Week 9 v Northwestern: Game Notes, Depth Chart, Etc

[Seaofred92]

Yikes

 

[ChocaEgg]

Yikes

 

[Irv]

Amazing. Mark Gronowski has some friendly advice for how our qb could improve.

This is an amazing time to be a Nebraska fan.

 

[Seaofred92]

Players only meeting - we are so back

 

[Mr.Bojangles]

Amazing. Mark Gronowski has some friendly advice for how our qb could improve.

This is an amazing time to be a Nebraska fan.

 

[Tonkasker]

Players only meeting - we are so back

When was the last time this happened

 

[Snockered69]

Yikes

The boiled raviolis may explode in the pot. Getting dunked on by an Cockeye QB.

 

[Kaladin]

Players only meeting - we are so back

 

[jickey moseph]

Players only meeting - we are so back

 

[Flabio]

The ole player only meeting.

 

[jfrommer]

Husker notes: Holgorsen, Butler using 24-6 loss at Minnesota as learning experience ahead of Northwestern matchup

LINCOLN — Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen knows what good offense looks like because the Huskers have shown it before this season.

www.hastingstribune.com

 

[Cornicator]

I was talking to my mom earlier today. I chuckled when she referred to the Husker game at Minnesota as "pathetic."

That's like any of us calling someone a cunt. I've never heard her say a negative thing about anyone or anything.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)

NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (5-2, 3-1)​	at​	NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (5-2, 2-2)​

WHEN: Saturday, October 25 | 11:00 AM (CT)

WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Lincoln, Nebraska

TV: FOX Sports 1 (Connor Onion, Mark Helfrich)

RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)

HUSKERS
Record: 5-2 (2-2 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Minnesota (L 6-24)
Streak: L 1
Rankings: AP (NR) | Coaches (NR)
Coach: Matt Rhule (17-15, 3rd year NU | 64-58 10th year overall | 1-0 vs. Northwestern)

WILDCATS
Record: 5-2 (3-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: Purdue (W 19-0)
Streak: W 4
Rank: AP (NR) | Coaches (RV)
Coach: David Braun (17-15, 3rd year NW and overall | 0-1 vs. Nebraska)

THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS

3 - Nebraska has held Northwestern to 10 or fewer points in each of the last three meetings at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers held the Wildcats to 10 points in 2019, seven points in 2021 and nine points in a 17-9 win in Matt Rhule's first season in 2023

10 - Senior linebacker Javin Wright has recorded 10 or more tackles in four straight games, including a career-high 12 tackles in each of the last two games. Wright is the first Husker player to record four straight double-digit tackle games since Barrett Ruud had eight straight double figure tackle games in 2004

75 - Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson has 75 career receptions, including a team-high 29 catches in 2025. Johnson is just the third Nebraska running back with 75 career receptions, joining Marlon Lucky (135) and Jeff Kinney (82)

THE MATCHUP
Nebraska returns to Lincoln this weekend to take on Northwestern at Memorial Stadium. Game time is set for 11 a.m. CT and the game will be televised on FS1. The contest can also be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com and the official Huskers App. Saturday's contest will mark Nebraska's annual Military and Veterans Salute at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska is 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten Conference action following a 24-6 setback at Minnesota last Friday. The Huskers trailed just 7-6 at intermission, but Minnesota took control in the second half with 17 unanswered points to hand the Huskers their second loss of the season.

Nebraska returns to Memorial Stadium for a two-game homestand beginning with this week's matchup against the Wildcats. The teams did not play last season, after squaring off in each of Nebraska's first 13 seasons in the Big Ten from 2011 to 2023. The series has a history of close games with 10 of the past 13 meetings decided by one score, including Nebraska's 17-9 victory at Memorial Stadium two seasons ago.

