Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Stukenholtz: Rhule’s Nebraska Rebuild Running Right on Time
A feel-good win.
A get right game.
A confidence builder.
No matter how you describe it, Nebraska executed an impressive and, let’s be honest, unexpected victory that proved much easier on Husker football fans accustomed to tighter finishes. The story, as it often is, was the quarterback. Heinrich Haarberg, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound sophomore from Kearney, sparkled in his first start. But the 35-11 win over Northern Illinois under the lights in the home opener also represents head coach Matt Rhule’s introduction to (regular season) Memorial Stadium.
For Rhule, it was surely a night he’ll never forget. He led Nebraska through the tunnel walk, scored his first win as coach of the Huskers, and even received the game ball in the locker room.
Long-term, though, the consequences of winning may end up being Rhule’s favorite part.
This will likely be a lengthy rebuild. As much as he may want this to move quickly, he has a method of what he believes is the right way to do it. He needs buy-in from the players on his process, and simply getting a game in the win column will give his team a bounce in their step. A little more confidence, maybe even a lot more. Positive results to reinforce the practice habits he and his staff are working to instill in the program.
As this season grinds on, most of the roster will have memories of faltering later into fall. Anyone who started their career in Lincoln knows nothing but disappointment in October and November, with few exceptions.
This performance was critical in the pursuit of changing that perception.
Rhule turned his previous college programs around by implementing his plan and sticking to it. That can make for painful starts, as evidenced by just three wins total from the first seasons at Temple and Baylor. But while Nebraska’s returnees were unproven, there was talent left over. Pair that with the transfer portal, and that alone gave Rhule a solid chance of having a less bumpy takeoff here.
So why is a seemingly boring win by an 0-2 team over a Group-of-5 school a sign of the rebuild working? Because of how they defeated NIU. Contributing to the win were some publicly stated goals for the season, including run game, turnovers, and defense, which will help show his methods can and will produce results.
NU rushed for over 200 yards with, specifically, 96 of those yards on the ground in the 4th quarter. 75 yards in the final period is the expectation since that’s when you need to bleed the clock and put teams away. The fact that they’ve done that once, and it came in the first win of the year, is chef’s kiss for this coaching staff.
The turnover battle was even, too. A 4th quarter Javin Wright interception offset an NIU fumble recovery. Even that giveaway by the offense deep in their own end of the field turned into a positive, as the Blackshirts pushed the Huskies backwards and forced a field goal. In fact, those three plays were the only ones NIU ran in Nebraska territory until the final garbage time touchdown drive against the backups.
Speaking of the Blackshirts, they were something. All three levels had their moments to shine. They stuffed the run, generated pass rush from all angles, covered very well, and didn’t allow a play longer than 18 yards. They also improved their 3rd down performance. Entering the game 120th nationally allowing 51.4% conversion, NU held the Huskies to just 4-for-15 on the money down, and an even-better 3-for-13 before the starters were done.
When the stuff you talk about all the time is what you succeed at in the first win of the season, that’s gonna go over pretty well in the locker room. It’s gonna be easier to sell his vision this week after a win like that.
Now I can keep telling you all this good news for a few more minutes. And that could be fun, especially considering what we had to talk about these last couple of weeks. But there’s a huge decision looming that could decide the fate of the 2023 season and beyond:
Who’s the starting quarterback?
Coach Rhule’s rebuild could very well hinge on his choice. Whether it’s Jeff Sims or Heinrich Haarberg, he needs to be right. The rest of the team can click on all cylinders, but if you get that one position wrong it can wipe everything else out.
Haarberg put one heck of a foot forward. I know it’s Northern Illinois at home compared to Sims’ slate of Minnesota and Colorado on the road, but dropping snaps and throwing into double coverage is unacceptable no matter the level of competition. Sims is also now at a disadvantage with an ankle injury that may or may not have been the primary reason Rhule kept him out. Regardless of the reason, Haarberg balled out when the lights came on.
You can get all bent out of shape about the 7-10 split facing Rhule if you want to. We all have our opinions of when and how and why we think Rhule should decide one over the other. It’ll come in due time. As for me, I’m heading into Louisiana Tech week thinking of the good vibes flowing through the Nebraska football program.
Saturday was a good day to be a Husker. Just ask Matt Rhule.
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