Early November has Nebraska fans feeling a little split between frustration and relief, and the Cornhusker Stalk Report reflects both sides of that mood.
On the football front, a third straight loss has dragged the conversation well beyond the scoreboard. It’s not just the defeats themselves, but the way they’ve happened: three straight fourth-quarter collapses have sparked questions about timeout usage, whether the head coach is leaning too hard on his coordinators, and what’s going on with the red-zone play calling.
When a team is losing and it doesn’t look like a talent problem, every decision starts getting picked apart. The trip to Illinois on Friday, and the rest of the season after that, will go a long way toward showing whether fan trust can recover or keep sliding.
For a lot of Husker supporters, basketball season couldn’t have arrived at a better moment. Football has dropped from 5-0 to 5-3, and while that kind of November disappointment has become familiar over the past decade, this year feels heavier.
Amy Williams and Co. are coming off a fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past five years, and Fred Hoiberg’s team just delivered the program’s first March Madness win in history before advancing to the Sweet 16. That’s the kind of momentum fans have been waiting for, and the appetite for basketball is obvious.
There’s also a line that shouldn’t be crossed, no matter how ugly things get. Matt Rhule addressed the pressure around the program on Monday and made clear that coaches’ families have been hearing more than most people realize. He also said what happened Saturday night, when upset fans threw objects late in the Washington game, was something he could live with.
“You guys gotta remember: I’m from New York and I’m from Philly,” Rhule began. “I’ve coached at Temple, where you walk out to see which sections are open, which sections aren’t.
I’ll take (fans throwing stuff) all day. Our fans, it’s not even winning and losing; it’s when the football looks right and it doesn’t.
If you throw three turnovers and you have penalties, they’re going to be upset. I’m here for all of it.”
Even with that kind of response from the head coach, the standard should still be better than that.
On the court, Nebraska’s young talent is already giving the Huskers something to feel good about. Barring injuries, the true freshman won’t start this year, but he’s going to get plenty of run. Jacob Lanier logged 23 minutes in Monday’s 106-64 season-opening win over Le Moyne and finished with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Britt Prince looked every bit like a player ready to take another jump after earning All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore. In Monday’s 81-54 win over San Jose State, the Nebraska native led the Huskers with 23 points, four assists, and four steals while also grabbing eight rebounds in 32 minutes. She shot 60% from the floor and hit 4-of-6 from deep.
Volleyball, meanwhile, keeps rolling without a blemish. Dan Busboom Kelly’s team is still perfect and has now won 53 straight regular-season matches since she arrived in Lincoln.
In the latest RPI update, Nebraska moved to No. 1, which fits given that it’s the only undefeated team in the country. Pitt had held that spot before taking on some low-RPI opponents in the ACC.
Even the weekend road sweep at Michigan and Michigan State didn’t do much to shake the Huskers’ standing. Both matches went four sets, and those were only the second and third sets Nebraska has dropped in Big Ten play. There isn’t much higher this team can climb right now, though the new Big Ten Tournament later this month could still offer a chance for a bump.
In Other News...
Former Husker Says Nebraskas Slide Is About More Than Bad Luck
The frustration around Nebraskas three-game skid has plenty of familiar edges, but former wingback Clester Johnson thinks the conversation has to go deeper than bad breaks. On a podcast episode with the Common Fans, Johnson reflected on his own playing days and used that lens to talk about what he sees in the Huskers now, pointing to leadership and accountability as central pieces of the discussion.
Johnson also zeroed in on the on-field issues that have kept the slide going, including inconsistent running and problems closing games late. Even with the frustration mounting, he still sees enough talent on the roster to believe Nebraska can steady itself and finish the season strong, which is part of what makes the current stretch so hard to swallow for everyone around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Should Watch Nebraskas Injury Report Very Closely This Week
Nebraskas injury report is worth a close look this week as the Cornhuskers prepare for Illinois, with a few key names still in flux heading into the matchup. Jamir Conn and Gunnar Gottula are both listed as questionable, and while Conn has been practicing, he still needs further clearance. Gottula is working back from a head injury, leaving Nebraska to sort through a situation that could affect its depth in more than one spot.
The longer-term picture is less encouraging for the Huskers. Vincent Genatone is out for the season after surgery, while Anthony Jones Jr. remains sidelined with a broken foot, though he is expected back before the year ends. Nebraska has already had several players listed out since the season began, so the availability of even a couple of questionable contributors could matter as the Cornhuskers try to keep their roster intact for a key Big Ten test. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Late-Game Problem Just Got A Lot More Costly
Nebraskas slide at the wrong time has left the Huskers with little margin for error as they try to stay in the bowl picture and keep their season from drifting further off course. At 5-3, they were left out of the initial College Football Playoff Top 25, even as other teams with similar records found a place, a reminder that recent results carry as much weight as the overall record.
The bigger concern is the way the last three games have gone, with losses to Indiana and Oregon helping close the door on any early national momentum. Now the path forward runs through a difficult stretch against Illinois, Ohio State and Iowa, and Nebraska needs to start turning close calls into wins if it wants to change the tone of the season before November gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]