Northwestern also owns a 5-2 overall record, with a 3-1 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats have won four straight games after opening the season with a 1-2 record. Coach David Braun's team has reeled off consecutive victories over UCLA, Louisiana-Monroe, Penn State and Purdue over the past month. The Wildcats dominated the Boilermakers on Saturday, picking up a 19-0 victory in Evanston.

Northwestern relies on a strong defense that allows 305.3 yards and 15.1 points per game to rank in the top 25 nationally in both categories. The Wildcats have held four opponents to 14 or fewer points this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska and Northwestern are meeting for the 14th time as Big Ten opponents and the 18th time overall in series history. The Huskers hold a 10-7 advantage overall and a 7-6 edge since the Huskers joined the Big Ten.

- Nebraska has won each of the past three meetings in Lincoln dating back to 2019, after Northwestern won three of four matchups at Memorial Stadium from 2011 to 2017

- Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, 10 of the 13 meetings have been decided by one score, including six of the seven matchups in Lincoln.

- Eight of 12 games between 2011 and 2022 were decided by three or fewer points or in overtime. Northwestern had a 5-3 edge in those games, including back-to-back overtime victories in 2017 and 2018.

Nebraska vs. Northwestern History
1902: Nebraska 12, Northwestern 0 (Lincoln)
1931: Northwestern 19, Nebraska 7 (Evanston)
1974: Nebraska 49, Northwestern 7 (Lincoln)
2000: Nebraska 66, Northwestern 17 (Alamo Bowl)
-----------Big Ten---------------
2011: Northwestern 28, Nebraska 25 (Lincoln)
2012: Nebraska 29, Northwestern 28 (Evanston)
2013: Nebraska 27, Northwestern 24 (Lincoln)
2014: Nebraska 38, Northwestern 17 (Evanston)
2015: Northwestern 30, Nebraska 28 (Lincoln)
2016: Nebraska 24, Northwestern 13 (Evanston)
2017: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 24 (OT) (Lincoln)
2018: Northwestern 34, Nebraska 31 (OT) (Evanston)
2019: Nebraska 13, Northwestern 10 (Lincoln)
2020: Northwestern 21, Nebraska 13 (Evanston)
2021: Nebraska 56, Northwestern 7 (Lincoln)
2022: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28 (Dublin, Ireland)
2023: Nebraska 17, Northwestern 9 (Lincoln)

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern has fielded a football team since 1876 and the Wildcats have tallied 577 wins as a program. The Wildcats have claimed eight Big Ten championships.

Northwestern has appeared in 17 bowl games, posting a 7-10 record. The Wildcats' last bowl game appearance came in the 2023 season when the Wildcats defeated Utah 14-7 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

First Year: 1876
All-Time Record: 577-713-44
Bowl Record: 7-10
Conference Titles: 8
National Titles: 0
Stadium: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Capacity: 15,000
Surface: IRONTURF
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Enrollment: 8,428
Colors: Purple & White

ABOUT 2025 NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL

Schedule/Results
at Tulane (L 3-23)
Western Illinois (W 42-7)
#4 Oregon (L 34-14)
UCLA (W 17-14)
Louisiana-Monroe (W 42-7)
at Penn State (W 22-21)
Purdue (W 19-0)
at Nebraska
at USC
Michigan
Minnesota
at Illinois

Northwestern is 5-2 on the season and is on a four-game win streak after picking up victories over UCLA, Louisiana-Monroe, Penn State, and Purdue.

The Wildcats are averaging 364.4 yards per game, with 174.3 yards per game through the air and 190.1 yards per game on the ground. Caleb Komolafe leads the rushing attack with 107 carries for 483 yards and five touchdowns, followed by Joseph Himon II with 360 yards on 73 rushes.

In the passing game, Preston Stone has completed 111-of-187 passes for 1,213 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Griffin Wilde has a team-high 36 receptions for 516 yards and four scores, followed by Hayden Eligon II with 11 grabs for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Defensively, the Wildcats are allowing 15.1 points per game and 305.4 yards per game. Robert Fitzgerald leads the Northwestern defense with a team-high 60 tackles, while Michael Kilbane has 18 stops and is tied for the team high with 5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Mac Uihlein has snagged a team-leading three interceptions through seven games this year.

