Matt Rhule fired offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen on Saturday afternoon, according to Yahoo Sports. The move comes right after Nebraska lost 24-13 to Illinois on Friday night. This loss marks the fourth straight defeat for the Cornhuskers. The team started the season with a perfect 5-0 record. Now they sit at 5-4 and cannot score enough points to win. For the remainder of the season, Glenn Thomas will assume responsibility for play-calling. He is the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Rhule acknowledged that the offensive strategy and its execution are failing. He took full blame for the results in a statement released to the public.
A Expensive Gamble Goes Bad
Nebraska made a risky bet on Rhule a year ago. The school extended his contract through 2032 after Penn State fired James Franklin. This agreement burdens the university with a buyout near the $60 million mark. Rhule has ties to Penn State, having gone to high school in State College. The athletic director, Pat Kraft, worked with him at Temple. Nebraska felt the program was on the right track at the time. They wanted to avoid a long coach search. Now that decision looks like a huge mistake. The school is stuck with a coach who has a record of 24-23. Angry supporters are discovering fresh methods to express their dismay at the program. The sellout streak that began in 1962 could finally end. A fan base enduring numerous losing streaks across the past few decades faces these dark times.
Wrong Fit for the Roster
The hiring of Holgorsen was a square peg in a round hole. That style was never a great fit in the Big Ten. Rhule hired him anyway. The plan shifted when quarterback Dylan Raiola transferred to Oregon. The team then built an offense around Anthony Colandrea. Colandrea has a lot of running ability. Nebraska declared a week or so ago that Colandrea committed to a fifth year in 2027. Then they fired Holgorsen. The next offensive coordinator will need to work around the current quarterback. Rushing yardage places the offense among the Big Ten leaders. Yet the team still loses close games. During the four-game slump, the Cornhuskers averaged only 13.5 points per contest. An average of 19.5 points was surrendered by the defense over the past four games. But they could not finish drives or put the ball in the end zone.
The Road to a Turnaround
Rhule pledged further adjustments to aid the team in securing victories. He stated his intent to keep assessing the program as the season progresses. The firing of Holgorsen is just the first step. The path forward appears difficult for the games that remain. Next week, Nebraska travels to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Ranked home contests versus Ohio State follow on the schedule. A concluding away game versus the Iowa Hawkeyes comes after that. Four consecutive victories helped Illinois regain its composure. Losses to Indiana, Oregon, Washington, and Illinois were part of the skid that saw Nebraska crash. Turning things around remains the determination of the entire program. But the math is simple. To end the season strongly, the team requires a spark. The next game is on the road against Rutgers next week.
