Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Nebraska, Rhule & Raiola Not Ready for B1G Time

Huskers made too many errors in their loss to improved Illinois

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Aug 31
Aug 31

By Rock Westfall

After a 3-0 start that included a prime time win over Coach Prime‘s Buffaloes, there was a sense that the Big Year beckoned for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

On Friday night, the Big Red was a 9.5-favorite for its Big Ten opener against Illinois. With a FOX national TV showcase and the 400th consecutive sellout on hand at Memorial Stadium, everything was set up for another statement-maker and recruiting infomercial.

Indeed, a statement was made.

Nebraska flopped on the B1G stage and looked like a team that had been reading its own headlines and receiving plenty of compliments from attractive co-eds all week. The Huskers were not ready. They made selfish, lazy, costly penalties. The highly touted offensive line consistently couldn’t bust a grape. And the celebrated Blackshirt defense was exploited for all its vulnerabilities.

In the fourth quarter, the Huskers missed a makeable field goal that would have clinched the game late. That was after 5-star true freshman sensation quarterback Dylan Raiola misfired on a wide-open TD pass on a perfect play call by offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield.

In overtime, Big Red was rendered useless, and the offense was thrown around like a pitiful, helpless, wannabe giant.

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At times, Nebraska looked like the better, deeper, and more talented team. But Illinois wore them down, bested Nebraska in all phases of the game, and thoroughly out-schemed the Huskers while showing greater discipline and fundamentals.

Can anyone say, “reality check?”

Where Were the Blackshirts?

At the onset of the season, the Nebraska defense was thought to be the team’s strength. But Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer seemed unimpressed with the Huskers. Altmyer threw four touchdown passes, including the OT winner to Pat Bryant. The Ole Miss transfer was 21-27 for 215 yards and drew social media comparisons to Tom Brady for his efficiency.

But the most impressive Altmyer toss was a play that was both humorous and imaginative. It was a play in which the Illini coaching staff handed Nebraska their jocks.

Altmyer threw 6 yards to tackle Brandon Henderson on a fourth-and-2 for the touchdown with 10:36 left in regulation. It was the 6-5, 335-lb. Henderson’s first career reception.

Most disheartening for Nebraska was that Illinois ran for 168 yards on 38 carries at 4.4 yards per rush. The ground game and Altmyer’s passing kept the Nebraska defense and celebrated coordinator Tony White off balance throughout the evening.

The Illini outgained Nebraska 383-347 and held a 25 to 20 first-down edge. Illinois overcame two turnovers and showed far more discipline than Nebraska. The Illini committed only three penalties for 20 yards compared to nine for 98 yards by the Big Red.

“Defensively we have to go back and really kind of look at what we’re doing and make sure we’re doing the right things with the guys that we have,” said Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. “They spread us out like Colorado did, but the difference was they were able to run the ball in those sets, whereas Colorado didn’t run the ball.

“I think at halftime they had 31 yards rushing,” Rhule said. “I think in the second half, they ran for over 100 yards … We didn’t seem to be the more physical team. We did win the turnover battle today. The defense took the ball away twice. But we couldn’t get off the field.”

Nebraska’s Offensive Line Exposed – Raiola Hits & Misses 

Throughout summer camp, the offensive line was touted to be the most improved unit on the Big Red. Yet in the biggest game so far in the young season, it could not consistently produce reliable rushing lanes. Nebraska averaged 1.6 yards per rush on 32 attempts. And while some of that total can be attributed to the NCAA’s absurd rule of adding QB sacks to the rushing yardage total, the fact remains that Illinois controlled the line of scrimmage. Nebraska’s top back, Dante Dowdell, averaged under four yards per carry (20 attempts, 72 yards).

In overtime, the offensive line was obliterated and allowed Nebraska to face a third and 42 situation.

On balance, Raiola had a decent night, going 24-35 for 297 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on a 50/50 ball that was originally ruled a Nebraska TD before being changed to an interception after replay review.

However, the true freshman did not finish a game-winning opportunity late in the fourth quarter. On third and three from the Illinois 21, Raiola missed wide open Luke Lindenmeyer on a perfectly conceived play, overthrowing him while dropping the dagger in the process.

“It was wide open, though. It was a helluva play call by Satt,” Rhule said of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield. “We were just trying to throw the ball to the fullback in the flat. We were going to show run formation, throw the ball to the fullback in the flat, Dylan sees the guy. Dylan’s vision is amazing. He sees it. That’s not really part of the progression most times. Such a good play call … We just don’t connect on it.”

After Raiola’s incompletion, John Hohl, filling in for the injured Tristan Alvano, missed a 38-yard field goal.

“That’s a makable field goal,” Rhule said. “I felt like we would make that field goal. When I looked at it, the laces weren’t turned out; we had to kick the laces, and it just wasn’t made.”

https://twitter.com/HawksChronicles/status/1837463264214544783

Spare Us the Bad Officiating Crying Towel  

There was plenty of social media whining by Nebraska fans with the perpetual conspiracy theory that the Big Ten refs are out to stick it to the Big Red.

It is true that in overtime, with Nebraska facing a third and 42 in the first overtime period, a late hit after a pass completion in front of the Nebraska bench was ignored by the officials. While perhaps on the margins to some viewers, FOX announcers Tim Brando and Devin Gardner both vehemently said there should have been a flag, which would have resulted in a first down and a continuation of the series.

Still, throughout the game, multiple personal foul penalties by Nebraska kept Illinois drives alive and the Big Red defense on the field. The calls were legitimate and indicative of a Nebraska team that was lazy, entitled, selfish, and mentally unprepared.

Now, the same fans that professed love and appreciation for Rhule are ripping his 2-20 career record against ranked teams.

The good news is that an unranked and bad Purdue team is next on the schedule in the road opener for the Huskers.

Friday night’s lost opportunity is part of the growing pains and process of a program that has not had a winning record or bowl game since 2016.

“That was a Big Ten game right there – the typical kind of going down to the last play,” Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson said. “It hurts because we really beat ourselves, especially on defense. We get to come back next week and clean up a lot of mistakes.”

It is said that football games are not won as much as they are lost. Husker Nation was painfully reminded of that adage in an embarrassing national TV performance.

Nope, Nebraska is not yet B1G Time.

It’s time to turn a bad loss and hard lesson into big gains.  

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