Tad Stryker: Huskers Keep It Simple

Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg shines by playing second fiddle to the Nebraska defense and special teams in win over Northern Illinois

Tad Stryker | Sep 17, 2023

In this story:

Less was more for Matt Rhule — enough for his first win at Nebraska.

Less drama. Fewer turnovers. A noticeable dropoff in damaging penalties. It added up to a 35-11 victory over Northern Illinois, a team that won’t be rated anytime soon but was selected to finish in the upper half of the Mid-American Conference and has a respectable defense. It won’t impress a national audience, nor should it, but it’s a start.

Some decisions are easy. The Blackshirts are good enough to keep Nebraska in every game they have left on the schedule — especially if Nash Hutmacher can disrupt things in the middle as he did in the first half — and he has one of the best punters in the Big Ten. Rhule should lean on them all season long, keeping in mind the old adage that an offensive possession that ends in a kick is generally a good thing.

Five extra points by freshman Tristan Alvano were more than most anyone expected Saturday night in Memorial Stadium, but Brian Buschini came off a subpar effort at Boulder last week to average 43.2 net yards on his six punts. He set up a touchdown when Phelan Sanford downed a 48-yard boot at the NIU 1-yard line. You could do a lot worse.

Rhule said in his postgame press conference, “It allows us to say, even if we go three and out, we can trust our defense. We just wanted to protect the ball tonight.”

Trusting this defense will pay off in quite a few games this year. Some decisions are tougher, though. Rhule has one to make about his quarterback.

Maybe the decision’s not so tough. With Jeff Sims declared out with an ankle injury, Heinrich Haarberg, the rawboned sophomore from Kearney Catholic, seized his opportunity and ran with it.

The 2023 Huskers take the field at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg huddles with teammates during warmups before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium.

It was the first home game for new head coach Matt Rhule.

Nebraska quarterback Jeff Sims warms up before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg runs against Northern Illinois Huskies linebacker DaRon Gilbert during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium.

Northern Illinois Huskies quarterback Rocky Lombardi hands the ball off to running back Antario Brown as Nebraska linebacker Luke Reimer defends during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg throws against the Northern Illinois Huskies during the second quarter of the game.

Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV celebrates with offensive lineman Bryce Benhart after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska running back Gabe Ervin Jr. runs for a short first-quarter gain.

Nebraska's Heinrich Haarberg rushes for 16 yards in the second quarter.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule watches from the sideline during the second quarter of the game.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg rushes for a 9-yard first-quarter gain.

Nebraska kicker Tristan Alvano kicks an extra point in the second quarter.

Northern Illinois quarterback Rocky Lombardi is sacked by Nebraska linebacker MJ Sherman during the second quarter of the game.

Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone catches a pass for a gain of five yards in the second quarter.

Nebraska linebacker MJ Sherman celebrates after a sack against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Northern Illinois quarterback Rocky Lombardi passes against the Nebraska defense.

Northern Illinois Huskies wide receiver Kacper Rutkiewicz is blocked by Nebraska defensive back Tommi Hill.

Nebraska running back Gabe Ervin Jr. runs against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Gabe Ervin Jr. picks up 12 yards on a pass from quarterback Heinrich Haarberg in the second quarter.

Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone II scores against during the second quarter of the game against Northern Illinois.

Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone II celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Northern Illinois.

Nebraska's Kai Wallin pressures NIU quarterback Rocky Lombardi.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule on the sideline.

Northern Illinois running back Antario Brown is brought down by Nebraska linebacker Javin Wright and defensive back Phalen Sanford.

Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV is tackled by Northern Illinois safety Nate Valcarcel.

Nebraska linebacker Chief Borders celebrates with defensive back Phalen Sanford after a stop against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Nebraska's Heinrich Haarberg rushes for a 1-yard first down in the third quarter.

Northern Illinois quarterback Rocky Lombardi slides down before being sacked by Nebraska defenders Blaise Gunnerson and MJ Sherman.

Gabe Ervin rushes for a short gain in the third quarter.

Northern Illinois wide receiver Grayson Barnes is tackled by Nebraska defensive back Dwight Bootle II and linebacker Javin Wright.

Nebraska wide receiver Alex Bullock gains 33 yards in the third quarter.

