Matt Rhule got a little screen time in HBO’s “Lanterns,” but Nebraska’s coach made it clear Monday he isn’t planning a Hollywood detour.
“I don't know that I'll be taking my talents to Broadway any time soon,” Rhule said at his press conference.
The cameo was filmed in the summer of 2025, and Rhule said his family was more excited than he was.
“My daughters were probably more fired up than I was,” Rhule said. “They were very concerned I would not get my line right.”
The bigger spotlight is waiting in Lincoln on Saturday, where unbeaten Nebraska takes its 5-0 record into a Big Noon Kickoff showdown with No. 7 Indiana.
For Rhule, it is another chance to finally break through against ranked competition. Nebraska has lost 31 straight games against AP Top 25 teams, and under Rhule the Huskers are 0-9 against ranked opponents, including 0-6 at home.
Indiana also brings back an uncomfortable memory. Nebraska was blasted 56-7 in Bloomington on Oct. 19, 2024, a game in which the Huskers turned it over five times.
Rhule didn’t hide from that film study this week.
“We got in that game - I hate looking back,” Rhule said. “I guess I should.
I went back and watched it this week. I always look back.
I like to feel the pain myself and relive the pain.”
He had plenty of praise for Indiana, especially defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, whom he met at the Broyles Award ceremony.
“They have a system and they have great players,” Rhule said. “They have made a real commitment at Indiana to football. They have the resources to have great players and keep great players.”
There are some clear reasons Nebraska believes this matchup can be tighter than the last one. The Huskers are 17th in rushing offense at 231.0 yards per game, not far behind Indiana’s 252.6. Nebraska is also second in the FBS in third-down defense at 21.3%, while Indiana sits 14th at 26.9%.
Turnovers matter too, and Rhule pointed to that as another edge.
“We're No. 4 in the nation in not turning the ball over since the start of last year,” Rhule said before adding, “But Indiana's first.”
Nebraska enters with a plus-six turnover margin, ahead of Indiana’s plus-two.
Much of the Huskers’ 5-0 start has been built around quarterback Anthony Colandrea, the UNLV transfer filling the role left by Dylan Raiola, who transferred to Oregon this offseason. Colandrea is averaging 278.2 yards of total offense and has been especially dangerous on the ground in Big Ten play, carrying 20 times for 182 yards over two games, a 9.1-yard average.
He’s been paired with a balanced cast in the run game as Jamal Rule has 333 yards and five touchdowns, while Mekhi Nelson has 266 yards and four scores.
“We look at Anthony as part of the run game,” Rhule said. “Just like Eric Crouch and Tommie (Frazier)- not to say we're in that league; those are great teams and Scott (Frost) - they were part of the run game here.
We're going to make people defend our quarterback. It opens up the passing game.
Colandrea has also thrown for 1,142 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions in a productive start under offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.
“Quarterback-draw with a RPO, zone reads,” Rhule said. “We're going to do all of that.
They did it with Tim Tebow. They did it with Cam Newton.
We have Anthony. We certainly don't want him to get hurt, but we've gotta let him play.”
Nebraska’s defense has helped make the formula work. The Huskers rank 11th nationally with 26 sacks, and six different players have at least two.
The setting should feel familiar in Lincoln: a sellout crowd, a loud student section and another big-stage chance for a program still trying to turn close calls into something bigger. Rhule said the atmosphere around the program remains strong, and he noted that recruits texted him after his “Lanterns” appearance.
“I think our student section - I think I talk about them all the time. I think they're fantastic.”
Rhule said. “I understand everyone else is going to make this game about the other team, but a lot of our crowd comes for us.”
A win would do more than protect Nebraska’s unbeaten start. It would push the Huskers deeper into the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff conversation, with No.
13 Oregon on Oct. 17, No.
5 Ohio State on Nov. 21 and No. 20 Iowa on Nov. 28 still ahead.
Rhule knows Nebraska still has plenty to prove.
“We're not a perfect team, so we're going to have to be gritty,” Rhule said. “We're not going to run people over, but that grit and that mentality and toughness, hopefully it will show itself Saturday against a really gritty, tough team that doesn't beat themselves.”
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Indiana Is About To Test Everything Nebraska Thinks It Is
Charlie McBride has spent enough time around Nebraska football to know that a Big Ten game can turn quickly if the fundamentals slip, and his latest read on the matchup with Indiana was all about the basics. The former Nebraska defensive coordinator broke down on the Carriker Chronicles what the Huskers need to do on both sides of the ball, putting the spotlight on clean tackling, run defense, and the kind of disciplined pass rush that keeps a quarterback from escaping the pocket.
On offense, McBride pointed to the need for explosive plays, a dependable run game and the patience to work the clock instead of forcing the issue. It is a familiar blueprint, but against Indiana it also feels like a test of whether Nebraska can actually live it out for four quarters, especially with the margin for error so thin in a conference game that can swing on one missed tackle or one drive that stalls before it should. [Read more 🡒]
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There is also plenty of playmaking out wide, with Charlie Becker and Kwazi Gilmer standing out as targets who can tilt a game quickly. On the other side of the ball, Indiana will need its defense to hold up around Isaiah Jones, while Nebraska leans on Owen Chambliss to steady its own front. With recent performances and injury updates both in the mix, this looks like the kind of test that can either validate Indianas start or expose how much more it still has to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Fans Now Know What Year 2 Will Demand Of DeVries
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The bigger storyline is what all of that asks of a roster that will again feature both new transfers and returning players as DeVries tries to build on last seasons record. With tip times and TV windows now set, Indiana can start mapping out the climb ahead, but the real intrigue is how quickly the group can come together once the games begin and the conference portion starts to tighten the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]