Matt Rhule is failing the Nebraska football program

A wise man once told me that to keep your job as a head coach, you have to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat and every once in a while, beat the teams you aren’t supposed to beat.

The problem for Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule is that he can’t beat either.

Whether it’s fourth-ranked Ohio State or 2-5 UCLA, the result is the same. Nebraska can’t execute near the goal line, can’t protect the quarterback, can’t run the ball, and can’t play winning football.

A bowl game was served up on a platter for Nebraska football. Yet, the Huskers were out-played and out-coached by the Bruins and frankly, it feels like DeShaun Foster is closer to building something than Matt Rhule.

At least he has beaten a team he wasn’t supposed to beat. Outside of a road game against an Illinois team that didn’t make a bowl game, Rhule has never done that.

That’s what good head coaches do. And at this point, it’s more than fair to ask if Rhule is a good head coach.

Matt Rhule isn’t getting the job done for Nebraska football

Matt Rhule is a good man. He seems like the kind of guy you’d want to invite over for dinner with the family, but nice doesn’t always equal success and Husker Nation is finding that out again.

UCLA came in not being able to run the ball (64 yards per game) but against Nebraska, the Bruins rushed for 139 compared to 113 for Nebraska. Frankly, the game was won and lost right there.

Dylan Raiola had some moments during the comeback but he hasn’t progressed. Over his last four games, he’s thrown one touchdown compared to five interceptions. The offense is bad and he’s not above reproach.

Nobody is. Especially Matt Rhule.

Rhule talked about how the Huskers had a championship mindset last week. But it didn’t carry over. It seemingly never does.

Nebraska is entering another bye week before its 10th game and still doesn’t have a single thing it can rely on offensively. There’s nothing this offense can count on when it needs a first down.

The same can be said for the defense, which played well in the second half, but didn’t force a turnover and didn’t get nearly enough pressure on the quarterback.

It wasn’t good enough in any sense of the word. It hasn’t been and 21 games in, a 10-11 record and zero signs of progress are pretty hard to swallow.

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