In preparing for the Nebraska-Iowa matchup, there are a few final observations to share, particularly regarding what Matt Rhule has admired about Dana Holgorsen’s approach since becoming part of the team.
Matt Rhule describes Holgorsen’s method as “methodical.”
This effectively captures the way interim offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen conducts his work, though he can certainly ramp up the intensity when necessary. Rhule has recognized this dynamic since their time as competitors.
“When we played my first year at Baylor, we were probably the worst team in the world. One of our players got hurt on a punt return on their sideline, so I went over to their sideline and he was ripping the ref because they made the call for us,” Rhule recalled with humor. “I didn’t know you could say that to the ref. I’m being too gentle with these guys.”
He held a deep admiration for the coach even before they became rivals. Rhule mentioned attending a clinic just to hear Holgorsen discuss offensive football when he was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. A few years ago, Rhule and his wife, Julie, had the opportunity to spend a day with Holgorsen, including dinner, where he found him to be very insightful.
Rhule has felt the same way about having Holgorsen on the staff over the past three weeks.
“Seeing him here, seeing his process here. It’s like Phil Snow. Watching Tony (White) and him work, they’re very methodical,” Rhule said heading into Friday’s road test at Iowa. “Dana comes in and he studies the opponent until he understands them and then they get together (and collaborate a plan). Just the rhythm that he does things makes total sense to me. A lot of the guys on our staff, we didn’t come up through big organizations. We weren’t some famous coaches’ sons. We kind of nickel and dimed our way up to Albright College, a GA here, a GA there. I was never able to be under a great offensive system.”
So Rhule is using Holgorsen’s time here – which Husker fans hope extends into 2025 at least – to take close stock of how another who has been a head coach goes about his preparation.
“For me just seeing the way that he processes things, it’s so close to what we were doing, it’s just a little bit better,” Rhule said. “It’s just a little bit more simplified. Whether it’s Satt (Marcus Satterfield) or Glenn (Thomas) or Garrett (McGuire) or EJ (Barthel) … or any of the coaches on our offense, they’re really benefiting from watching the process play out. From the way they watch tape, to the way that they script, to the way they attach plays to the script, to the way they do their walk through before practice, the way they do routes on air.”
Rhule stated that whether he coaches alongside Holgorsen for just one more week or for the next ten years, he will emerge as a better coach because of it. He felt similarly about the insights he gained from Tony White last year.
As the Husker offense prepares to face an Iowa defense that has been successful by trusting its own system, Rhule recognizes advantages that extend beyond the impressive points scored last Saturday.
“It’s just all these things I’ve always wanted to do,” Rhule said, “but it never made complete and total sense to me until I worked with Dana and now it makes sense to me.”
Regarding Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, the Huskers face a challenge as Iowa has proven itself to be undefeated when he rushes for over 100 yards. Johnson has amassed 1,492 rushing yards on 223 carries (6.7 yards per carry) and has scored 21 touchdowns—hitting the end zone in every game, with three touchdowns in four of those matches.
“When you go back and really watch the film, they are good at what they do. The offensive line is excellent at blocking and sifting through all that stuff – all the movements. And the back, he is as elite as they come in terms of breaking tackles, staying on his tracks. He has great vision and then he can put a foot in the ground and plant any which way,” said defensive coordinator Tony White.
White emphasized the importance of having many players around the ball and making strong tackles.
Iowa expects to win if they score more than 21 points, boasting a 32-0 record since 2020 in such situations. They’ve also scored 40 points in three consecutive home games for the first time since 2011.
White acknowledged that tackling and run fits must be precise. “He breaks tackles. He does not go down just by lowering a shoulder and all that stuff. His center of gravity is low and it doesn’t look like he’s running very hard, but you cannot tackle him. Minnesota, the year before gives up 11 yards rushing to these guys and this year they get 200 yards.”
He recalled a play where Minnesota had multiple defenders ready but Johnson still managed a 30 or 40-yard run. “He is truly an elite back and it is going to be a great challenge to the guys to make sure that they wrap up, grab cloth, run feet and get bodies in pursuit around them.”
In terms of game management, Rhule has studied Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and noted how Ferentz adjusts his strategy based on the weather. He observed that sometimes the coach alters decisions to have the wind advantage in the fourth quarter.
