haarberg got the start but was benched after an interception and an injury. Sims took over and helped Nebraska score all 10 points. But he threw two interceptions and fumbled once.

Purdy then came in on what would be Nebraska’s final drive and almost led the Huskers to a game-winning score. But threw an interception in the endzone, which ended up being the play of the game for Maryland. The Terrapins marched down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal on the next drive for the win. They only scored six points off the five turnovers, but it was enough to secure a win.

This overshadowed the rest of Nebraska’s play in the game, as they rushed for 183 yards and held Maryland to its lowest-scoring scoring performance of the season, as well as forcing three turnovers.

The Huskers now stand at 5-5 on the regular season and will travel to Wisconsin next Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be viewed on NBC.

Nebraska football comes up short against Michigan State

The Huskers traveled to East Lansing, Michigan for a chance to punch their ticket to a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

The Huskers traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, for a chance to punch their ticket to a bowl game for the first time since 2016. This ended up being easier said than done. Nebraska hit the roadblock that was Michigan State. The Huskers battled the Spartans and saw numerous opportunities to win. The options fell by the wayside, resulting in a 20-17 loss for Nebraska.

The Huskers’ offense saw most of these opportunities but struggled to take advantage of them. Their biggest came in the fourth quarter. After scoring a touchdown to cut the deficit to three, Nebraska got the ball back with over two minutes left. The Huskers fumbled, resulting in a Michigan State takeaway. Nebraska got the ball one more time with under a minute left but once again failed to take advantage.

Heinrich Haarberg went 12-of-28 for 129 yards and two interceptions, his worst outing as Nebraska’s starting quarterback this season. Haarberg also rushed for 37 yards off 14 carries and a touchdown. However, they also fumbled twice, one resulting in a turnover and the other on the team’s final drive.

Freshman Emmett Johnson led the charge for the Huskers in rushing, going for 57 yards and a touchdown off 13 carries. This all culminated in just 17 points, an ongoing flaw that finally caught up with Nebraska’s defense. The Blackshirts held the Spartans to just 63 yards rushing but surrendered 232 yards passing and two touchdowns.

The Huskers fall to 5-4 and will face three difficult opponents for its remaining regular-season outings. They will travel back home to host Maryland next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on Peacock.

Huskers discuss health of starting quarterback

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg may not have started the season as the starting quarterback, but he has earned the job.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg may not have started the season as the starting quarterback, but he has earned the job. Head football coach Matt Rhule has been asked multiple times about the evolution of his quarterback’s play throughout the season, including following the Husker’s 31-14 victory over Purdue.

“The week before I thought he was hesitant. This week, I think he was just not quite sure what to do and he hasn’t played a super ton. So we are going to work on that this week because both fumbles, the play was dead. He knew he was done. Probably needs to get down on those plays and not because he is a sheep but he just probably needs to skip a rock and get a yard. We will just play second and nine. We are trying to make sure as a staff like we spent time this morning going back through ourselves and ‘hey what are the things that are happening? And how can we fix those?’

When asked about his quarterback’s health, Rhule was blunt on the subject.

“He is a little bit beat up but you know what, he is the quarterback at Nebraska.”

Tight end Thomas Fidone II told the press that he agrees with his head coach’s assessment of Haarberg’s play.

“He’s a dog. Anyone can see that. He’s been taking hit after hit like you said. I have always known he’s a dog and everyone is just seeing it now. He is putting himself in a place where people are seeing how hard he works and how tough he is. People are noticing that. Obviously it isn’t fun as a quarterback getting smoked every play but that is the type of offense we run and type of player he is. He is just showing how tough he is. Everyone gets to see that now.”

In six starts this season, Haarberg has thrown for 838 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s also run for 446 yards and four touchdowns, with a long run of 72 yards.

Find a photo gallery of Haarberg’s sophomore season below.

Nebraska’s quarterback discusses physical game against Purdue

Nebraska’s starting quarterback had some strong thoughts on his performance on Saturday afternoon.

Nebraska’s starting quarterback had some strong thoughts on his performance on Saturday afternoon. Heinrich Haarberg helped the Huskers to a 31-14 victory over Purdue in front of a sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium.

Haarberg was 6-11 passing for 122 yards for two touchdowns. He also ran the ball 19 times for 22 yards. When asked about his health following the game, the quarterback said he was feeling just fine.

“Feeling okay, nothing like a good Big Ten matchup. Purdue was a physical team and they brought a lot of guys down in the box but we made them pay for it a couple of times, so it was all worth it.”

Haarberg exited the game at one point due to a bloody chin, but the quarterback said the injury is nothing to be concerned about.

“It was a physical game. I had blood in normal spots, on the arm, on the finger, stuff like that, and then that one he just got me really good underneath the chin and I was bleeding from my mouth and they couldn’t get it to stop so I had to come out for a little bit but all good.”

Nebraska will next take the field against Michigan State this Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinion.