Nebraska wide receiver Alex Bullock runs against Northern Illinois cornerback Jacob Finley during the third quarter of the game.

Nebraska wide receiver Marcus Washington motions after gaining a first down.

Nebraska running back Anthony Grant rushes for a 6-yard gain in the third quarter.

Gabe Ervin Jr. rushes for 12 yards in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg runs against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Nebraska wide receiver Marcus Washington hauls in an 11-yard pass in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg hands the ball off to running back Anthony Grant during the third quarter of the game.

Nebraska Huskers celebrate after a touchdown by running back Anthony Grant in the fourth quarter.

Northern Illinois Huskies head coach Thomas Hammock and Nebraska Huskers head coach Matt Rhule greet each other at midfield after a 35-11 win by Nebraska at Memorial Stadium.

Haarberg managed to stay out of his own way and use some good field position supplied by the Husker defense and special teams. At times, he looked very good. Maybe the thing he did the best was simply not try to do too much. He threw a pass out of bounds every now and then when nothing was available. He pulled down the ball and scrambled when he had opportunity. He found sophomore tight end Thomas Fidone, who seemed to find a spark on a gorgeous evening, catching four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Now, if Fidone can start getting some yards after he makes the catch, he could be a big part of whatever offense the Huskers can put together.

The Huskers did exactly what they should have done against NIU. They kept it simple. They let the Blackshirts set the tone. On offense, they leaned on their running game, threw play-action passes and took care of the football, for the most part.

So what happens when Sims gets healthy? Rhule was diplomatic after the game, saying “I know we can win with both guys.”

Haarberg, the first native Nebraskan to quarterback the Huskers to a win since Ryker Fyfe of Grand Island did it against Maryland in 2016, led an offense that gained 382 total yards and took a few humble steps toward respectability against NIU, which entered the game rated among the nation’s top 25 in total defense and 59th in rushing defense. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 158 yards with no interceptions. He was a workhorse on offense, running the ball 21 times for 98 yards and another TD and lowering his shoulder when he needed to. That’ll win you some votes from Husker Nation.

Haarberg accounted for three touchdowns and just one turnover, a fumble inside his own 10-yard line when he was sacked by a heavy rush he had almost no time to react to. That turned into a golden moment for the Blackshirts, who shoved the Huskies backward and held them to a field goal.

While most Husker fans were talking about the quarterback, Tony White’s defense allowed a measly 26 rushing yards and 149 yards of total offense, the fewest since Jared Crick, Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard led the Blackshirts in 2010. The Husker second- and third-teamers allowed 60 of those yards in NIU’s garbage time drive that ended in the Huskies’ only touchdown with four seconds left.

Linebacker Javin Wright got an interception to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown. Cornerback Quinton Newsome grabbed another one, but it was nullified when officials ruled he didn’t keep a foot inbounds. White got production out of his Jack linebackers. Jimari Butler and M.J. Sherman each had a sack, and Chief Borders had a pair of tackles.

The Huskers did some of the things Rhule had talked about as benchmarks. They ran the ball well in the fourth quarter, rushing 12 times for 96 yards in the final stanza. They possessed the ball for more than 36 minutes, including 20 minutes in the second half.

I-backs Gabe Ervin (14 carries for 67 yards) and Anthony Grant (seven for 46) each had a touchdown run. If they get some blocking, they could work well together, with Ervin as hammer and Grant as slasher. Ervin caught a pair of screen passes that he turned into a pair of timely first downs.

But the most important thing Rhule and his team did was keeping it simple, shrugging it off when things went sideways, staying away from crippling mistakes, and coming back to fight the next round. That mindset might come in handy this year.

More coverage & commentary: HuskerMax game page

Published Sep 17, 2023

TAD STRYKER

Tad Stryker, whose earliest memories of Nebraska football take in the last years of the Bob Devaney era, has covered Nebraska collegiate and prep sports for 40 years. Before moving to Lincoln, he was a sports writer, columnist and editor for two newspapers in North Platte. He can identify with fans who listen to Husker sports from a tractor cab and those who watch from a sports bar. A history buff, Stryker has written for HuskerMax since 2008. You can reach Tad at tad.stryker@gmail.com.