Nebraska showed heart in its 21-17 loss at Ohio State on Saturday. Give head coach Matt Rhule credit for getting his team to fight for four quarters.
“This was a hard week, but a week that I knew, because of my experiences, would turn into something good,” Rhule said postgame. “You don’t want it to sound like a moral victory because we lost, and we’re not here to lose.”
A loss is a loss, but the fact that the Huskers battled after getting blown out the week prior, to none other than Ohio State, is encouraging. It appeared that Rhule’s assistant coaches were coaching for their jobs.
“We’re the University of Nebraska, we’re not here to lose, but in terms of the development and growth of what you’re trying to build, because in the world, everyone wants things to happen quickly, if you want it to be sustainable, if you want it to last forever, you have to do it the right way,” Rhule said postgame. “I get a lot of questions of ‘why aren’t we doing it this way, that way,’ we’re trying to build something that is sustainable. Maybe it will work, maybe it won’t, who knows. A lot of you guys have seen a lot of guys come here and it hasn’t worked, so I’m trying it a different way. I was proud of that football team today. I was proud, they didn’t back down, they had some really tough breaks, they had some things really go against them, even the way they started (and) we competed. This was the first time since I’ve been here, that I felt a championship mindset in the locker room.”
Here are some quick takes following Nebraska’s loss:
Blackshirts play lights out
Defensive coordinator Tony White had the Blackshirts ready to go. After giving up 495 yards the previous week, a complete flip of the script appeared against the Buckeyes.
The Blackshirts gave up 285 total yards. The rush defense is what stood out, as they only allowed 64 yards on the ground, for a 2.1 average. Tackling was significantly improved across the board. Nebraska’s defense gave it everything they had.
“I thought our defensive was dominant all day,” Rhule said postgame.
A few big plays here and there. Overall, an extremely impressive effort by the Blackshirts. They forced a turnover, made crucial stops, pressured Ohio State senior quarterback Will Howard and put the offense in a position to win the game. This looked to be the caliber of play that White expects.
Satterfield continues to have a questionable scheme
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield has received backlash from Husker Nation recently and it’s for good reason. Satterfield was trigger-happy in calling screen and swing passes. As many saw, they did not work.
The perimeter blocking continues to be a focal problem for the offense. On those swing and bubble screens, missed blocks are the main problem. There is still no logical explanation for the lack of utilizing junior quarterback Heinrich Haarberg. The Huskers would benefit by using Haarberg’s size to block on the perimeter going forward. Nebraska needs to use him, regardless of what position he’s listed at.
On the bright side, Nebraska was able to be solid running the football. This was due to freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola showing his ability to improvise with his legs. Sophomore running backs Dante Dowdell and Emmett Johnson had a good burst out of the backfield. The 131 yards against Ohio State is an improvement, but at times the perimeter blocking negated a potential big run.
John Hohl had himself a day
Redshirt freshman kicker John Hohl shined on Saturday. Going into the game, he was 1-5 on the year. His three field goals kept the Huskers in the game.
Hohl showed his power in his 54-yard kick as the first half expired. This was crucial momentum that kept the fighting spirit within the team. Finally, the Huskers have a bright spot in the kicking game, after the woes this season.
What’s next?
Getting to bowl eligibility has a better outlook than a week prior. Nebraska will be taking on its weakest opponent of their final four games when UCLA rolls into Lincoln this next week.
Injury concerns are something to keep an eye on. Raiola’s injury appeared to be around his AC joint; hopefully it was just a stinger. Junior defensive back Malcom Hartzog’s is still unknown. One thing is for sure: if Big Red plays like they did at Ohio State the rest of the way, they will get to a bowl game.