ABOUT DAVID BRAUN
David Braun is in his third season as head coach at Northwestern and has the Wildcats off to a 5-2 start this season.

In his first season leading the Wildcats, Braun led Northwestern to an 8-5 record after picking up a 14-7 win over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2023. The Wildcats were 4-8 in 2024.

Braun arrived at Northwestern after spending the previous four seasons as a defensive coordinator at North Dakota State and helping the Bison to a pair of FCS National Championships in 2019 and 2021. Under Braun, the Bison has the No. 1 scoring defense in the FCS twice in four seasons, including 2021 when he was named the FCS Coordinator of the Year.

Prior to his time at Northwestern and North Dakota State, Braun served as an assistant coach at Winona State (2008-09, 2011-14), Culver-Stockton (2010), UC-Davis (2015-16) and Northern Cockeye (2017-18). Braun played on the defensive line for four years at Winona State University (Division II in Winona, Minnesota), graduating in 2008.

Saturday's matchup is Braun's second meeting against the Big Red after suffering a 17-9 loss to the Huskers in 2023.

LAST MEETING: OCTOBER 21, 2023

Nebraska 17, Northwestern 9

Lincoln - In a low-scoring Big Ten slugfest dominated by the defenses, Heinrich Haarberg's 44-yard touchdown strike to freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman on Nebraska's first offensive play of the fourth quarter provided the winning margin in a 17-9 Husker victory over Northwestern on Saturday.

Playing in front of 86,769 fans in the 100th anniversary celebration of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska improved to 4-3 and 2-2 in the Big Ten, while dropping Northwestern to 3-4 and 1-3 in the conference.

Nebraska won despite managing just 248 total yards and committing a pair of first-quarter turnovers. The Huskers rushed for 163 yards on 39 carries and went just 8-for-17 passing for 85 yards.

Northwestern moved for 257 total yards, including 176 yards on 12-of-23 passing with one interception, while managing just 81 rushing yards on 39 carries. The Cats also produced just nine first downs in the game, compared to 17 for the Huskers.

The Blackshirts held the Wildcats to minus-5 rushing yards on 18 second-half carries by recording 13 tackles for loss - Nebraska's most since producing 13 TFL against Illinois in 2019.

Nebraska also played cleaner football than Northwestern, committing just three penalties for 30 yards, while the normally disciplined Cats were flagged eight times for 75 yards.

The Huskers trailed early after Haarberg threw an interception on Nebraska's first play from scrimmage to open the game. Devin Turner intercepted the pass to set the Wildcats up with a short field at the Husker 44.

The Blackshirts rose to the challenge and pushed Northwestern back across midfield, but the first seven minutes of the game was played on Nebraska's side of the field.

The Wildcats finally cashed in when Haarberg was intercepted by Rod Heard, who returned it 10 yards to the Nebraska 13. The Blackshirts rose up again, shoving Northwestern back 14 yards to force a 45-yard field goal attempt by Jack Olsen, who connected with the wind at his back to give the Cats a 3-0 lead with 7:18 left in the first quarter.

Haarberg and the Huskers then found an answer by marching 35 yards in nine plays capped by Tristan Alvano's 47-yard field goal against the wind to tie the score at 3-3 with 3:11 left in the period.

Midway through the second quarter, Northwestern put together its only sustained drive of the first half, covering 73 yards in 10 plays, capped by Olsen's 37-yard field goal to regain a three-point lead at 6-3 with 5:48 remaining in the half.

Haarberg and the Huskers rallied for an answer again with a 10-play drive of their own that covered 77 yards and took 5:18. Freshman running back Emmett Johnson carried four times on the drive for 25 yards, while Haarberg capped a drive that featured three of his own runs for a total of 25 yards, with a three-yard touchdown plunge to put the Big Red on top for the first time at 10-6 with 23 seconds left in the half.

