On paper it looked like one of the bowl season’s biggest mismatches, and while the Nebraska Cornhuskers kept it close early, in the end the 15th-ranked Utah Utes overpowered the underdogs in a 44-22 Las Vegas Bowl rout that ended Head Coach Matt Rhule’s third season at Nebraska with another 7-6 record.
Against Utah, all the weaknesses showed. They got mediocre quarterback play and were beaten badly in the trenches…again.
Rhule had said it wasn’t the players that were the issue, it was the coaching. He’s has already made changes to his coaching staff for next season, with new Offensive Line Coach Geep Wade having assuming his duties during bowl prep. New Defensive Coordinator Rob Aurich will take over full-time the moment the team plane bringing the Huskers back to Lincoln is wheels down.
As far as the roster goes, Nebraska only loses 19 seniors, plus star tailback Emmett Johnson, so the bulk of the very young roster can return. How many will remain in scarlet and cream will remain in doubt for the next couple of weeks with the Transfer Portal opens on January 2nd. And while the portal will likely cost them numerous players, it also gives Rhule and his staff some opportunity to fill some of the very big holes that were exposed by the Utes. Like…
The Line of Scrimmage:
Yes, size does matter. A lot. So does maturity, and understanding proper technique. Nebraska will have two new line coaches next year, so work on the technique part will get an early start later this month. Meanwhile, Rhule needs to find some really big bodies with some experience who can come to Lincoln and compete for playing time immediately. There are very high hopes for young players like Grant Brix, Brock Knutson and Sam Sledge, and returning O line players like Gunner Gottula, Tyler Knaak and Justin Evans should benefit from the teachings of Wade. Nevertheless, more size and experience is badly needed.
On the defensive side, guys like D Lineman Keona Davis, Kade Pietrzak and Williams Nwaneri playing inside at 275 pounds isn’t going to work in the Big Ten. Long time Husker fans still long for the days when the Big Red was doing the bullying up front. That’s what the Blackshirts need to get back to. Immediately.
Quarterback:
The Huskers are already losing now former starting quarterback Dylan Raiola to the portal. After Raiola was injured, true freshman quarterback TJ Lateef came in a showed some promise. But has he shown enough to be handed the starting job for next season? That’s unlikely given the fact that the Huskers only won one of the three games he started, in addition to losing a lead against USC after Raiola was injured and lost for the season.
Lateef’s performances have been collectively middling at best.
What Husker fans were hoping to see from Lateef was far more in the quarterback running game. That never materialized, however. He never became a difference maker for the Husker offense. In the Bowl rout, everyone in Big Red Country got a vivid visual reminder of what a true “dual threat” quarterback can do to a defense. Utah’s Devon Dampier destroyed the Blackshirts with his arm and his legs, racking up 458 yards of offense with five total touchdowns.
A threat similar to Dampier is widely seen as something Nebraska under Offensive Coordinator Dana Holgerson wants and needs to get back to.
Next up, Part 2.
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