After four years in Lincoln, Tight End Thomas Fidone has said his farewell to the Huskers.
It was a tumultuous ride for Fidone in his time at Nebraska, dealing with injury early on and then followed by complete coaching overhaul. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you look back to the beginning. His commitment stirred up a certain excitement that made fans believe in the trajectory of the program, but unfortunately, hype doesn’t always materialize into results.
When Dana Holgorsen arrived on campus late into the season, he was tasked with looking for the flaws holding back the Nebraska offense. One of the first points of emphasis for the new Offensive Coordinator was the erroneous blocking out on the edge. It was an area that multiple players were guilty of struggling with, Fidone included. ‘No Block, No Rock’ became the tagline Holgorsen pushed forward. There were some players that improved in the department and others that didn’t. Because of this, Fidone saw a decreased role.
While Fidone’s playing time was cut back, Tight End Luke Lindenmeyer’s playing time went up. In the Bowl Game, Lindenmeyer, time and time again, put Boston College defenders into the dirt, paving the way for skill guys up the field. Lindenmeyer’s presence was barefaced and evident to both Boston College defenders and the fans watching from home on their couch. The combination of him with young talent Carter Nelson will make for a formidable Tight End duo going into next season.
Lindenmeyer was one of the many positives in the Huskers win against Boston College, but there was a glaring deficiency that nearly overshadowed the otherwise strong performance. Like many times before, it was the Special Teams play that almost cost the Huskers yet another win, and Matt Rhule addressed the on-going problem yesterday afternoon with the firing of Ed Foley.
It’s been far too long since Nebraska had an adept Special Teams unit. It was clear that a change was needed, and with the firing of Foley and the demotion of Marcus Satterfield, Rhule has now proven he’s willing to replace coaches if the performance doesn’t meet his standard.
It’s not just Rhule who is setting the bar high, it’s the players too. Dylan Raiola said after the game against Boston College that reaching the College Football Playoff is the team’s goal for next season. The Head Coach showing that he’s willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team is, and will, translate to confidence in the players minds.