Johnson finished the day with a game-high 73 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Haarberg added 72 yards on 16 carries.

Northwestern tried to find an answer in short order, but Tommi Hill closed a strong defensive performance by the Blackshirts with his second interception of the season.

The defenses continued to dominate in a scoreless third quarter, before the Husker offense opened the fourth quarter with a short field. On Nebraska's first play from scrimmage in the period, Haarberg hit Coleman with the long touchdown strike in the middle of the end zone to give the Huskers a 17-6 lead.

Northwestern refused to quit, answering with a 66-yard pass from Brendan Sullivan to Bryce Kirtz. Malcolm Hartzog made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Northwestern 9, and the Blackshirts responded by keeping the Cats out of the end zone again. Olsen salvaged a 25-yard field goal to pull Northwestern within 17-9 with 11:09 left.

The Blackshirts did the rest, putting the exclamation point on the victory with a massive 16-yard sack by Jimari Butler and Ty Robinson at the Northwestern 14.

Defensive tackle Nash Hutmacher led a hard-hitting, aggressive Blackshirt defense with seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Isaac Gifford added seven stops of his own, including a highlight reel tackle on the edge through a pair of blockers on a Northwestern screen pass.

Princewill Umanmielen also secured seven tackles, including a pair for losses, while Butler and Luke Reimer each notched six tackles.

 

[jfrommer]

Players-only meeting highlights Nebraska's tough conversations following loss at Minnesota

LINCOLN — To think the Nebraska football team simply moved on following its 24-6 loss at Minnesota, you would be mistaken.

www.hastingstribune.com

 

[nscottie]

Players-only meeting highlights Nebraska's tough conversations following loss at Minnesota

LINCOLN — To think the Nebraska football team simply moved on following its 24-6 loss at Minnesota, you would be mistaken.

www.hastingstribune.com

Can’t read without subscribing

 

[Herbie]

Can’t read without subscribing

LINCOLN — To think the Nebraska football team simply moved on following its 24-6 loss at Minnesota, you would be mistaken.
The days following the Huskers’ second loss of the season was filled with soul searching, according to quarterback Dylan Raiola.
They sat on the loss on Saturday. Had a team meeting on Sunday, where they went through and voiced every concern needed. There was even a player’s only meeting mixed in.

While that may not sound like a good sign, as Nebraska looks to get back on the right track this Saturday against Northwestern with a chance to achieve bowl eligibility, Raiola said it was needed so that the Huskers could all move forward as a group on the same page.


“Now its about fixing (things),” Raiola said. “And I know those guys in the locker room will get it done.”
For the second time this season the Huskers were put in their place. Beaten at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, spelling disaster for their chances of winning a game.
But this was different from Nebraska’s loss to Michigan. The Wolverines may have simply been the better team. Minnesota, in its win, showed it had more effort. And in Raiola’s eyes, that can’t happen again.
“Not just taking punches and not swinging back,” Raiola said. “Goes back to having pride for our university, team and the work we put in.”
Raiola said Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule was leading the charge for a lot of it. Rhule, according to Raiola, showed the Huskers clips and tape of everything they did wrong. It was hard for them to watch.

“At the end of the day all the players aren’t pointing the finger,” Raiola said. “We are taking the blame. We all put our bodies on the line to win a football game and have to wear it.”
There was a lot for Rhule to show. The Huskers, like the Michigan game, lost at the line of scrimmage.
They gave up nearly 200 rushing yards and allowed Raiola to get sacked nine times, which was a focus within the offensive line’s room.

“It sucks,” Lutovsky said. “It’s like your little brother is back there and just got knocked down., He is family to us. It’s a terrible feeling but makes you feel like you need to get better for him.”
Lutovsky said throughout Friday’s game, Nebraska’s offensive line played like they didn’t trust what they had trained to do since the start of preseason camp. And it certainly showed.

