Husker Big Red Chat: Fallout from Nebraska football loss to Illinois

Good morning, Husker fans, and welcome back to the Husker Big Red YouTube channel

After another crushing loss by the Huskers on Friday night, we're here to discuss the fallout

And, yeah, I guess let's just get into it, man. I mean, Nebraska losing again, 3124 and overtime in a game that they did not trail in the second half

You know, in a game they were more than a touchdown favorite in a game that, you know

I just, I don't know how they lost the game, frankly. I don't know how they lost the game, and I'm just, I'm sick of it

I'm sick of it, and I know I'm ranting, but, like, that wasn't an inexcusable loss

There was no excuse to lose that game, and I'm just, I don't know, man, like, talk me off the ledge

but I'm there right now with this program. I'm on the ledge right now. I predicted eight and four at the beginning of the season

I'm still sticking to that. There were a lot of concerning things last night, but that was also, you know, Nebraska lost that game

but that was also a very well-coached Illinois team. That was one of the better Illinois teams I've seen in years

So hat tip to them. I get it was frustrating, but I mean

I thought that Illinois did a good job of play calling. I thought they did a much better job than last year

in terms of, you know, defense. And they allowed some big plays

They allowed some big plays, but yet they stood firm in what they had to do

and defensively Nebraska did not. And, you know, so, as heartbreaking as this loss is, I'm not too worried about it yet

We'll see what they do against Purdue next week. But, you know, I think that was just a good game between a well-coached team

and a team that's just still not there yet. I mean, you know, you look at Pat Bryant, and he was one of the guys that I, you know

kind of circled coming into this game, and he made plays. And you look at, you know, Luke Altmeyer, and he made plays

I thought, you know, like I said, the plate calling was good, particularly on that touchdown throw

where they sent Bryant in motion towards the end zone. You know, stuff like that

Even like, I believe it was the tackle touchdown, the left tagler, the right tackle touchdown

I can't remember. They did a good job of, you know, rolling out and baiting the defense

So, you know, as much as Nebraska's defense was awful, I thought Illinois played a very well-execrated game

particularly offensively. Yeah, I just think, you know, I don't know. To me, it just looked like one team was well coached

and one team wasn't. I mean, you know, nine, 10 penalties, you know, how many sacks, five, six sacks, you know, just crucial

I mean, Ramir Johnson stepping out of bounds before making a catch. I mean, I just, just crucial mistakes over the special teams were God awful, you know, it's just, it's so frustrating

And I mean, I'm not saying that, yeah, I think that this season's going to be a failure or anything

But, yeah, last night made me readjust my expectations. Like I don't think this team is winning nine or ten games

And I'm frankly, I am worried about getting to six wins because this next game you're

playing at Purdue, which is going to, every big 10 road game is tough. And you've got Rutgers coming in here, which is very similar to Illinois

They're going to run the ball, be tough on defense, have a solid quarterback. So that's going to be very much a similar game

And, you know, after that, you'd be in a road. and that's not going to be easy you know they're rolling and so you know i mean there was all this

seven and oath i mean you know we could be going into columbus three and four four and three you know

and if that's the case if you look at that back half of that schedule because it's ohio state

USC UCLA iowa and wisconsin like there's not an easy win on the schedule and yeah i don't know

i mean here's a did riley van popple play last night i'm assuming no i didn't hear his name mentioned and

I didn't see him, so. And see, to me, that's just, that's baffling

You know, you, I did not understand that move. And I'm not saying that's why they lost

But I did not understand that move when Matt Ruhl came out and said that this week. I mean, he's the third best defensive tackle on this team

Am I wrong in that? Am I wrong in that? I'm trying to think

You're probably right on that, yeah. So who, I mean, why in gods

I mean, this last year in this game, who came? up with one of the biggest plays

Riley Van Popple on that first drive, yeah. And yesterday, Illinois gashes for 166 yards

The defensive line looked gassed, the entire second half. And I haven't seen the snaps

Maybe they changed their mind. I didn't see him in there. You know, and I was watching it on, obviously, on my phone

I didn't get the full, you know. You're lucky you're watching on your phone

I haven't paint myself through the rewatch yet. It was awful on my television

So you like to watch. Because I wrote that the honeymoon is over for Matt Ruhlin

It is. It is over. Like I'm so sick of hearing that about he needs more time

He needs this and that. No, no. You've got what you need. You spent all offseason telling me about how this defense is loaded with NFL talent

You've got the fifth oldest offensive line in college football. You've got a better and tight end

You've got NFL receivers. You've got a future NFL quarterback. So don't know

You've got what you need. I am so sick of hearing that Matt Rule needs more time to fix what Scott the mess that Scott Frost left him. No, he does not

It took Jim Harbaugh one season to fix what Brady Hoag did, one season. And they went from four wins

