Carriker Chronicles: Larry the Cable Guy on the State of Husker Football

Adam Carriker & Larry The Cable Guy's in-person, one-on-one interview! Larry, an avid life-long Nebraska fan's honest take on the state of Husker football, criticism surrounding Matt Rhule, why Nebraska has changed, what Dana Holgorsen's offense needs to do, one word that describes Nebraska's defense, and if/why the goalposts keep moving. Also, Nebraska has the winningest sports programs in the Big Ten!

Hit the play button to watch, and scroll down for a summary.

Synopsis

When Adam Carriker interviews Larry the Cable Guy, they discuss not only what Nebraska football’s present circumstances are, but also why the fans still pay such close attention to the program. As he’s been a Husker fan as long as anybody can remember, Larry provides insights and his opinion on head coach Matt Rhule and the current expectations -- as well as the changing ones -- surrounding Nebraska football. Larry discusses the pressure that goes hand in hand with coaching the Huskers, and how everybody hopes the team succeeds.

A main topic is the notion that “the goalposts keep moving” for Husker football. Larry says people are done listening to promises of rebuilding and reconstruction and instead want to see the outcomes on the field. However, he also admits that the Nebraska we see now is not the Nebraska we remember from the 1990s, as college football itself has taken to new routes and experienced changes. NIL, the transfer portal, and the realignment of conferences make it hard to build strong college football teams the way they had been built in the past. On the brighter side, Larry believes that even though there have been lots of changes, Nebraska has a chance of becoming truly successful again. The team just needs to develop a strong identity.

A huge stepping stone in the Huskers' path to success is confidence and toughness, according to Larry. In the past, Nebraska teams played physically and with lots of swagger, while nowadays, the team looks more hesitant. Larry thinks that present players face the added pressures of social media and NIL money, which makes people treat the players as if they were professionals. If the team is ever to become strong again, Larry says players need to develop thick skin and stop worrying so much about being criticized.

Another topic for Adam and Larry is the offense and defense of the upcoming season. Larry wants the offense, led by Dana Holgorsen, to become more assertive, dynamic, and consistent. Larry wants an offense that will attack the opposing team’s defense instead of running around scared. The quarterback, Anthony Colandrea, is also discussed. The discussion focuses on whether he could become the leader Nebraska truly needs to become great again. Fans will understand mistakes, Larry says, but energy, effort and improvement are really what the fans are looking for.

Discussions about the defense are mostly about the physicality Larry wants to see from the team. Fans want to see the traditional Nebraska toughness. Also, football should still be fun. Larry points out that players perform better when they’re not controlled by the fear of making mistakes, but rather play loose and confident.

The interview closes with fan questions and an optimistic reminder that Nebraska is still one of the most successful athletic departments in the Big Ten overall. Despite football's struggles, Larry knows that the fanbase has never disappeared. He hopes Nebraska will start competing at a high level again.

Program order

00:00 Welcome & Intro
00:42 Larry the Cable Guy Joins the Show
02:41 The Goalposts Keep Moving | State of Husker Football
07:00 How the Huskers Find Their Identity | Let Coach Cook
08:25 Nebraska Offense Entering Year 4 | What Needs to Happen
11:07 Anthony Colandrea | Nebraska’s New Pocket Passer
13:45 Terrell Farley | An All-Time Husker Great
15:30 You Have to Get Your Team Out There
17:03 Scrunty | Today vs. Back in the Day
19:28 Thick Skin | Who Cares What People Think
20:26 Kids Getting Paid Like Professional Athletes
21:42 New Defensive Scheme & Physicality
22:55 “Have Fun” | Playing Loose and Not Scared
25:53 Nebraska Leads the Big Ten in Overall Winning Percentage
29:10 Fan Q&A

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