Over the past couple of days, there were some tough conversations within that room, with coaches making it clear to each player what they needed to improve on in order to keep Raiola off the turf.
“The only place to go is up,” Lutovsky said. “Taking that mindset every day, attacking everything that is thrown at us in practice or in film and individually fixing what needs to be fixed.
“…We can either be complacent with where we are at or fight back. I know what we are going to do.”
Nebraska’s defense plans to have that same mindset going against Northwestern’s rushing attack, which just like past opponents — like Michigan and Minnesota — will test the Huskers throughout the course of 60 minutes.
“It’s just recognition,” linebacker Marques Watson-Trent said. “Everybody needs to understand that they are going to run outside zone (plays). This is a copy cat league and there are smart coordinators. If there are successful plays in Week 1, they are going to run it in Week 8 and 9. It’s just going to happen. We gotta all communicate, get off blocks and win. That's what it narrows down to.”

Watson-Trent reiterated that stopping the run has to be a defensive-wide mentality, and at times this year, that has been lacking. It was certainly one of the many things discussed in Nebraska’s meetings over the past 72 hours.
Eventually, Nebraska’s attention had to turn to Saturday’s game against the Wildcats, because the only thing worse than Friday’s loss to the Gophers would be for Nebraska to lose the game twice.
It’s easier said than done. Last season, the Huskers allowed a 5-1 start to spiral to a 6-6 finish. Going through that was a tough ride for Nebraska’s players, but it helped them learn that only they are capable of turning the tide back in the right direction.
“Nobody is going to pull us out of it, we have to go do it ourselves,” Raiola said. “Thats simple as that. You got to take what you want and we will be hungry to do that on Saturday.”

 

[jfrommer]

LINCOLN — To think the Nebraska football team simply moved on following its 24-6 loss at Minnesota, you would be mistaken.
The days following the Huskers’ second loss of the season was filled with soul searching, according to quarterback Dylan Raiola.
They sat on the loss on Saturday. Had a team meeting on Sunday, where they went through and voiced every concern needed. There was even a player’s only meeting mixed in.

While that may not sound like a good sign, as Nebraska looks to get back on the right track this Saturday against Northwestern with a chance to achieve bowl eligibility, Raiola said it was needed so that the Huskers could all move forward as a group on the same page.


“Now its about fixing (things),” Raiola said. “And I know those guys in the locker room will get it done.”
For the second time this season the Huskers were put in their place. Beaten at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, spelling disaster for their chances of winning a game.
But this was different from Nebraska’s loss to Michigan. The Wolverines may have simply been the better team. Minnesota, in its win, showed it had more effort. And in Raiola’s eyes, that can’t happen again.
“Not just taking punches and not swinging back,” Raiola said. “Goes back to having pride for our university, team and the work we put in.”
Raiola said Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule was leading the charge for a lot of it. Rhule, according to Raiola, showed the Huskers clips and tape of everything they did wrong. It was hard for them to watch.

“At the end of the day all the players aren’t pointing the finger,” Raiola said. “We are taking the blame. We all put our bodies on the line to win a football game and have to wear it.”
There was a lot for Rhule to show. The Huskers, like the Michigan game, lost at the line of scrimmage.
They gave up nearly 200 rushing yards and allowed Raiola to get sacked nine times, which was a focus within the offensive line’s room.

“It sucks,” Lutovsky said. “It’s like your little brother is back there and just got knocked down., He is family to us. It’s a terrible feeling but makes you feel like you need to get better for him.”
Lutovsky said throughout Friday’s game, Nebraska’s offensive line played like they didn’t trust what they had trained to do since the start of preseason camp. And it certainly showed.