Come on that Michigan versus a terrible Nebraska program Michigan has a difference Michigan holds a lot more weight than Nebraska does Come on Yeah but not that much Not that much I mean that team was in a tough spot dude

Like they are giving away. Kids today still cared about Michigan. Kids today don't care about Nebraska from 20 years ago in their success

There's a huge difference there. I don't think there's that huge of a difference, though. I mean, David Braun last year, dude, took a team that was predicted last in the Big Ten

and won seven games. That's all I'm saying. Like, I just don't see why Matt Rule can't do it

And it's not like, it'd be one thing. It'd be one thing, you know, if last year, like, you looked at it and they were just, like, getting dominated, right

But Michigan was the only game last year when Nebraska really, really wasn't up to snuff, like, talent-wise

You know, like, all those other games, like, they couldn't beat Maryland at home. I mean, come on

Michigan State last year. Like, come on. These are games that Nebraska should be winning

We're losing to Illinois at home as a nine-point favorite. Like, come on, man

Like Luke Altemeyer tore us up last night. And I know that Tommy Hill got injured, but with all these one, like how many one score losses is it going to take for people to say, like to stop blaming Scott Frost

Like how many? How many? 15? Like, how many is my question

Because it's the same thing. Like, I just don't understand why they can't execute, why this team can't execute down the stretch, why they cannot, you know, function on special teams when it matters

we get into overtime first play false start it's like i mean you know the same stuff on repeat and at

some point like i i don't understand why matt rule like to some people is just not held they just

like give them a free pass for all that stuff and i just don't understand it oops you're on mute there buddy there i got you i am on you yeah okay there you go probably

better than i'm on me today but um and you know you know i see that and i and i and i i i i

I also get why Matt Rule gets a free pass because he is still trying to build the program

And I get he has all the talent and this done and the other thing. But I mean, even still, there has been improvement from last year to this year

And, you know, I still think. But where is it outside of Dylan Raola

Where is that improvement? Running back room. I would say it's a lot better than what it was last year

I'd say the wide receiver talent is a lot better than what it was last year. And we saw it when with, with Nair and Banks last night, to be truthful

I thought that they did a much better job of getting separation. If Neyer catches the damn ball instead of getting it taken away, we win the game

But yeah, but you're right. I thought he should have gone up and actually made an effort to get that ball

And truthfully, that was a good play by the Illinois defender too

And what is Kyle's it? Okay. I for the record I don't want to burn the program into the ground I stayed off X for this reason I mean people were going nuts I mean it is one game I mean I'm not saying I want to burn the program to the ground or that I want I mean that's like yeah I post that on on Facebook and people acting like I want Matt rule fired no I'm not saying that but I'm just tired of the narrative that you know like quit blaming Scott Frost for Matt Rule's problems like these losses have nothing to do with Scott Frost that's that's that's that's

That's the main point that I'm trying to make here is that this is on that rule

There's no, like we're in the transfer portal era, like this team is good enough to win

And there's just no excuse for not winning that game last night. And the coaching staff dropped the ball

This team was not ready to go. They weren't ready for overtime. And it's just, you know, you like you come out in the second half, they can't put people away

You come out in the second half, you have a seven point lead. You get a stop

Can't get the lead to. 10 points. You know what I mean? Then you come down

doing the real puts together a great drive and you let him walk down the field for a touchdown. I mean, it's just time and time again. Like at some point

he's responsible for the product on the field. That's the main point I'm trying to say

I'm not saying that like, yeah, he's going to get fired, but the dude needs to start winning

though. But my point is, I guess like I'm just tired of like, I just don't have faith

Like, I don't have blind faith in this program anymore. Like last night was the end of my faith in that rule

Like I still like I need him to show me it because I don't believe it anymore because last night was a game that you like if if Matt Ruhle was an elite head coach I think Nebraska wins that game like if Urban Myers the head coach or Jim Harbaugh is our head coach we don't lose that game. Am I wrong in saying that

No, but it's hard to it's it's hard to kind of kind of you know come up with that well not come up with that scenario but it's hard to say you know what would what would happen

I do think I do think there are some coordinator. positions that need to be looked at, particularly special teams. Ed Foley definitely deserves to be

on the hot seat. The special teams in terms of field goal kicking hasn't really improved. And the

fact that we still can't get a kicker for the last five years is mind boggling. The coverage

the coverage was decent at times last night. Other times they sprang a leak, but I do think

Ed Foley needs to be looked at. Yeah, for sure. And like, I mean, I like your name, Scott's

tots. And like, yeah, but pump the brakes on what? I'm not saying that Matt Rule should be

fired or that I don't even think that's a consideration until next year and they'd have to miss

a bowl game this year and next year for that to happen. I don't think that's any scenario

possible. I'm just saying like the dude just needs to start winning games and he has he's eight and eight

through 16 games That what he is Like he lost six or yeah six one score games Like that not great coaching in my opinion And I think he done a good job of building the program but for whatever reason the in coaching has not been great with this staff

