Matt Rhule isn’t interested in seeing Nebraska dancers again in Oregon’s “Shout” moment.
After Saturday’s 17-14 loss to the Ducks, the Cornhuskers coach made it plain that his team’s decision to join in on Oregon’s fourth-quarter tradition before the final period was a mistake he won’t repeat.
“But just for the record, going forward, I let the guys dance before the fourth quarter. I will never do that again," Matt Rhule said during his Monday press conference.
"I was like, we're going to be so physical in the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter. Fourth comes, and they're going to try to intimidate you with that song.
Have fun, enjoy it, lock back in.”
Nebraska had been in control for most of the night. The Cornhuskers led 14-6 heading into the fourth quarter after limiting Oregon to just six points through three periods, and they had held the Ducks to 91 total yards over that stretch. But the final 15 minutes flipped the game.
Former Nebraska starting quarterback Dylan Raiola helped spark Oregon’s comeback, directing a pair of long scoring drives after the Ducks opened the fourth quarter with a 17-play, 69-yard march that ended in a 37-yard Gage Hurych field goal. Oregon followed with a 20-play, 82-yard drive that took more than five minutes and finished with Raiola’s four-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Johnson. The Ducks then converted the two-point try and grabbed a 17-14 lead.
Rhule didn’t hide his frustration with how the game got away from Nebraska late.
"Our guys got back in, we didn't win the fourth quarter. And that's not my DNA.
So I have to own that ... We get three plays on offense in the fourth quarter.
We give up a 16-yard drive ... We give up fourth and 3 on a shallow cross we knew was coming," said Rhule.
Oregon finished by converting all three of its fourth-down attempts, a sharp reversal from the Ducks’ season-long numbers before the game, when they had gone 4-for-12 on fourth down.
The Cornhuskers managed just three offensive snaps in the fourth quarter, leaving their defense stuck on the field while Oregon controlled the clock and finished the comeback. Raiola ended the game 11 of 18 passing for 59 yards.
Nebraska wasn’t the first team to step into an opponent’s signature celebration. Oregon has done the same on the road, including when it participated in Wisconsin’s “Jump Around” tradition in 2024.
After that win, former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel said, "Embracing the environment and loving every second of it," and added, "It's the fun part of college football, which is being able to, you know, play in new environments and be exposed to that. But every school and stuff has its little thing, and you know, we just choose to enjoy it."
Dan Lanning also explained in 2024 that Oregon had used “Jump Around” during practice to prepare for the atmosphere and turn the song into a cue to focus.
“Kind of like Pavlov's dog, right? When you hear that song, it means it's time to go,” Lanning said in 2024.
This season, though, Oregon’s own “Shout” tradition has become a problem for visitors. UCLA joined in before beating the Ducks in Week 6, and Boise State and Nebraska both took part as well, only to come away with losses.
For Nebraska, the celebration came before the finish. The result left Rhule owning the call - and promising it won’t happen again.
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