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Matt Rhule Wins Another Presser, But On-Field Success Must Follow

Matt Rhule wins another press conference, but can he turn that into on-field success for Nebraska?

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Oct 6
Oct 6

By Rock Westfall

Monday’s press conference was likely not something Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule looked forward to. There is no explaining away a 56-7 loss to anyone, let alone an Indiana Hoosiers program under a first-year coach (Curt Cignetti) who has the opportunity for the greatest season in program history.

Yet Rhule again flashed his greatest strength as a coach. The Great Communicator delivered a masterful performance at his weekly media meeting. Indeed, Rhule has yet to lose a press conference.

I’ll admit that I didn’t see how Rhule could pull off a successful presser yesterday, yet he did. But now in his second season, Rhule must match his wins at the podium with success on the field.  

Since the arrival of 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, who flipped from Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, the Rhule-Aid has been flowing under blue skies. But the loss at Indiana revealed that Nebraska is nowhere near where it was touted to be by respected Big Media personalities such as Joel Klatt, among many others.

As former Husker head coach Scott Frost would say, we have seen this movie before. And that is the problem. Rhule was hired to produce a new show. So, as well as Rhule did on Monday, he must find a way to be equally effective on game days.

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Whether he can deliver or not remains debatable. 

“Here We Go Again” 

For the first time since taking over as head coach, Matt Rhule gently and indirectly reminded everyone that he inherited a program with a losing mentality. Rhule said that against Indiana, there was a sense of, “Here we go again.” He added that such a culture existed before his arrival.

While that is true, most of the key personnel, starting with Raiola, were acquired on his watch. And nobody was saying, “Here we go again” in the dominant win over Colorado or in close-call victories against Purdue and Rutgers. Therefore, we really don’t need to hear that, especially after being sold the idea that Rhule’s culture of accountability, hard work, and toughness would make the difference in a breakthrough season.

Rhule admitted that he was blindsided by the terrible performance but made it clear that he does not believe any of his players quit against the Hoosiers. His analysis of the Indiana game is that Nebraska’s biggest problem was technical issues such as missed blocks and alignments. He has gone out of his way to defend his players and convincingly shoulder the blame. 

Rhule Demands That Nebraska Challenge Ohio State as Men  

Perhaps the most impressive part of Monday’s press conference was Rhule’s comment that football is a man’s game and that Nebraska needs to challenge the Ohio State Buckeyes directly rather than fear them.

Rhule said that the Huskers will not stand a chance if they keep looking at the scoreboard. Instead, he wants the Big Red to focus on their assignments and direct confrontations with the Buckeyes.

Rhule made multiple references to the NFL, no doubt as a recruiting pitch for both the players he has and those he is trying to sign. He said that NFL-caliber players always challenge their opponents and fight to the end. He mentioned that Nebraska and Ohio State both have NFL prospects and being assertive is key to making the next level. 

Fire Satt! Fire Foley! – Forget About It 

For Husker Nation, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and special teams coordinator Ed Foley have become specific targets of rage and frustrationn. Satterfield’s play-calling has lacked imagination and flow, while Foley’s kicking and return teams are an embarrassment.

But Rhule is a patient builder, not a talk radio host or blogger, and he prefers a culture of improvement over firing guys in midseason. So, for those hoping he would be inspired by Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables firing his offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, it is not going to happen. Rhule said the emphasis will be on execution, fundamentals, and matchups.

As for forgoing field goal attempts in favor of fourth-down gambles against Indiana, Rhule said that his decisions were not based on a lack of confidence in his field goal unit but were instead about converting makeable fourth downs and focusing on getting seven points instead of three.

Dylan Raiola And the Terrifying T-Word 

Although there has not been any hint of a potential transfer by prized 5-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, fans and Nebraska media are beginning to speculate that it could happen if the season is lost.

Raiola is the starter in part because of a tremendous attitude and work ethic that has won over the upperclassmen. But Raiola is not being well-served by Satterfield’s poor coordination of the offense and play calling.

After a strong start, Raiola is in a funk. He lacks receivers with playmaking ability and a reliable running game. With no support, defenses are free to tee off on Raiola. Whether Rhule and Satterfield can find workarounds remains to be seen, but they must.

Perhaps for Raiola, it has been a case of too much too soon. He is suffering from a supporting cast that is not yet ready for the Big Ten and an offensive coordinator who is failing to find solutions and play calling rhythm.

It is reasonable to worry about Raiola losing confidence and suffering a potentially permanent career setback. Rhule must save him while there is still time.

Rhule and Satterfield have the responsibility to ensure that Raiola gets better support and that sixth win for a bowl game.

Now, Nebraska faces the daunting task of traveling to Columbus, Ohio, and stepping into the famed Horseshoe to face what is called “The Best Team That Money Can Buy.” Nebraska is a 25.5-point underdog to the Ohio State Buckeyes, surrounded by an internal storm of doubt and coming off one of the worst performances in program history.

Although a win on Saturday is unlikely, there is every reason to expect more fight from the Big Red and a better performance.

Anything less is not an option. 

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