And I don't think that that's a crazy thing to say. Yeah, I agree

I think last year there was a talent deficiency this year. Last night, that was definitely, that was definitely an issue

I honestly, you know, I didn't have a problem with the way Marcus Satterfield called the game, but I do think that we should have ran on the football a little bit

you know, especially with the way the offensive line was leaking a bit

It looked at times, like, you know, especially the rushers coming off the edge on, even on a play that way

the rush are coming off the edge, Rayl managed to get the ball off. But, you know, and maybe that was a design play

But, you know, I just thought that the offensive play calling could have been a little bit better

And, yeah, I just, last night was mystifying. I don't think the officiating helped a lot

I think that Sayyar Wright pass interference call was absolutely brutal. That was not a good call at all, but, yeah, it was just, it seemed like Nebraska couldn't get anything going offensively in the second half again

And they did, and they did score, you know, some points in the second half, but it still remains to be a problem for this team

Illinois was able to blanket the Nebraska receivers pretty well in terms of the short and intermediate routes

But they did a much better job of adjusting to the Nebraska offense than the Nebraska defense did to the Illinois offense, I thought

Yeah, and I think teams are maybe getting used to the 335

I don't know if that's, but I mean, again, I don't know

it's it's uh it was disturbing to me that the way that they yeah just ran the ball of will and

yeah that goes back to like the riley band popple thing like that to me that's a mind boggling mistake

or i just don't understand that and i just can't imagine in any other world where any other

program would take you know their third best defensive tackle which i don't think that's you know

maybe he's not clearly the third best but i can't think of anybody else that would play over him

so that tells you something right there and say oh well we don't want you to play it or 10 steps you're going to be tie robinson next year you know like

that's just he needs this year to develop and play it's defensive like to me that's that that

reeked a little bit of hubris and then you come out on friday night i mean do you think bret be

lemma has his third best defensive tackle red shirting you know what i mean like i don't know

that's just i i feel like there's a little bit at nebraska they they love their own stuff a little bit

too much and I do not understand why. I mean, if they love their own stuff a little bit too much and they're three and one

I'll take that right now. I'll take it. I mean, I just think that, I mean, I think that they're getting, I mean, to me, that's just

getting on your high horse a little bit. Like, you know, we've got all these great defensive linemen

Like, we don't, we can just, like, I don't know where Matt Ruhle thinks that Nebraska has

the luxury of redshirting a kid like Riley Van Popple because I don't see it

And I think last night was a good example of why. Well, I think the initial thought was they would couple him with next year's recruiting class, which is a big gamble

But I agree. I think you should definitely play more like we talked about earlier

He came up with that big stop in the final drive against Illinois last year

But I honestly wasn't necessarily, you know, kind of disappointed by the decision due to the fact that that just keeps him in the program longer

But we could have used them last night. there's no doubt about that um yeah and i guess you know like sure yeah that it is only one loss

Vince like you're totally right they could come out and like beat perdu and you know be they can

still be six and one going into ohio state i'm not saying that that like i feel like people are

like misreading what i'm saying like i just i just don't think like yeah they they could be fine

but i don't know that they will be fine because i have not seen mat rule deliver that's what i'm

saying. Like I don't have this blind faith that he's going to, you know, like all my cool

like last night, you know, if like my Kool-Aid, my Nebraska Kool-Aid was in a big balloon

that just popped it. It's gone. I have none. It's over. Okay. Like he needs to

this team needs to show me something. Because beating Colorado, like, yeah, that was great

Okay. That was great. But even in that game, we should have won by more. And that program's a joke

So like, I don't really look that as a, you know, I think we overreacted to that win

And, you know, this, I just, last night, I don't think that Illinois, I mean, I think that they're a solid team, but I think there's a lot of other teams in our schedule that are better than them, and that's what worries me

And there's other teams that, you know, I just, I'm just worried that we're not going to be able to execute down the stretch

And last night didn't alleviate those concerns. I mean, Dylan Raola was great. I mean, I saw people like saying that, you know, Dylan Raola was, you know, like didn't play well enough

And it was like, man, without Dylan Raola, they lose that game by 70. and that's what I'm worried about

I like the play of Ramir Johnson last night. I thought he got involved into the game quite a bit

and he continued kind of where he left off from last week. So I like that they continue to get him involved in the passing game a lot

and I'll be interested to see, you know, he's good for those checkdown throws, those, you know

sort of when Raleigh can find anybody open just dump it to Rameer and he can you know run for some yards after the catch So it was good to see him get involved again and I curious to see if he continue that role

because that's the perfect role for him. So Mike, the problem is Mr. spokesman, Sean Callahan

feeding us BS every offseason and kissing every new coach's butt for perks. I mean, not every beat reporter does that, though

