The Nebraska Cornhuskers and head coach Matt Rhule have high expectations for the forthcoming season as they hope to build themselves into a championship-contending program.
Rhule explicitly explained the three-year plan he hopes the Huskers follow in order for that to happen in an interview with Joel Klatt of FOX Sports.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers and HC Matt Rhule gave hope but eventually disappointed fans in 2023
Nov 24, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Jermari Harris (27) reacts after the Hawkeyes interception against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
In a fashion that aligns with typical Matt Rhule programs in year one, the Nebraska Cornhuskers left plenty to be desired in 2023.
They started 5-3 giving hope to Husker faithful that they might make their way into the postseason for the first time since 2016, but Rhule and the Huskers went on a four-game skid to keep them out of a bowl game once again.
The sting of being kept out of a bowl game by their rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes, in the last game of the season left a sour taste in the mouths of many Husker fans.
Changement de situation dans le Nebraska!
Après une interception en fin de match d’Iowa, les Hawkeyes s’imposent et remportent la rivalité face aux Cornhuskers 🟡⚫️ pic.twitter.com/4fBEucpOxb
— The Trick Play – NCAA/CFB (@TheTrickPlayFR) November 26, 2021
Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers are ahead of schedule
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Matt Rhule during Football Camp
While the final record was a disappointment given how the Huskers started, a five-win season is a bit ahead of schedule when compared to other programs Rhule rebuilt in the past. In his first season with the Temple Owls in 2013, Rhule went 2-10 before improving to 6-6 in 2014. Rhule then went on to have back-to-back 10-win seasons with Temple in 2015 and 2016.
Rhule followed a similar pattern when rebuilding the Baylor Bears. They started off with a 1-11 record in 2017, which was Rhule’s first year with the program. He then led them to a 7-6 season in 2018 and an 11-win season in 2019.
Judging by patterns from the past, Rhule essentially started his Nebraska rebuild on what would’ve been year two in the other two programs he rebuilt. Despite an abysmal decade of Nebraska football, the Cornhuskers were in a far better spot when Rhule took over than Temple and Baylor were.
While there are no guarantees in a post-COVID college football world that is now home to NIL and the transfer portal, Rhule should have the Cornhuskers well on their way to a bowl game in year two.
Matt Rhule says the Nebraska Cornhuskers will be playing ‘Championship football’ in year three
Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Rhule explained to Klatt from FOX Sports that he thinks there will be a missive jump in each of the first three years he is the head coach of the Huskers.
“I just expect us to make a massive jump from Year 1 to Year 2. And I expect our best jump to be from Year 2 to Year 3. I think you go from playing losing football to winning football, winning football to championship football… So I expect us to have a really good team this year,” Rhule explained.
“I expect us to make some runs. I expect us to be a team people don’t want to play,” he continued. “I always want us to win a bowl game, I want us to be in the conference title race and I want us to fight to go play in the College Football Playoff and then win it.”
“Let’s fix the turnover issue, let’s get really good on offense to match our defense and then we’ll go play. We’ll see what happens.”
Rhule explicitly mentioned the turnover issue, which was one of the chief flaws that managed to keep the Huskers out of the postseason in 2023. Turnovers, mostly from the quarterback position, cost the Huskers games they were in a position to win.
Now, the Huskers have five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola at the helm. If he can throw less than 16 interceptions with more than 10 touchdowns he will be ahead of the three quarterbacks that attempted to lead Nebraska through the 2023 season.
The Huskers averaged nearly three turnovers a game in a season that was poetically capped off with an interception thrown to the Iowa Hawkeyes on the potential game-winning drive. If Raiola can provide even mediocre quarterback play, the Huskers will easily walk into the postseason given their defense continues to be among one of the best in the nation.
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Publish date : 2024-07-02 22:46:35
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