Over the past couple of days, there were some tough conversations within that room, with coaches making it clear to each player what they needed to improve on in order to keep Raiola off the turf.
“The only place to go is up,” Lutovsky said. “Taking that mindset every day, attacking everything that is thrown at us in practice or in film and individually fixing what needs to be fixed.
“…We can either be complacent with where we are at or fight back. I know what we are going to do.”
Nebraska’s defense plans to have that same mindset going against Northwestern’s rushing attack, which just like past opponents — like Michigan and Minnesota — will test the Huskers throughout the course of 60 minutes.
“It’s just recognition,” linebacker Marques Watson-Trent said. “Everybody needs to understand that they are going to run outside zone (plays). This is a copy cat league and there are smart coordinators. If there are successful plays in Week 1, they are going to run it in Week 8 and 9. It’s just going to happen. We gotta all communicate, get off blocks and win. That's what it narrows down to.”

Watson-Trent reiterated that stopping the run has to be a defensive-wide mentality, and at times this year, that has been lacking. It was certainly one of the many things discussed in Nebraska’s meetings over the past 72 hours.
Eventually, Nebraska’s attention had to turn to Saturday’s game against the Wildcats, because the only thing worse than Friday’s loss to the Gophers would be for Nebraska to lose the game twice.
It’s easier said than done. Last season, the Huskers allowed a 5-1 start to spiral to a 6-6 finish. Going through that was a tough ride for Nebraska’s players, but it helped them learn that only they are capable of turning the tide back in the right direction.
“Nobody is going to pull us out of it, we have to go do it ourselves,” Raiola said. “Thats simple as that. You got to take what you want and we will be hungry to do that on Saturday.”

Would appreciate you not doing this. I understand subscribing isn't fun, but we all got to do our job.

I would love to keep sharing my coverage but not for people to copy and paste

 

[jfrommer]

Can’t read without subscribing

Give us a shot. We are the cheapest newspaper and site when it comes to Nebraska sports coverage!

 

[jfrommer]

Here’s the article for those who don’t want to click.

LINCOLN — Throughout the course of last week’s practices, film sessions and meetings, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule felt he did enough to stress how good of a team Minnesota was.
How well the Golden Gophers tackle and play defense. How strong they can be in running the ball and getting to the quarterback if you aren’t prepared. How horribly wrong things can go for opposing teams inside Huntington Bank Stadium, when you aren’t focused.
By evidence of the Huskers’ 24-6 loss on Friday, what he said wasn’t


“I’m pissed off at the coaches, myself,” Rhule said Monday speaking to the media for the first time since after Nebraska’s second loss of the season. “Im mad. I don't know how to say anything other than that…You can't give up nine sacks. You have to run the football. You have to convert third downs and if they are going to blitz you, you have to get the ball out. It was not any one thing. It was just bad football.”


Rhule, speaking ahead of Nebraska’s home game this Saturday against Northwestern, used his annual Monday press conference time to emphasize his message to not only everyone inside the Huskers’ football building, but in the fanbase, too: that performance on Friday was unacceptable.
Nebraska, in losing to Minnesota for a sixth-straight time, did just about everything wrong.
On offense, the Huskers failed to score a touchdown for the first time in Rhule’s tenure. They couldn’t protect quarterback Dylan Raiola throughout the night, but especially after losing two starting offensive linemen. They never found the running game — or attempted to establish it — the same way they did in their win at Maryland.
Defensively, the Huskers didn’t create havoc in the backfield. Didn’t stop the run. Didn’t tackle at the line of scrimmage or in the second level. And had self-inflicted penalties that extended Minnesota drives.


The only group that received any sort of praise on Monday for their performance was special teams. But to win a game like Friday’s — or any game period — Nebraska needs a lot more than that.
“It was just not good enough, at all,” Rhule said. “That rests on my shoulders and if our players are who they say they are, it rests on their shoulders, too…We didn't play nearly good enough.”
Monday’s message from Rhule was about ownership. From the top with his own responsibilities, down to coordinators, position coaches and players, the Huskers have to accept that they are only as good as their last performance. And accept that to be able to make positive steps over the next five weeks, a showing like that can’t occur again.
“It doesn’t carry over into this game unless we let it,” Rhule said. “Our team has every opportunity to come back this week. I'm not mad at the guys. I'm mad at myself and the coaches. I blame us.”


