5 things learned from another Nebraska football debacle under Matt Rhule

Just as Nebraska football fans began to have hope for the Matt Rhule era, it all came crashing down with a 17-10 loss to Washington on Saturday night.

The Huskers had the Blackout planned. It was an incredible atmosphere, one that the Huskers wasted for the second year in a row.

Last year, Dylan Raiola got hurt. Instead of improving to 6-2, Nebraska football fell to 5-3 before finishing 7-5. This was a different kind of nightmare, but it was a nightmare all the same.

After a 95-yard touchdown drive in the first half, Nebraska didn’t score again. Midway through the fourth quarter, a missed field goal would have made a four-point lead seven.

It might not have mattered, though. What Nebraska really needed was a touchdown. After a penalty and a sack, it lost about 10 yards and squandered a chance to put the game away. Washington took advantage and stole a 17-10 win.

Here are five things we learned after a painful rewatch.

Matt Rhule lost the game

Coaches don’t win games, but they do lose them. Rhule did that on Saturday night. First, the head coach didn’t take a timeout to avoid a delay-of-game penalty on first-and-goal. Nebraska thinks it got the snap off, but a touchdown would have ended the game, so make sure you don’t lose five yards in a critical situation.

That was egregious. Telling Rob Aurich to blitz Andrew Marshall on a corner blitz on second-and-10 was unfathomable. It left Dwayne McDougle one-on-one with 20 yards of space. Demond Williams threw right where the blitz came from, and there was no chance it was going to get home. There wasn’t anyone within 10 yards of the receiver when he caught it.

Williams had to throw a screen pass, essentially, and then his receiver only needed to beat one man in open space to get to the end zone.

You won’t ever see a game-winning touchdown that’s easier than that. The Huskers also allowed a third-and-15 conversion and a fourth-and-18 conversion.

But if the dude just took a timeout on first-and-goal, it all might have been avoided.

Dana Holgorsen shouldn’t call another play for Nebraska

The Huskers had seven chances as an offense to extend the lead to two scores. They punted five times, were forced to try a Hail Mary after a failed two-minute drill, and missed a field goal. Four of those drives ended after five plays or less.

Holgorsen abandoned the run game. Nebraska thought it could beat Washington down the field in man coverage, and it only happened once, thanks to Carter Nelson, no less. The offense has done this three games in a row.

You have to put teams away, and Nebraska just can’t do it. The Huskers have scored 17 points in the fourth quarter across those games. They are averaging just 14.6 points per game. It’s atrocious, and Holgorsen has to go. It’s not even all his fault, but someone has to be held accountable.

Anthony Colandrea deal may have been premature

There is a lot to love about Colandrea. He has given the offense a spark; however, he has thrown six interceptions in the last four games, with at least one pick in each.

Not all interceptions are equal, but last night, they were really bad. On the last one, Colandrea stared down Luke Lindenmeyer before having the pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Isaiah Mozee was wide open for a first down.

He also decided to keep running backward instead of just taking a loss before the missed field goal, and the delay of game also shouldn’t happen with a fourth-year quarterback. A touchdown there ends the game. All the little things matter.

It feels like Nebraska did the same thing it did with Rhule: rushed into an extension.

Defense has a glaring issue

Fingers should be pointing at the offense. The defense did more than enough to win for the third week in a row, essentially allowing just 10 points last night.

That being said, they have to find a way to get off the field to end the game. There was a third-and-15, which should have been a third-and-20 if Cameron Lenhardt had finished a sack where he had Demond Williams wrapped up.

The quarterback then scrambled for 15 yards. Nebraska blitzed and allowed a one-on-one on fourth-and-18. Victor Evans couldn’t make a play and allowed a game-saving conversion.

Sometimes Aurich plays coverage at the end. Sometimes, he goes pressure. Rhule called the corner blitz, but truth be told, the drive should have been over before then.

It’s still hard to put much blame on the defense. If you told me before the season that Indiana, Washington, and Oregon would score 54 points (18 per game), even with the pick-six, I would have been ecstatic.

The Blackshirts have to learn how to finish, though. Games are 60 minutes, not 50.

Close losses aren’t a curse; it’s Rhule

It’s funny to joke about the program being cursed, but it’s not. The Huskers just cave under pressure. It’s inexplicable. It’s been more than one head coach, but Rhule takes the cake.

There are so many self-inflicted wounds. He’s a nice guy. I wanted him to succeed, but he just seems in over his head. The contract buyout might save him for now, yet it feels like, long term, the writing is on the wall.

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