Sam McKewon Says Nebraska Has 'the Best Offensive Coordinator They've Had in a Very, Very Long Time'

On this week's I-80 Plus One, Sam McKewon of the Omaha World Herald stopped by for a lengthy conversation, including stories from the road, his process, and so much more.

Below is a lightly-edited transcript of a conversation discussing Nebraska's 2025 prospects and why there are reasons for optimism.

Jack: Josh and I, and others, have documented how it's just incredible how the same things beyond any level of averages, or regression to the norm, or anything else, have happened to this program or because of this program in the last ten years, resulting in devastating situations that they keep repeating. Is there any new or unique reason coming into this year why that changes?

Could it just change because the law of averages, it feels like, has to work out at some point. But is there anything different, or anything you see this year, that people can latch onto that might be it or not?

Sam: They have the best offensive coordinator they've had in a very, very long time. I will say that. Dana Holgorsen is not perfect, but again the way that he looks at the game is probably the way it needs to be looked at. I think Marcus Satterfield knows a lot about football and knows how to call plays, but he was calling plays. I think Holgorsen has more of a systemic approach and I think it'll be helpful.

I think Mike Ekeler is an acquired taste, I think, in some ways in terms of his personality, but he is really good to be a special teams coach. And I don't mean that as a criticism. Like this guy will be all the way in. And I probably wouldn't mind having a conversation with Ed Foley over a couple of suds; I think he's a great guy. I think, he's an old school coach. I think Ekeler is very new school and that he's just all the way in. And I think that's what you need in the special teams coordinator.

Nebraska's new Special Teams Coordinator is known for a big personality. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

I think their staff's better. So I think that's part of it. I do think at some point the turn's going to come in the one score games. It's almost statistically impossible to keep going in this direction. And, I think that will turn. You know, hey can still get blown out by somebody this year. It won't stun me. I was stunned that they got blown out by Indiana. I wasn't surprised they lost the game though. And, it's always possible. You know, the Big Ten is so good and there's so many good players in the league and the staffs are so good, that you can't just whatever.

I'll tell you what, Michigan coming in here. This isn't the most talented Michigan team they've ever had. But their head coach is a hell of an offensive line coach and a pretty good offensive coach, period. And they got a great defensive coordinator. Not just good, but great. So if you don't come in with like an absolute A-plus game plan against Michigan, well, that guy's going to eat you alive. And I just felt like there were times in the first two years where I'm like, they're, facing teams; Michigan's got Mike MacDonald [in 2021], but they've got guys that are coaching. I'm like, dude, these guys can coach and you have to have chess moves in response. And I think they've got a staff that can do that.

And then Dylan's a year older and I do think he'll be a year better.

Can Dylan Raiola take a step forward in 2025? | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Josh: Speaking of Dylan, I wanted to ask you about him, because I think we got kind of three distinct versions of him. We had the September version. I was in the building against Illinois when he's layering those throws and it's like, “whoa, we, haven't seen this in this stadium before from someone wearing red.” And then there was the October version, was most definitely the worst version, which got did bleed into November against UCLA. And then there was the one after that where completion percentage rose, touchdown-interception ratio, I believe was pretty even, maybe it was even once Holgorsen took over, but he was definitely better.

What's the most likely version of Dylan Raiola we see on the field this year?

Sam: The third one, because I think that's the offense you're going to see him in. It's going to be the one that gets the ball out of his hands. And I think he is a rhythm guy. So you got to get Dylan in a rhythm early. I think you got to get most quarterbacks in a rhythm early. Most of them are Joe Flacco who can just rip off a 71-yard pass in the third quarter. So you got to get them going early. You got to get quick throws, get the ball out of his hands, get him not thinking, just doing. And once you get a guy doing, then it's almost like he's reacting a little bit better as the game goes on.

And so, I think Dylan had too many situations where he started games and he's just these complex routes or it's a very specific play. “It will be this throw to Jaylen Lloyd and you have to hit it here, between here and here.” I think they want to just run concepts and be able to say, “okay, let's get the ball to our playmakers; get the ball out of your hands. You're a point guard. You're not just trying to throw it 27 yards downfield.” So once you start doing that, then you can start maybe getting the layered throws and doing some of the other things.

I think that's the version you're going to see. The question becomes; touchdowns. How many you throw last year? 13? The good ones throw 25 or more. So that's where you're going to be looking; does he throw 25 or more touchdowns? Of course you want to run the ball in the red zone and run them all in, but you're not going to do that. And so when you don't do that, can you throw the football in the end zone and make a play?

Touchdown throws are a huge part of whether a quarterback's really good or not. It's just a fact. The difference between Patrick Mahomes, maybe the greatest quarterback of all time, and Alex Smith, his predecessor in Kansas City, who was very good, was their touchdown passes. I mean, Patrick probably makes more mistakes than Alex Smith did, but Mahomes throws way more touchdowns. And that's the difference. Touchdown passes matter. You got to score. And Dylan's got to throw 25. If he can do that, then he's going have a really, really good season.

The good ones throw north of 20. And they really throw 25.

Watch the clip below!

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