Nebraska’s slide has gone from disappointing to downright alarming.
The Huskers dropped a 24-13 decision to Illinois on Friday night, their fourth straight loss after opening 5-0, and the game looked every bit as messy as the score suggests. Nebraska spent the night sabotaging itself with drive-killing penalties, missed field goals, questionable play calls, and an offense that never seemed to find its footing. Then, before the dust had even settled, Matt Rhule moved to fire offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen less than 24 hours later.
That move wasn’t exactly a shock after another rough outing on offense. But it also raised the bigger question hanging over the program: what does changing coordinators actually solve if the head coach still doesn’t have a firm idea of what he wants the offense to be?
Rhule has already cycled through multiple offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators, and special teams coordinators during his time in Lincoln. At some point, the blame has to climb higher than the assistants. That’s where the conversation around Nebraska is now headed - toward Rhule’s overall vision, or lack of one, and whether he’s shown he can build something consistently successful at Nebraska.
The Illinois loss gave fans plenty to stew over. Nebraska had chances to seize control and kept handing them back.
Two missed field goals. Penalties that erased explosive plays.
Anthony Colandrea missing open receivers. Illinois cashing in on a fake field goal on fourth-and-12.
And maybe the most maddening sequence of all: Nebraska lining up in an empty backfield on fourth-and-one.
Those moments defined the night, and they also fed the larger frustration that has been building for weeks. The Huskers kept finding new ways to make life harder on themselves, including the failed fourth-down conversion, Rhule’s decision to go for two, and a late stretch in which Nebraska showed little urgency while still trailing.
That’s the part that keeps coming back. How do the same issues keep showing up, week after week, year after year?
After four straight losses, the mood around Nebraska football has turned sharply. Rhule’s sideline demeanor is under a microscope, his relationship with the fan base looks more strained by the week, and confidence in his leadership is taking a hit.
Geoff’s preseason 5-7 prediction, once treated like a punchline, suddenly doesn’t look so far off. The uncomfortable question now is whether Nebraska could actually drop its final seven games.
And if Rhule’s future is in doubt, the fallout reaches beyond the coaching staff. Troy Dannen’s 2025 decision to give Rhule a lucrative extension is now part of the conversation, along with the financial hit that would come with another coaching change. Nebraska has the resources and the tradition to demand more, but the program keeps settling for less than it should.
There’s also the practical side of what comes next. The 2027 recruiting class matters.
So does the reality of trying to hire a coach in the transfer portal era. If Nebraska does decide to make a change, the program will have to be clear about what it wants to prioritize.
Even the fan base is part of the debate now. Should supporters start withholding their backing to send a message, or is keeping Memorial Stadium’s sellout streak alive more important than the current staff?
For all the anger and disappointment, the belief underneath it all hasn’t disappeared. Nebraska still has the resources, the tradition, and the fan support to be much better than this. But getting there will require leadership that can make the right calls, establish an identity, and hold people accountable.
The frustration isn’t about accepting that the good days are gone for good. It’s about waiting for somebody to prove otherwise.
In Other News...
Nebraska Assistants Should Feel The Heat After Another Costly Collapse
Matt Rhule has already shown he is willing to keep tinkering with his staff since taking over after the 2022 season, and Nebraskas latest collapse only adds to the pressure on the assistants around him. The program has seen major turnover across the coaching roster, with only a few original holdovers still in place, and the message has been clear enough: if a unit is not holding up its end, changes can come quickly.
Special teams has become the latest sore spot, with field goal accuracy and return yardage both drawing scrutiny as the Cornhuskers keep finding new ways to leave wins on the table. After another costly breakdown, it would not be a surprise if more coaching movement is coming, because at this point the staffs margin for error feels just as thin as the teams. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Next OC Will Reveal Rhules Real Offensive Direction
With Glenn Thomas handling play-calling on an interim basis, Nebraskas search for its next offensive coordinator is already shaping the direction of the programs next phase. The list of candidates under consideration is a telling one, because each brings a different background, different play-calling history and a different idea of what the Cornhuskers offense should look like moving forward.
That makes this hire more than just a staff move in Lincoln. After the firing of Matt Rhule, the next offensive coordinator will be the clearest signal yet of what the Huskers want to become on that side of the ball, and the six names being examined offer a wide range of possibilities. For a fan base that has spent plenty of time waiting for offensive clarity, the choice could say as much about Rhules real vision as any public comment ever could. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Gets A Useful Early Test Its Defense Cant Ignore
Nebraskas non-league schedule is already doing what coach Fred Hoiberg wants it to do: giving the Cornhuskers a chance to learn something before the games start to matter even more. After the win over Providence, highlighted by Pryce Sandforts 25-point night, Nebraska turns around to face Lindenwood in another early test, with the focus less on the final score and more on how the roster holds up when it has to defend and adjust.
Lindenwood comes in with a recent win over East-West University and a loss to TCU, which makes it a useful measuring stick for a Nebraska team still sorting out its identity. These are the kinds of games that can expose bad habits or confirm progress, and for the Cornhuskers, the defensive end is the part that cant be ignored as they keep working through the non-league slate. [Read more 🡒]