Nebraska’s Matt Rhule Indicates Satterfield’s Job Is Safe
The man in charge of Nebraska football's sputtering offense and turnover-prone quarterbacks is taking heat from fans and pundits. But Marcus Satterfield has a defender in head coach Matt Rhule.
"Marcus is fighting and scratching and punching and willing to get this thing as good as we can get it," Rhule said Monday. "That's what all the guys are doing."
Rhule said the day-by-day process must be trusted and that firing people isn't the answer. "So we want the whole offense to start over again with a whole new language next year? I'm not doing that. That's ridiculous."
"We're going to get through year one," Rhule said, "and most of our guys on offense are coming back who will get better and better and better."
Nebraska has now committed 27 turnovers - worst in the nation - after Husker quarterbacks turned the ball over five times during Saturday's 13-10 loss to Maryland. The final giveaway - Chubba Purdy's third-and-goal interception late in the game - led to the Terrapins' walk-off field goal.
Rhule said he takes responsibility for what happened on the much-scrutinized play.
"It's a good play call. ... It just wasn't quite executed exactly right," he said. "When it comes down to execution, it falls on me. ... If it's wrong, it's on me. Let's just leave it at that. ... I have a say on everything."
On the play, Malachi Coleman and Alex Bullock ran underneath routes in an attempt draw coverage and leave Billy Kemp with single coverage in the back corner of the end zone, Rhule said. Instead, Rhule said, "Billy flattens that route out because the guy kind of undercuts him." Kemp never gets more than a yard or two into the end zone, and Coleman's defender is able to make the interception.
"Really, we’d love to just see Chubba put that ball in the back corner and those guys get out of the way a little quicker,” Rhule said.
Who starts at quarterback Saturday night at Wisconsin might be a game-time decision, Rhule said. Heinrich Haarberg has a sprained ankle, Purdy is "a little bit banged up," and Jeff Sims is healthy, he said.
Scroll past the video for more coverage of Monday's press conference. Refresh this page to see the latest additions. Asterisk indicates item may require a subscription. | HuskerMax discussion
Coverage
- Husker247 | Nebraska quarterback picture murky heading into Wisconsin week
- Husker247 | Rhule believes in process Husker staff has and says of specific setbacks: 'Everything falls on me'
- Inside Nebraska | Huskers depth chart vs. Wisconsin: QB Chubba Purdy moves up the two-deep
- Inside Nebraska | Everything Matt Rhule said about the Nebraska QBs at pre-Wisconsin presser
- Daily Nebraskan | Rhule says Satterfield isn’t going anywhere, calls talk of firing ‘ridiculous’
- Nebraska Athletics | Rhule transcript
- Video recaps | Shatel/Bland, Carpenter/Smith
- Lincoln Journal Star* | Why Matt Rhule believes Nebraska’s third-down pass was a ‘good play call’
- Lincoln Journal Star* | Rhule uncertain who will start at QB against Wisconsin
- Lincoln Journal Star* | Rhule reaffirms belief in OC Marcus Satterfield amid struggles
- Omaha World-Herald* | 'Can't just throw balls up': Matt Rhule addresses Nebraska quarterback struggles
- Omaha World-Herald* | Shatel: Lots of talk about one play, but Nebraska's season has always been about the long game
From the other side
- Badger Blitz | Luke Fickell on facing adversity, building a culture
- Wisconsin Athletics | Luke Fickell's Monday press conference (video)
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Fickell focuses players' mind state after tough loss
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Will Luke Fickell's team show up ready to play vs. Nebraska?
- Badger Blitz | Hunter Wohler unloads on Badgers' effort: 'Gonna be some weeding out'
- Wisconsin State Journal* | 10 things we learned from Wisconsin's 'embarrassing' loss to Northwestern