Nebraska football overcomes miscues en route to 31-14 win over Purdue

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case.

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case. The Huskers delivered a strong showing in the victory over the Boilermakers, but it was anything but consistent.

The offense scored three touchdowns and a field goal, but also lost three fumbles, resulting in Purdue’s 14 total points. The second touchdown came off a fourth down strip fumble on Jeff Sims, which Purdue took 55 yards to the house. Special teams also put the ball on the ground a few times, losing the ball on the opening kickoff and nearly giving up the ball during a punt return. But despite the major miscues, Nebraska stood its ground.

Heinrich Haarberg went 6-of-11 in the air but threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas Fidone II and freshman Jaylen Lloyd were on the receiving end of those touchdown passes. Fidone hauled in a one-yard catch for a touchdown, while Lloyd was all alone for his 73-yard touchdown. Emmett Johnson scored the final touchdown, running up the middle for a 28-yard score to put the game away.

The Blackshirts were the shining light in the game once again for Nebraska. The Huskers held Purdue to under 100 yards in both rushing and passing. This is the first time Nebraska has accomplished this achievement since 2012 when it defeated Minnesota 38-14. The Blackshirts also recovered a fumble, snatched two interceptions and blocked a field goal and took it for a touchdown.

Tommi Hill hauled in both interceptions for Nebraska, while Quinton Newsome ran the blocked field goal back for a touchdown.

Nebraska is now 5-3 on the season, its first five-win season since 2019. The Huskers will travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Saturday, with a win punching their ticket to a bowl game. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on FS1.

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.

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.

WATCH: Haarberg adds to Husker lead

An Illinois special teams turnover set Nebraska up in Illini territory and the Huskers took full advantage.

An Illinois special teams turnover set Nebraska up in Illini territory and the Huskers took full advantage. Heinrich Haarberg scored a touchdown on the very first play of the possession on a 25-yard touchdown run. Nebraska now leads Illinois 17-0 in the second quarter. Find the highlight below.

Matt Rhule ‘very confident’ with either starting quarterback at Illinois

Head football coach Matt Rhule met the media on Monday afternoon.

Head football coach Matt Rhule met the media on Monday afternoon. He was asked who would be the starting quarterback for the Huskers when they take the field on Friday.

“I feel very confident with Heinrich being the starting quarterback. That being said, I also have a lot of confidence in Jeff (Sims). That’s probably not a great answer, but we practiced last night. Jeff looked awesome. Jeff looked great. Heinrich looked great. Chubba (Purdy) looked good. I’m getting them both ready.

In five games this season, Heinrich Haarberg has started in two. He has thrown for 477 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.

Haarberg has also run the ball 51 times for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Sims has started in three games this season.

The Georgia Tech transfer has thrown for 220 yards and one touchdown with four interceptions. He has also run 30 times for 156 yards and one touchdown.

The head coach also made it clear that he saw growth from Haarberg during the Michigan loss.

“I have full confidence in Heinrich. In the midst of losing, and I know there were some bad passes and all those things, but in the midst of losing, I saw things from Heinrich that I wanted to see. I saw him compete. I saw him and Billy (Kemp IV) work well versus man, and I saw a lot of option routes. I saw some things that I think we need to add to our run game. We just have to get the run game back to what it had been doing.”

Nebraska will next take the field on Friday, October 6 at 7:00 p.m. The game can be viewed on FS1.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s starting quarterbacks below.

Rhule says ‘everyone in Nebraska will find out about this team next Friday night’

Rhule says ‘everyone in Nebraska will find out about this team next Friday night’ after loss to Michigan

Nothing went right for Nebraska on Saturday afternoon. The Huskers were blown out at home by the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines 42-7 in front of a sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska will now prepare for a rare Friday night game when they travel to Illinois. After the loss, head coach Matt Rhule said that the game on Friday and how the team responds will tell the story of the 2023 season.

We should never accept losing. We should never be like ‘it’s okay. It’s Michigan, it’s okay.’ We should never accept that at all. They shouldn’t be real positive. Everyone in Nebraska will find out about this team next Friday night. We’ll find out about me. We’ll find out about them. We’ll find out about all of us on Friday night. And that doesn’t mean winning and losing. If Illinois is better than us, so be it.

Rhule also made it clear that this will not be a loss that he will forget about any time soon.

But, we’ll see it on Friday night. We’ll see how excited we look, how much we’re flying around, what we look like. We’ll see. I hope it bothers them and we’re in a day and age where sometimes, everyone wants to be too cool for school. I hope it bothers them because it bothers me. I can tell you that much right now. That game bothered me a lot.

He also stressed the importance of winning and losing as a team.

I will say this – I love these players. They’re great young men and they all want to win. There’s no ‘hey, it’s their fault.’ We’re all in it together. We’ll battle. We’ll find out who we are Friday night, so I hope everyone watches.”

Nebraska now prepares for Illinois on Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on FS1.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s loss to Michigan below.