Nebraska’s defense has already learned the hard way that strong football for three quarters doesn’t guarantee a win, and Rob Aurich isn’t pretending otherwise.
The Huskers’ defensive coordinator pointed straight back to the 17-14 loss to Oregon in Week 7 when he met with the media Tuesday, using that game as the kind of painful lesson a team has to absorb and move through.
“You wear your scars; you grow,” Aurich said. “I don’t know if it stayed with me longer; it pissed me off.
Pissed about it, but it’s part of our growing process here. I wish I could’ve been better at that last drive for our guys.”
He made it clear he wasn’t interested in pointing fingers. Even with Nebraska’s defense not being the main reason the Ducks escaped, Aurich put plenty of the responsibility on himself.
“You feel like, as a coach, you control a lot,” he said. “The players have to go execute it, but you always want to put them in situations to be successful, and you self-evaluate a ton.
That’s part of the job. But, self-evaluating, I can be better in the final five (minutes).”
Aurich also said the bye week gave the staff and players a chance to step back and look hard at what had worked and what hadn’t.
“I think there was a good chance to self-evaluate,” he said. “Obviously, there have been times during the past couple of weeks where we’ve played some exceptional defensive football, and then there’s been times during the last two games where we haven’t played our best in some key moments.”
“So, I enjoyed the bye week,” he continued. “I think it’s been good for our players and good for our staff.”
Nebraska shut Oregon out in the first half, then allowed 17 points after halftime. That kind of swing is exactly what Aurich wants to clean up, especially with his own standard for the unit centered on finishing games without giving up a fourth-quarter point.
He said the focus isn’t about a brand-new mindset so much as tightening the details and holding up the standard snap after snap.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily a change in mentality,” the coordinator said. “But I do think there’s a little bit of grinding into the fundamentals and grinding into the accountability of the call, and just executing, executing, executing.”
“There are times we’re really doing that,” Aurich continued. “There are a few plays in that last game where we didn’t execute at the level we wanted to… If we don’t beat ourselves, it’s tough to beat us right now.
So, we’ve got to keep that mindset. Don’t beat ourselves.”
Now the Huskers turn to Washington on Halloween night, though the preparation comes with an extra layer of uncertainty because Nebraska still doesn’t know which quarterback the Huskies will roll out.
Aurich said the Huskers have enough film on both options to build a plan, but each one forces a different kind of stress on a defense.
“I think they’ve been a little bit more efficient in the pass game these last two weeks,” Aurich said. “I think No.
7 (Elijah Brown) has operated pretty quickly. His completion percentage has been pretty high.
He’s an older kid, has kind of a good feel for the system.”
“No. 1 (Demond Williams Jr.) is dynamic,” Aurich continued.
“His scramble tape looks a lot like (Anthony) Colandrea’s. They’re both scary in their own right… They’re completely different, and their offense is much different when they are in the game.”
The matchup lands on Nebraska’s second annual Blackout game, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. CDT at Memorial Stadium.
Fans in the stands are being asked to wear black. Those watching from home can stream the game on Big Ten Network.
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Holgorsen Just Made Nebraskas Offensive Priority Much Clearer
Dana Holgorsen spent part of Nebraskas bye week making the offensive priorities feel a little more straightforward. The Cornhuskers have leaned on quarterback Anthony Colandrea for steady effort and leadership even through the recent losses, and Holgorsen made it clear that he views those traits as part of the foundation. The bigger issue, at least from the coordinators perspective, is getting the offense to play cleaner and more consistently around him.
As Nebraska turns back toward game prep, the focus shifts to areas Holgorsen wants sharpened most, especially the running game and more reliable play from the receivers. Colandrea has also acknowledged he needs to elevate his own play to better help the group, which puts the burden on more than one part of the offense as the Cornhuskers try to reset coming out of the break. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Blackout Is Becoming Something Much Bigger For Husker Fans
Nebraskas Blackout is no longer just a one-night gimmick. Athletic director Troy Dannen said the Huskers will make it an annual event, and this years version against Washington is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff, giving the atmosphere a prime-time stage that should fit the look and feel the school is building around it. Dannen also pointed to new field design elements tied to the event, while tying the presentation to the bigger picture of a program he said has made competitive progress under the current coaching staff.
The Blackout announcement was part of a broader afternoon of news around Nebraska athletics, including word that longtime Husker basketball announcer Kent Pavelka will retire after this season. For football fans, though, the annual Blackout adds another layer to a home schedule that now has a defined signature game, and one that Nebraska clearly wants to turn into a recurring part of the identity around Memorial Stadium. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fans Face A 2027 Schedule Shakeup They Didn't Expect
Nebraskas football calendar is headed for a reset, and not just in the abstract future-tense way schedule talk usually gets handled in January. Athletic director Troy Dannen said the plan for next year will change to fit the expected 24-team playoff model, which would require 10 games against Power Four opponents. The Big Ten is already working through the scheduling adjustments, and that means the kind of boardroom math that can quickly alter who shows up on a fall Saturday in Lincoln.
For Nebraska fans, the ripple effects could be felt well beyond the opponents list. Some nonconference games may disappear, other Power Four matchups could be added, and Memorial Stadium will also be operating with reduced seating capacity because of renovations. Put together, its a reminder that the Huskers are not only dealing with a changing postseason landscape, but also a home schedule that may look different in ways that matter to fans planning around it. [Read more 🡒]