“The way that they’ll play field position and the way that they’ll punt the ball down, it’s very much like when you’re in the NFL playing Coach (Bill) Belichick and all of his coaches. When I was there, you played Joe Judge and those guys and it’s really difficult. They have a great punter, they have an elite returner. They’ve got great special teams. It’ll be a real challenge,” Rhule said.
“That’s why they win the close games. They’re very comfortable. It’s almost like, for them, the game doesn’t even start until the second half begins. They’re very comfortable playing in a close game. They know who they are, and I’ve really enjoyed watching that from them.”
Reflecting on last year, Rhule recalled how Nebraska was tied against Iowa with less than a minute left when an interception allowed Iowa to score a last-minute field goal for a 13-10 victory.
“That’s a credit to Coach Ferentz and how he does things, but walking off the field waving at our guys ‘Have a good Christmas.’ That was really painful,” he said. “So I don’t doubt our guys will be ready, but their guys are gonna be ready. It really just comes down to football. If we false start we’re probably not going to win. If we turn the ball over we’re not going to win. If we can win the turnover battle, we’ll have a chance to win – if we can tackle. It all comes down to the preparation…”
Key statistics include:
6: The last six meetings between Nebraska and Iowa have been decided by seven points or fewer, with three games determined by a margin of three points.
35: Friday’s game marks the 35th consecutive season Nebraska has played on Black Friday, including 14 years against Iowa. The Huskers have a 20-14 record in Black Friday games since 1990, but they are only 4-9 against Iowa in those matchups, as Iowa has won eight of nine since 2014.
Despite scoring 44 points and gaining 473 yards against Wisconsin, the Huskers are looking to improve.
“It’s even better when you watch the tape and there’s things that you wish you could do better,” quarterback Dylan Raiola said. “We’re excited. We’re kind of just back at square one, getting ready for the next team and kind of putting that behind us.”
Raiola praised Iowa’s defense, which ranks 17th nationally in total yards allowed and 12th in scoring defense.
“Their head coach and coordinator (Phil Parker) have been together since I was even born,” he noted. “They play very sound. They play very well together. With it being the last game you can kind of see them get better and continue to progress each week.”
Raiola also mentioned the healthy competition among position groups, attributing it to Holgorsen’s fresh perspective. Last week, tight ends Nate Boerkircher and Luke Lindenmeyer saw the majority of snaps while Thomas Fidone had limited opportunities against the Badgers.
“It’s a constant challenge from us, to the receivers to the O-line,” Raiola said. “You’ve got to continue to get better each day. And there’s not a lot of teams getting better throughout the season. So if you can kind of find a way to be that team and progressing, you kind of get that one up.”
Holgorsen remarked on Fidone’s improvement, stating, “Thomas just had the best practice he’s had since I’ve been here.”
Raiola noted that his connection with Holgorsen is strengthening. “Just kind of building that relationship… understanding what he wants to call and when he wants to call it.”
As for the weather, temperatures are anticipated to be in the teens to low 20s during Friday’s game in Iowa City, with winds expected to calm throughout the evening. Raiola emphasized that wind is more impactful than the cold itself.
“Luckily we live in Nebraska so we can practice in the cold when we’re going to play in the cold… There’s no effects. We’re not calling anything any different. The sideline will be taken care of,” he said, adding that he uses a hand warmer for comfort.
Defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel has seen limited action this season but could still contribute against Iowa without losing his redshirt. White mentioned the challenge of reintegrating a player after a long absence from competitive play.
“Yeah, possibly. He’s a big strong guy,” White said. “We’re just going through the process seeing if he’s ready.”
Cornerback Blye Hill, who faced challenges earlier in the season due to injury, played against Wisconsin and is learning from the experience. “When guys go out there like that you’ve got to give them a chance, right?” White remarked. “He’s going to be a really good football player for a long time.”
Special teams will be pivotal in this matchup. Brian Buschini is averaging 46.54 yards per punt this season, just ahead of the school record, and Rhule has noted the consistency in field position following his punts.
“Brian has really been punting the ball well,” Rhule said. “We’ve been more consistent in terms of catching punts and not letting balls roll down and putting us in bad field position.”
With a national TV audience on NBC this Thanksgiving weekend, both teams are aware of the significance of the rivalry.
“This is college football, right? Black Friday. Thanksgiving. National TV. You’ve got a rivalry that is one of the best in college football. This is college football,” White stated. “This is why you come to Nebraska. This is why you play in the Big Ten. This is truly historic. So I’m going to soak it up. I might have some gloves on, but I’m going to soak it up.”
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