Matt Rhule Earns Most Important Win of Nebraska Tenure – Sports activities Illustrated

Matt Rhule confronted essentially the most difficult recreation Saturday evening in his almost three years at Nebraska. UCLA wasn’t essentially the most proficient opponent Rhule had confronted however the Huskers’ psyche was an important unknown given the circumstances. 
Nebraska was reeling after a Saturday evening catastrophe every week earlier when the Huskers misplaced on nationwide TV to USC, misplaced their probability on the School Soccer Playoff and misplaced beginning quarterback Dylan Raiola to a damaged fibula.
It was simple to think about one other loss, and possibly the remainder of the season slipping away.
Nebraska was with out two starters on the important offensive line. The Huskers had assorted bumps and bruises that each one Massive Ten groups had going into the tenth recreation of the season.
And, the Huskers’ final highway journey resulted in a 24-6 thrashing by the hands of Minnesota. And now a real freshman quarterback, TJ Lateef, would make his first begin and it could be on the storied Rose Bowl. Fairly an task for a younger man from Southern California.
Nebraska was with out a signature win in 2025 — or anytime, actually, throughout Rhule’s tenure in Lincoln.
And whereas a signature win continues to evade Rhule, the Huskers’ 28-21 victory at UCLA qualifies as one thing simply as significant: It was Rhule’s most necessary win at Nebraska.
The Huskers have been underdogs by 1.5 factors at most sportsbooks at kickoff. The Bruins have been on their second head coach this season after firing DeShaun Foster on Sept. 14.
The Bruins began the season 0-4 earlier than successful three consecutive video games, together with a surprising victory at residence towards 25-point favourite Penn State.
Which UCLA group would Nebraska face?
However which Nebraska group would line up towards UCLA?
Nebraska needed to significantly regroup after the USC recreation. Rhule had one week to get the gamers coached up and get them in the proper mind set earlier than touring to UCLA.
Some weeks, conserving an emotionally and bodily broken group united and centered could be a head coach’s most necessary process. The Huskers had a airplane experience to Los Angeles, an uncomfortable highway recreation, and their chief was again in Lincoln watching on TV.
Circumstances have been ripe for a letdown for a group which may have misplaced its edge and positively misplaced its quarterback, the man who had began all 22 video games since he arrived at Nebraska. Many groups in comparable conditions confronted adversity and blinked. Going into the UCLA recreation, nobody knew what to anticipate.
Rhule mentioned gamers pledged to purchase in after the USC recreation. How the Huskers performed towards UCLA confirmed that was true.
A neater path apparently wasn’t acceptable to Rhule or his gamers. Is there a greater testomony to a head coach, teaching employees and gamers than overcoming apparent adversity?
Lateef, who had began zero video games since arriving at Nebraska, bought the beginning. Heading into the UCLA recreation, Rhule and gamers talked about their assist for Lateef and the way onerous they have been working with him. They expressed confidence of their backup quarterback.
What else might they are saying, actually?
Was it coach-speak, comfortable discuss to maintain the gamers and followers motivated? How a lot confidence did they honestly have in Lateef?
Nicely, Lateef went out and accomplished his first 11 passes towards UCLA. He threw three landing passes and didn’t throw an interception.
Lateef wasn’t dropping the sport for Nebraska, a reliable possibility with an inexperienced quarterback, he was successful it — the Huskers marching out to a 28-7 lead.
The Huskers’ efficiency makes Rhule’s recent contract extension appear like a sensible transfer. Nebraska stepped up when rumors flew that Penn State could be desirous about hiring Rhule, an alum and former Nittany Lions linebacker.
Nebraska’s report has improved in every of Rhule’s three years. Nebraska goes into its bye week 7-3. The Huskers may very well be taking a look at a nine-win regular season.
This system’s path was bolstered on a 70-degree Saturday evening on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In a season that noticed the Huskers lose two one-score video games — each to ranked opponents Michigan and USC — successful this one needed to really feel particular for Rhule and his group who rallied behind him.
“To have the ability to run the clock down and take a knee on another person’s discipline is actually onerous to do within the Massive Ten,” Rhule mentioned after the UCLA recreation.
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Chuck Bausman is a author for Nebraska on SI. Chuck previously was the Government Sports activities Editor of the Philadelphia Each day Information, Government Sports activities Editor of the Courier-Put up in South Jersey and Sports activities Copy Editor for the Detroit Free Press. He has been a Massive Ten fanatic for almost endlessly. He realized methods to cuss by watching Philly sports activities. You may attain Chuck at: bausmac@icloud.com
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