You should have seen the stuff that I was reading about Michigan this offseason. And all the – the only thing that they're reporting is what they're hearing

So, like, you know, I don't know. That's what they get paid to do

And, yes, I mean. That was a weird challenge because he didn't even, he was very clearly in bounds

And I could see in real time where you maybe want to take a risk and see if he was out of bounds because they were driving at the time

But, you know, watching it on replay. And granted, this is very easy for me to say because I watched it at home like and saw it slowed down a little bit better

But I didn't like the challenge initially. Yeah, I didn't love the challenge

I didn't love the timeouts at the end of the half, but, you know, at the end of the game

But that's it they lost at the end of the day, like when they missed that field goal, I knew it was over

I knew they were going to lose. I knew it for, I knew as much as my name is Chris that they were going to lose that game

And they did. Like, they lost the game on that series, that possession

And yeah, I do think that when it was third and three, they should have ran the damn ball. They should have ran the ball twice for a first down and then won the, and then if they do that, the game's over

They win the game. assuming we can make a 20-yard field goal, which is a pretty crazy assumption for this program

I don't, I, like I'm going to say, I don't think we make a 20-yard field goal

So, I mean, it's just, it's really, it's just really frustrating that, you know

the same things happen. So, I don't know, yeah, rules, done some weird things

I mean, with game management, he was, he did weird stuff at the end of the Maryland game last year

at the end of the Wisconsin game last year. You know, he's lucky

that those timeouts didn't come back to bite him last night against Illinois. I mean, he was like stopping the clock for Illinois

I'm like, what are you doing here? And then he said after, he was like, well, the sheet said to take a timeout

Why are you relying on a freaking sheet, man? Do you not know the game? Do you not know when to take a timeout

You're the head coach. Okay. Don't look at a damn sheet. Manage the gate

You don't call plays. Manage the freaking game, man. Come on. Although a lot of coaches have trouble calling timeout

So this isn't a mat rule of thing either. Mario Cristobald down in Miami, he's had an awful time

I'm calling timeouts as well. So I could see where you put it on a sheet. But what was I going to say

My point was that, you know, I think, I think, you know what

I just lost my train of thought. You can continue and I'll come back

I don't have a train of thought. I'm just extremely depressed. And I know, but I know people are like ripping me on Facebook

And I don't, I just don't care because I don't think that I'm wrong. Tell me what I've said that's wrong

Have I said that Matt Rule should be fired? No. I've never suggested that one time

but I do think that he needs to start producing results. And I don't think that he needs any more time

I think that that is just, I think that's malarkey. I think that's just totally bogus

That was an excuse last year. That's not an excuse this year. It's not

I'll give him one more year. I, because I do think he still needs time to develop a little bit more

When you look at the overall structure of the program, especially with Ty and Nash and those guys gone next year

But, you know, I do think. That's the thing. How's this defense going to be better next year

Well, let's see. We got Malcolm. We got Tyson. Those guys aren't going to be ready

If we're relying on Malcolm Simpson and Ty and we aren't making a lot of game

No, I don't think we're going to slowly rely on them. And James Williams is what a sophomore. So at least we'll have him back next year

Well, he'll be a junior next year. Yeah. Yeah, so sophomore. No, you're right

Yeah, I don't know if he had if he carried over a year from the Juko. So, but any, but I mean

I'm trying to think. Like the defensive ends, but man, like, we got Riley Van Popple at defensive tackle, and that's it

You know, so, like, I don't know. And then we're losing our best cornerback

Marcus Buford looks like he should be playing safety. Sorry, but. Yeah, he's not really impressed me

Sayer Wright impressed me, actually. Yeah, Sayer right was good. And that penalty was absolutely bogus, so I don't play that on him at all

That was just great coverage, I thought. did you see the play or were you uh i did i did it was bad my yeah my battery's about to die so

they got to get it so should be should we should we might as well start wrapping up yeah people

are probably sick of the complain fest anyways i know that i'm a negative person but you know

yeah it's just i'm sick of it i'm just i'm just tired of it this isn't happening in another

year after the same old song and dance and yes we'll see we'll see i think nash

tie Tommy Hill. I do think Fadoni's a draft pick. Banks, maybe close, yeah

I think maybe close, but they didn't play like it last night, for sure

So that's on the coach. It's only one game, it's only one game, people. Let's wait until the end of the season

before you make judgments. I still have been eight and four and I'm sticking to that. You're right

It is only one game. That's the beautiful thing about football, but this team, they got to start doing it, though

And so we'll see if it happens. We'll come back on Monday

We'll review a little bit more and talk about this, you guys. So thanks again for joining us for another Saturday morning chat

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