What to Make of Nebraska Football’s Fiasco in Bloomington?

 Remember back in August when we were all making predictions on how the Nebraska football season would go?  A 7-5 record was a popular choice, with many fans predicting 8-4 or better. 

 I felt 8-4 (or better) was an “if everything goes better than expected” pipe dream.  I settled on 7-5, although I was very clear that I’ll be happy with a bowl game.  I’m sticking with that prediction today, even though many of you feel like the bottom is about to fall out on the season.   

 An ugly, not as close as the final score indicated 56-7 to (checks notes) Indiana.  Yep, that’s going to set off panic alarms from Alliance to Auburn.  Especially when the next game is, gulp, another Big Noon showcase at #4 Ohio State.  The Buckeyes have had an extra week to stew on their frustrating loss to Oregon.  I’m probably not the only one dreading three hours of Buckeyes running wild while Gus Johnson loses his freaking mind.  But two games against top teams do not need to define – or derail – the season. 

In that season expectations piece, I talked about the difference between “success” and “progress”.  I said that I’ll take progress over success.  I still feel that way today, even if it feels like the only progress since August has been backwards. 

I get it.  It’s hard to look at Indiana – INDIANA! – starting 7-0 with a new coach and wonder why Nebraska’s coach is losing by 49 points in Year 2.  It’s the same existential crisis we had after last year’s Colorado game when a different first-year coach who filled his team with portal guys took Nebraska behind the woodshed.  It’s hard to be patient on Christmas morning when everybody else is getting a PlayStation and you’re unwrapping socks. 

 After wandering the CFB desert for what feels like 40 years, I know what it feels like to be desperate for any drop of success.   

Maybe Nebraska should have hit the portal harder for quick fixes.  Maybe Trev Alberts should have hired a coach who could bring his best players to Nebraska with him.  But alas, Matt Rhule could not bring Christian McCaffrey, Brian Burns, or any of his Carolina Panthers with him. 

For better or for worse, that’s not who Matt Rhule is.  That’s not how he chooses to build a program.  I still agree with his developmental philosophy.  As I wrote before the season:  my priority remains building something sustainable and lasting.  Maybe Curt Cignetti is the next Urban Meyer.  Maybe he’ll be a flash in the pan.  I don’t know, and frankly I don’t care.  My focus is on Nebraska building something consistent. 

The rot that infested this great program didn’t occur in two seasons, so why should we expect it to be magically fixed in a year and a half?  Teams like Indiana and Colorado may have completely flipped things in one year, but it remains to be seen what they’ll look like two or three years from now. 

Through seven games, Rhule’s program has shown improvement: 

That isn’t Indiana going from 3-9 to 7-0, but the 2024 team is undoubtably better than 2023.  Their two losses are to teams currently ranked 13th and 20th.   

Yes, a 49-point loss is concerning, horrible, unacceptable, and any other adjective you want to throw at it.  This week probably won’t be a lot better.  Nebraska is a flawed team, and playoff contenders are great at exposing and exploiting your flaws. 

That’s not the optimistic ending I usually strive for, but I’m not here to be play Kevin Bacon’s role in “Animal House,” yelling “Remain calm!  All is well!  ALL IS WELL!!!” as the panicked mob tramples him. 

Panic, freak out, and overreact to your heart’s content.  Just remember that all of you who predicted a 7-5 season believe there are three more losses coming. 

Moving on… 

Things I believe 

Indiana is a really good team.  In theory, I shouldn’t have to say this about a team that is 7-0, climbing towards the top 10, and – if the season ended today – a lock for the playoff.  But based on the number of people I saw saying “how can Nebraska get blown out by Indiana?” I guess we need to point it out.   

 The Hoosiers are legit. 

 They have a great offense, a respectable defense, and they don’t shoot themselves in the foot (just four penalties on Saturday).   

 Let’s be honest, we’ve all been guilty of judging teams by their helmet and/or past reputation.  But 2024 is looking to be “rise of the skeleton programs” year.  Iowa State, Army, Navy, and yes Indiana are all undefeated.  Vandy knocked off a #1 team.  Judge a team by their helmet at your own risk. 

Nebraska got dominated at the line of scrimmage.  I could probably list 15 different reasons Nebraska lost this game, and not get to the “surrender white” uniforms (NU is now 7-15 since 1970 in all-white). 

The majority of the reasons Nebraska got blown out all come back to the same place:  the line of scrimmage.  Indiana controlled it.  Nebraska did not. 

My confidence in the offense line winning in the trenches decreases by the week.  The hope is to keep the defense at bay long enough for somebody to get open before Raiola has to run for his life. 

