By Rock Westfall
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is focusing on development and stability instead of chasing transfer portal unicorns.
A Nightmare November
It will take a long time for the Nebraska Cornhuskers to live down going four and out. The Big Red needed only one win in its final four games to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. Not only did Nebraska not get it done, they failed in the most gut-wrenching fashion. Each loss was a one-score affair. But as the 2023 coaching carousel peaks, Nebraska aims to improve what it already has.
Meanwhile Matt Rhule has a positive outlook on tackling the transfer portal.
“I honestly don’t see any of it as stressful. I 100 percent am in this position to help young people say they had a better life because they played for me, that’s 100 percent why I do it. I look at next… https://t.co/hrvxSYkDDq
— Kaleb Henry (@iKalebHenry) November 26, 2023
The four-and-out nightmare began with a 20-17 loss at Michigan State against a terrible Spartans team. It was the rare time in 2023 that Rhule’s team showed up late and was not fully engaged. The minus-three turnover margin was the dagger.
That was followed by a 13-10 home loss to Maryland. An absurd five turnovers did Nebraska in. Three of those turnovers occurred on three consecutive drives in the fourth quarter. Maryland iced the game with a 22-yard field goal by Jack Howes at the gun.
More Sports News
Next came a 24-17 overtime loss at Wisconsin to a Badgers team that was then 5-5 and on the brink. Nebraska bolted out of the gate with a 14-0 lead but ran out of answers offensively. In the end, Rhule was arguably too conservative, passing up time and opportunity deep in Wisconsin territory for a potential game-winning touchdown. Instead, Rhule opted for a field goal to send the game into overtime. Nebraska outgained Wisconsin 364-316. And Chubba Purdy impressed with a solid performance in his first start at QB.
With a final chance on Senior Day against Iowa, the Huskers lost 13-10. Iowa’s backup kicker, Marshall Meader, kicked a 38-yard field goal with 15 seconds to play to end Nebraska’s bowl bid. Three more turnovers proved to be the difference for Nebraska.
In previous head coaching starts at Temple and Baylor, Rhule got off to rough starts (2-10, 1-11 respectively). Rhule knows Nebraska is much more of a name-brand legacy program and fiercely wanted to deliver a bowl game to demanding and desperate fans in his first campaign. To fail in such a painful fashion has caused angst for everyone involved. Wisely, Rhule quickly turned the page.
Walk-off Winner 😎@Meeder23 x #Hawkeyes
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) November 24, 2023
The Rhule Doctrine: Stability and Self-Improvement
On Tuesday, Matt Rhule kicked off the 2024 season with a virtuoso performance at a press conference. His vision goes against the current grain of college football.
As transfer portal entries began, a name that lit the fires of Nebraska fans was Kansas State quarterback Will Howard. But by the end of Rhule’s press conference, it was obvious that chasing down Howard was not going to be a priority. Rhule lamented that good quarterbacks in the portal can cost up to $2 million. While Nebraska does have money, it intends to spend wisely.
Rhule is trying to build a program that can sustain itself rather than one that is a flash in the pan. Nebraska is a developmental program and always was, even in its glory years, as a perennial national contender from 1962 through 2001. Somewhere, that got lost. Roster and coaching staff turnover became the norm. And Rhule is determined to end it.
When offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield came under intense fire during the November fade, Rhule stood up for his OC and stated that constantly firing everyone is a leading reason why Nebraska football has been failing for a decade. Rhule said instead of firing coaches, the staff would collectively work to get better.
Rhule’s line in the sand for an OC losing the faith of Husker Nation was commendable and a contrarian bet. Most other programs would have run off Satterfield. That’s the easy out. Also, it will demonstrate to fans, players, and coaches that he is committed to development and sticking with his people instead of revolving doors and the coaching carousel.
Past and present durable coaching staffs to emulate include Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, Bill Snyder at Kansas State, Gary Pinkel at Missouri, and the Barry Alvarez-led Wisconsin program. Those developmental programs thrived with stability on the coaching staff, even through lean years. Rhule knows this and will follow.
Rhule Not Bringing His Louis
Just as important was Rhule’s commitment to not run off players. Instead, he vowed to keep the promises made to parents and develop his players rather than cutting them loose.
Compare Rhule’s ways to Deion Sanders at Colorado, who in his first team meeting warned players that he was bringing his own luggage, and it was “Louis” as in Vuitton, the famed uber-upscale maker of suitcases, purses, sunglasses, shoes, and other absurdly priced celebrity culture products.
Rhule has made it clear to his current players and prospects that if you come to Nebraska, bring your lunch bucket and arrive ready to work. However, you will also get quality and committed coaching support focused on maxing out your talents.
The Big Red Quarterback Room
In 2023, Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims showed flashes of dynamic ability but remained a turnover machine. Rhule confessed to being disappointed that the coaches could not break Sims of his turnover habits (1/6 TD/INT ratio). Sims may transfer out as a senior, though no decision has been made.
Local hero Heinrich Haarberg came on strong in the middle of the campaign to put Nebraska in bowl position at 5-3 with four games to go. Haarberg is tough as nails and led the Big Red in rushing. But he was not a prolific passer and posted a 7/7 TD/INT ratio. Haarberg faded down the stretch, but much of that can be attributed to being battered physically. He is a player that does not avoid contact. The sophomore is expected back in 2023
And then there is sophomore Chubba Purdy, the brother of San Francisco 49ers star Brock Purdy. While still raw, Chubba was the most impressive Nebraska signal-caller, with a 111.7 QB rating and 6.2 yards per rush. Like Sims and Haarberg, Purdy was guilty of critical turnovers. But he also flashed signs of becoming a reliable playmaker and cool customer. He will enter winter conditioning as number one on the depth chart. And as a quarterback, many scouts claim to be more talented than his brother.
An Old-School Approach to a Vastly New Era
Rhule’s last college season before taking the Nebraska job was in 2019. His 11-3 Baylor Bears made the Sugar Bowl without NIL and the portal. Thus, critics scoff at what they see as Rhule’s quaint vision of the ultimate developmental program: a mutual commitment by coaches and players to stick together and get better every day. To the skeptics, today’s college football is all about player empowerment and getting the bag.
And while many doubt Rhule can pull off his blueprint successfully, Nebraska now has a brand that few other programs can offer. And for the right kind of player who is tough and fully committed to self-improvement, Rhule’s program could be a perfect fit. And a bowl team as soon as 2024.