Rhule wasn't one to shy away from his team’s performances being under his responsibility. If the Huskers look good, it falls on him. If they look bad, it falls on him, too.
“We preach ownership,” Rhule said. “I did not have the team prepared to be the more physical team.”
That was the most glaring issue when it came to Friday’s loss to Minnesota. Nebraska wasn’t ready to compete on either side of the trenches.

The nine sacks Nebraska allowed were a culmination of everything going wrong. Rocco Spindler got hurt and Elijah Pritchett got ejected for targeting. There were three instances where whichever running back was in the game missed an assignment. Raiola was holding on to the ball for too long and in some cases, nothing was open downfield.
Could a more balanced offensive game plan have helped? Sure. But the Huskers didn’t run the ball well enough, either.


“The coaching staff has to figure out, not what we want to do, but what we can do (offensively),” Rhule said. “It’s purely on us.”
When Nebraska’s defense was on the field, Minnesota took control of the line of scrimmage then, too. And the Huskers’ tackling in the back end wasn’t good enough to limit the damage.
Rhule said it doesn’t matter how many tackling drills the Huskers do over the course of the year in practice. If it doesn’t translate into games, their issues will remain in place.
“You don't get to just dive at people's feet and think good things are going to happen,” Rhule said. “Stay on your feet, strike, get off blocks, make tackles…I will take ownership of it, but I am looking for some players that want to take ownership of it because at the end of the day, that wasn’t good enough.”


In some cases, a year ago when the Huskers were in a similar position coming off an embarrassing loss at Indiana, that’s exactly what happened. In a hard-fought loss at Ohio State, Nebraska’s players were able to whittle the game back down to I being themselves against the opponent in front of them.
For a large portion of that game, Nebraska was able to win its one-on-ones, giving the eventual national champions a four-quarter fight. The Buckeyes were just the better team.
On Saturday, the Huskers should be the better team when they play Northwestern. But if they overlook the Wildcats like Rhule felt like they did with Minnesota, a similar outcome could happen.
Northwestern, since its home loss to Oregon, have rattled off four-straight victories behind a rushing attack that ranks sixth in the Big Ten, averaging 190 yards per game on the ground. The Wildcats will have the goal of pushing Nebraska around, just like Minnesota did.


“They are really physical and play really hard,” Rhule said of the Wildcats. “They run the football at a high level. Do you know how hard it is to shutout people in college football? They did that to Purdue last week. They play really sound defense and have a great pass rush. They are physical up front and are sixth in the Big Ten in rushing. They got a wideout (Griffin Wilde) who nobody can cover and gets most of their targets. They don't beat themselves, so it is a repeat of the type of team we played last week. We will find out about ourselves this week.”
What does Rhule exactly want to find out? Who within his team is ready to stand up and say that enough is enough.
Rhule seemed to have reached that point on Monday. Only time will tell if the rest of the Huskers follow suit.


“We are coming home, playing at home against a good team,” Rhule said. “I sure hope we show up.
“If Northwestern is just better than us, so be it. But if fans spend their money this week and watch a team diving on the ground to make tackles and being pushed back into the quarterback, then I would boo us. We better show up. We will show.”

Please dont do this. I would love to continue to share my coverage and interact with Nebraska fans here but not for people to copy and paste my work. Thanks for the understanding!

 

[That SOB Van Owen]

Would appreciate you not doing this. I understand subscribing isn't fun, but we all got to do our job.

I would love to keep sharing my coverage but not for people to copy and paste

Likewise we’d appreciate if you contributed to the conversation and content of the board besides spamming your articles. We can probably figure out a win win for all parties involved.