But the defense getting controlled at the line of scrimmage was an unpleasant surprise.  The Hoosiers fan for 215 yards, often right through the middle of the defense.  Remember how the Blackshirts had not given up a rushing touchdown in their first six games?  Indiana ran for five scores, each one easier than the last.   

Nebraska generated zero pass rush on the Hoosiers.  Aside from a first-quarter Mikai Gbayor blitz that resulted in a sack, the closest NU got to a Hoosier QB was the play where Kurtis Rourke’s thumb hit James Williams on his follow through, and a pair of roughing-the-passer penalties that set up rushing touchdowns. 

The good news is that Nebraska has lost only two games this season.  The bad news is both times, they got whooped at the line of scrimmage.  If you want an early indicator of whether you should get invested in a game or go rake leaves, watch the lines.  They’ll tell you everything you need to know. 

Marcus Satterfield is not the problem.  Nebraska’s offense scored seven points Saturday.  In each of its last three games, NU has been shut out for a half.  This has only given fuel to the growing army of people who think offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield should be fired. 

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m not a Satterfield fanboy.  As I wrote in my Midseason Coaching Grades, “there are times when I’m not convinced if there’s an offensive identity, or if he’s just randomly calling plays” in the hope that something will hit.  He’s far from perfect, and I’ll be the first to acknowledge that. 

But the folks who think Satt should be fired are obfuscating the bigger picture.  Nebraska is averaging 3.02 yards per rush, with none of the three running backs showing any consistency.  The wide receivers have lost the ability and commit costly penalties when they’re asked to block.  The five-star phenom has been sacked 12 times in the last four games.  The pressure, his receivers, and his inexperience all have a hand in his six interceptions.  The impotence of the veteran offensive line exacerbates every single one of these issues. 

So, here’s my question to the Satterfield haters:  What should he be doing?   

What play(s) move the ball consistently?  Yes, Satterfield is ultimately responsible for the performance of his offense, but aren’t the issues with the individual position group coaches?  I assume Satterfield wants the skill players to break tackles instead of falling down at the first hint of contact.   

That’s not me making excuses.  I’m asking a valid question.  Aside from bringing back the Haarberg zone read plays (and possibly, 2023’s fumble issues too), what should Satterfield be doing differently?  Let me know. 

Once more to be crystal clear: Satterfield has plenty of faults as an O.C.  I’m sure there are dozens of coordinators out there who are better.  But if any of them were here right now, what would they be doing?  How would a new coordinator fix the issues on the line, with the backs and receivers, and calm the nerves of the star quarterback? 

Things I don’t know 

Did Nebraska lose to Indiana or James Madison?  In 2023, Curt Cignetti led James Madison to an impressive 11-2 record in just their second season of FBS football.  Meanwhile, Indiana went 3-9, losing seven of their last eight.  Indiana hired Cignetti to replace Tom Allen, and Cignetti wasted no time getting to work. 

Six of Indiana’s coaches (and all three coordinators) were on his staff at JMU.  Of the 30 transfers Indiana brought in, 13 played for Cignetti at JMU.  On Saturday, the former James Madison offensive players combined for 42% of Indiana’s yards (207 on 20 touches) and three touchdowns.  Defensively, JMU transfers combined for 23% of Indiana’s tackles (17), three of their seven tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry. 

Not too shabby.  When Deion Sanders moved to Colorado, he brought his “luggage” to Boulder.  Cignetti essentially had his whole house moved from Harrisonburg, Virginia to Bloomington, Indiana. 

Why bring this up?  I’m not trying to excuse away a 49-point loss.  But I am pointing out that while the name on jersey was that of a team who lost nine games last year, a sizable chunk of the program won 11 games a year ago.   

That matters. 

What happened over the bye week?  Fourteen days.  328.5 hours.  19,710 minutes.  That’s how long Nebraska had between the end of the Rutgers game and kickoff in Indiana.  Did you see any area where Nebraska was better – or even as good as – they were two weeks ago?   

Without doing a deep dive into the stats (maybe NU had fewer penalties against Indiana?), I can’t think of anything.  Offense?  Worse.  Defense?  Worse.  Special teams?  Honestly, about the same, which should not be considered praise. 

So, what happened?  I don’t know, and I’m willing to guess any “Chasing 3” footage from the last two weeks will never see the light of day.  But I doubt it was a two-week vacation.  I’m willing to bet no rounds of Golden Tee were played in the football facility.   

