Nebraska Football: Are the Huskers Ready to Win?

Experience, depth, a solid defense and some new additions may give Husker fans a lot to cheer about this fall.

Sep 23, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule reacts after a call against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

In less than two weeks, Year Two of the Matt Rhule Era at Nebraska will begin.

In Rhule's first year at Nebraska, the Huskers fumbled their way through a 5-7 season.  Disappointing isn't the word to describe last year's record.  NU lost five one-score games, including identical 10-13 losses to Minnesota, Maryland and Iowa.

But this year should be different, insist Husker fans.  They point to Rhule's second-year turnarounds at Temple and Baylor.

In Rhule's first year (2013) at Temple, the Owls went 2-10.  Year two, Temple went 6-6.  Those two seasons were followed by back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2015 and 2016.

At Baylor, Rhule's 2017 team went 1-11.  The next year, the Bears went 7-6.  That was followed by an 11-3 season that won Matt Rhule Big 12 Coach of the Year honors.

So what kind of magic can we expect from Matt Rhule this year at Nebraska?

Great question.  The answer is:  it depends.  How's that for going out on a limb?

Here are some questions I have going into this fall.

1)  Can the Huskers manage to get out of their own way?

Nebraska had a miserable time trying to protect the ball last year.  The Huskers had 31 turnovers with 14 takeaways for a minus-17 turnover margin.  NU ended the season ranked 132nd out of a total of 133 teams.

That's pathetic.

However, if Matt Rhule, his staff and players can put a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, NU should win a lot more games this fall.  Of last year's 31 turnovers, 25 were caused by Husker QBs.  Dylan, Danny and Heinrich will have to show they can take care of the football.

2)  Will the Husker O-line be able to ensure NU QBs don't have to run for their lives? 

Last year NU's leading rusher was QB Heinrich Haarberg.  His scrambles helped NU look good in the conference rushing totals, but relying on a QB to run that often puts the player in harm's way.  Haarberg started eight games in 2023 but was so beat up by the end of the season, he couldn't play.

3)  Will the QB room stay healthy enough to finish the season strong?

Everybody knows there are two new kids on the block: Dylan Raiola and Danny Kaelin.  Both are true freshmen who have never played a down of college football.  Raiola looks to be the starter and if he can hold up for the season, he should be a pretty seasoned QB going down the stretch in November.  Note:  In his senior season in high school at Buford High in Georgia, he threw just one interception the entire year.

4)  Will Nebraska be able to run the ball when the game is on the line?

A running back the likes of Rex Burkhead or Ameer Abdullah has yet to emerge from Nebraska's lineup . Much of the problem last year could be attributed to injuries sustained by Gabe Ervin Jr. and Rahmir Johnson.  Reshirt freshman Emmett Johnson was thrown into the mix, but about a year ahead of schedule.  The addition of Oregon transfer Dante Dowdell should improve the the room.

5) Will the Husker receiving corps to stay healthy to make a late season run at a winning record?  

Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, Jaylen Lloyd, Malachi Colemen and Thomas Fidone return and will be joined by newcomers like Jahmal Banks, Jacory Barney, Isaiah Neyor and Carter Nelson. Depth at receiver should not be a problem this fall.  If the O-line and QB room do their part, the receiving corps could have a breakout season.

6)  Can Tony White's defense pick up where it left off last year?

NU's defense was stellar last year allowing only 18 points per game.  There were only 19 teams in the nation in '23 that allowed 18 points a game. Of those 19, 18 won at least eight games. The only team that didn't?

You guessed it.  Nebraska.

The Husker D should be the strength of the Husker program this fall.  There is a lot of talent and depth.  White's goal is to finish the season as the number one defense in the nation.  If Nebraska comes even close to that goal, NU should have a much improved season.

7)  Can Nebraska win the games it's supposed to?

Last year, Nebraska played five teams that had losing records the previous year:  Colorado (1-11), Northern Illinois (3-9), Louisiana Tech (3-9), Northwestern (1-11) and Michigan State (5-7).  The Huskers went 3-2 in those games.  Win just one more of them, and NU would have gone bowling last season.

Once again this fall, NU will face five teams that had a losing record the year before:  UTEP (3-9), Colorado (4-8), Illinois (5-7), Purdue (4-8) and Indiana (3-9).  Winning all five of those games will be imperative if the Huskers are going to take a major step forward this fall.

8) Will this be the year the Huskers finally beat somebody nobody expects them to?

Husker fans like to dream big.  So, what if NU goes into Columbus or Los Angeles or Iowa City and pulls off the upset?  What would that do for the Matt Rhule Era at Nebraska?  What would such a win do to the college football world?  How would a big win affect Husker recruiting?

9) Will this be the year the Huskers return a punt and a kickoff for a TD?

Again, dream big, Husker fans.  Because of injuries, NU had to do a lot of fair-catching last year.  If special teams coordinator Ed Foley can find some players (Jahmal Banks?) who are dangerous returners, look out.  This could be an exciting special teams year.

How 'Bout Them Huskers

In this week's podcast, grandson Will and I preview the upcoming Husker football season.

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