Dana Holgorsen takes over as offensive coordinator just in time for the Huskers’ game against the Trojans. Marcus Satterfield should be commended for accepting his humbling demotion.

Two struggling proud traditions, Nebraska and USC, clash in the L.A. Coliseum on Saturday. The game is an opportunity for both teams to reverse some bad trends. SMQ is already drinking the Kool-Aid for the Air Raid offense. Get the ball out early and often! Take the under: Nebraska 24 USC 21.

Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule’s ‘remarkable’ justification for appointing Dana Holgorsen as offensive coordinator

Earlier this week, Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule announced that Dana Holgorsen would take over play-calling duties for the offense, shortly after Holgorsen joined the Nebraska staff as an offensive consultant.

With extensive play-calling experience as a longstanding college coach, Holgorsen is stepping in at a critical time, as the team is currently on a three-game losing streak and averaging just 11.3 points per game. Rhule believes this change is a necessary move for improvement.

“This wasn’t just a quick fix,” Rhule stated, according to ESPN’s Max Olson. “I see this as a chance to make a significant change that can elevate us to the next level. This is our first step in that direction.”

Nebraska’s offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen aims to revitalize the team’s offense.

Nebraska football’s OC Dana Holgorsen tries to revive offense 

In his second season in Lincoln, Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule started the year on a positive note. Nebraska kicked off the season with a dominant 40-7 victory over UTEP, followed by a 28-10 win against former Big 12 rival Colorado, which propelled them into the Associated Press Top 25.

However, after a 34-3 triumph over Northern Iowa, Nebraska faced its first setback with a 31-24 overtime loss to Illinois. Although they rebounded the following week with a win at Purdue, this was the beginning of the end for offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield.

After averaging 30.8 points and 405.4 yards per game during the first five games, Satterfield’s offense struggled significantly once October arrived. Since the victory over Purdue, the team has not managed to exceed 322 total yards or average more than 4.5 yards per play. For context, Nebraska’s least productive game in the initial five was against Colorado, when they tallied 334 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per play.

The final blow for Rhule seemed to come with a 27-20 loss to UCLA, which, ironically, was Nebraska’s best offensive performance since September. On Monday, the head coach announced that Satterfield would relinquish play-calling duties, which would now be handled by newly hired offensive consultant Dana Holgorsen.

Matt Rhule reveals Dylan Raiola’s injury status vs. USC

Nebraska football quarterback Dylan Raiola sustained a back injury after an awkward hit during a game against UCLA a few weeks ago. Following that loss, the Cornhuskers enjoyed a bye week, which was crucial for Raiola’s recovery ahead of this weekend’s match against USC. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule confirmed that Raiola is fit to start on Saturday.

“He’ll be ready to go; it was a great week of practice,” Rhule stated, as reported by KETV Omaha.

This is significant for Nebraska as they aim to secure their sixth win of the season against USC. The Cornhuskers haven’t participated in a bowl game since 2016, and after a promising 5-1 start, they are looking to change that this year.

Rhule also mentioned that backup quarterback Heinrich Haarberg has been practicing well, ready to step in if needed. “Heinrich’s had a really, really good two weeks,” Rhule said. “Both he and Danny (Kaelin) have practiced well. We’ll take four quarterbacks with us, and they’re all comfortable with our system.”

The hope is that Raiola is fully healthy and can perform at his best throughout Saturday’s game. However, Nebraska is well-prepared with multiple backup options if necessary.

As for Dylan Raiola, he is a true freshman this season and has held the starting quarterback position for the entire year. It’s uncommon for a true freshman to take on this role at a prominent program like Nebraska, but Raiola has proven to be the right choice and is having a commendable season.