If I had to guess, Nebraska spent the bye week practicing, trying to improve, and working to get banged-up players healthy.  They likely spent a lot of time installing a game plan for the #16 team with one of the best offenses in the country.  Unfortunately, that plan failed, and everything fell apart. 

Why did Dylan Raiola stay in the game so long?  By the start of the fourth quarter, Indiana led by 35 and it was crystal clear that Nebraska was not going to come back.  Quarterback Dylan Raiola had had a rough day.  After three quarters, he was 26-of-38 for 203 yards and two interceptions.  He had limped off the field in the first half with an apparent ankle injury, and there is ongoing speculation that his arm or shoulder may be less than 100%. 

Why continue to play the talented freshman?  The risk of injury (either physical or mental) is greater than any possible reward (padding stats or a garbage time touchdown).  Heinrich Haarberg had success running the ball in his limited snaps.  Freshman Daniel Kaelin can play in four of the remaining games and still preserve his redshirt. 

But Dylan returned for Nebraska’s next two offensive series, taking a big hit on a fourth-down sack.  His day ended on the Huskers’ penultimate possession, when he threw his third interception of the day.  Both of those could have been avoided if he had been pulled earlier. 

Huskerigami Update 

A “Huskerigami” is a final score combination (win or lose) that has never happened in the 130+ year history of Nebraska football. 

Final score:  56-7 

Is that a Huskerigami?  No.  It has happened twice before.  The first time was a 2006 game win over Nicholls State, where the Colonels did not complete a pass (they were 0-3).  The most recent was a 2021 win over Northwestern, a team that was not much better than that 2006 Nicholls State squad. 

5 Things I loved

1. Thomas Fidone II.  The tight end had his best day as a Husker, catching six passes for 91 yards (both career highs).  He did whiff on a key block on the goal line, but on the very next play he made the block that got Jacory Barney Jr. into the end zone.
2. Malcom Hartzog, Jr.  Had a nice pass break up on a deep ball and intercepted a pass before halftime.
3. Mikai Gbayor.  Made a nice tackle on a screen pass and recorded Nebraska’s lone sack on a fourth-down blitz.
4. Heinrich Haarberg.  Nebraska’s leading rusher (five carries for 32 yards).  I think he should have come into the game earlier, even if he no longer has a perfect completion percentage on the season.
5. Jacory Barney Jr.  The talented freshman had a mixed-bag game.  A team-high eight catches for a paltry 32 yards.  Scored Nebraska’s only touchdown on a vintage wingback counter.  Botched his first kickoff return, putting Nebraska in a hole.  But in a game like this, finding five standouts is a challenge. 

Honorable mention:  Ceyair Wright, Kwinten Ives, Nebraska volleyball, the mute button on my TV. 

5 Areas for improvement 

1. Run defense.  With 6:13 left in the first half, quarterback Kurtis Rourke injured his thumb. It was clear he was in pain and unable to throw it as well as he wanted, therefore making it obvious that the Hoosiers would run it more.  And they did.  But the Huskers could not stop it.  Seven carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns in the final six minutes of the half is what sealed Nebraska’s fate.
2. Offensive line.  Dylan Raiola was sacked only twice, a number that could (should) have been higher.  Take out those sacks and Nebraska ran 27 times for a total of 84 yards.  The five starting linemen have an average of 22.6 career starts between them, a number that only went up when Micah Mazzccua (23 career starts) replaced Gunnar Gottula (2) on a few series.  If – as was suggested to me – the vets have reached their maximum potential, let’s see what the young pups can do.  There may be a drop-off, but they’ll need experience before they take over in 2025.
3. Wide receivers.  Over the last two games, Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks have a combined total of five catches for 77 yards.  I don’t know if they’re not getting open, if Raiola is unable to get them the ball, or why they’re on the milk carton.  Also, their perimeter blocking seems to be either a whiff or a penalty.
4. Special Teams.  I understand what Barney wanted to do on Indiana’s first kickoff: if he fields it with one foot out of bounds, NU gets it at the 35.  It would have been a grad school level special teams play.  Unfortunately, Nebraska is failing its Special Teams 101 course.  The Huskers started at their 1, and the offense never got on track.  That said, special teams was arguably the best of the three phases.
5. Indiana’s Memorial Stadium.  When their stadium opened in 1960, the concept of football games on TV was still relatively new (NU’s first nationally televised game was in 1953).  But in 2024, you need to stop selling the seats in front of the primary camera angle.  Shots of an excited fan’s forearms or hands might be hilarious Twitter content, but it’s really annoying for the millions of fans watching on TV. 

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