Kenny Larabee, NRG Media
Rohr’s Four: Four reactions, impressions, reflections, concerns and questions after Nebraska’s 20-17 to Indiana.
1-Progress and pain
There is plenty of frustration about Nebraska’s loss, and especially the fact that the Cornhuskers can’t seem to shake a 31-game losing streak to ranked opposition. But backing up for a second: very few observers, fans or media, saw Nebraska winning this game against the Hoosiers, even if Indiana looked a little sluggish against Northwestern. And certainly, at some point, Matt Rhule and his staff are going to have to win a game against a ranked foe (though the opportunity most thought they’d have against Oregon is gone, the Ducks dropped from No. 13 to out of the top 25 after their loss to UCLA). But there has been progress made in this program. It’s a crude measure, but considering an almost-this-good Indiana team ran the Huskers out of Bloomington, 56-7, you could argue 46 points of progress have been made.
Even putting aside the scores, Nebraska showed they more than belonged against the team seen as the most ruthless execution machine right now in college football. For three quarters, they dominated the run of play. Indiana’s vaunted running game, seen as an unstoppable weapon against the Huskers’ questionable run defense, was sidetracked, gaining just 65 yards on the ground for the game. The Nebraska offense was able to sustain drives, running 83 plays to IU’s 44. The Hoosiers committed three penalties, which is a small number, but it’s three more than they committed last week, spurred in part by Nebraska’s strong play and in part by the raucous Sea of Red.
All these things are things to build. Husker fans have too often had to find solace in coming close to a monumental win, but if they’ll allow for that again this time, they’ll see there’s not that much separating Nebraska from the defending national champions. And yet…
2-The end is always the toughest
Despite the Huskers dominating for three quarters, all it took was one lightning bolt, the quick slant to Nick Marsh that covered 75 yards in a blink, to puncture Nebraska’s armor. After a three-and-out by the Huskers on the next drive, Nebraska was confused defensively and left Marsh wide open again, this time for the 39-yard touchdown pass that decided the game. Watching it back, the worst part is the only hesitation on IU quarterback Josh Hoover’s part is caused by not one, but two receivers (Marsh and Charlie Becker) being at least 20 yards wide open. Indiana had four plays for 199 yards, the two touchdowns included in that mix. The other 40 plays? The Hoosiers gained just 129 yards for the game, just over three yards per play.
But those are the breaks, the little margins that separate good teams from great teams, and Nebraska has left far too many of those margins on the table during this decade of misery. The first Marsh TD was set up by Dwayne McDougle, III, biting on a play-action fake, leaving the middle of the Huskers defense unprotected. So when Hoover found Marsh, he had to snatch the ball away from Victor Evans, III, but then just sprint down the field, which he did for the touchdown that got Nebraska fans muttering, “Here we go again”.
But the second one aches most. It’s fourth-and-1 at your 39 and you’re so confused that Cam Lenhardt is in there as a linebacker? With timeouts to burn? Rhule’s mistake in not taking the timeout to perfect his defensive call will haunt him and every Husker fan forevermore, or at least until Nebraska finally picks up a win over a top 25 foe.
These little margin separates the good teams from the great teams. Sadly, the Huskers have not taken care of the details that so how separate victory from defeat.
And it should be this athletic department’s Manhattan Project to determine how to get teams to finish games successfully. While it hasn’t been the outline of all 31 losses to ranked foes, there have been plenty of them that have seen Nebraska outplay its higher ranked foe for three quarters, only to leave the door open enough for a mistake or two in the fourth quarter to thwart the Huskers. And when the mistake comes, it’s not one small one that only cracks the door a little more, it’s a lost fumble in your territory. It’s a blocked punt, or a punt to the wrong side of the field for the coverage. Or it’s a quick slant where your veteran safety bites on the fake, opening the field for their All-American wide receiver to steal your momentum in 75 yards.
How can a team play so differently in the final stretch of the game than the first three quarters? I’ll never understand it, and it keeps happening to Nebraska. And yes, the best strong finishes are the ones you don’t need. Even as the Huskers were dominating the run of play in the first half, the Huskers left 11 points on the field, settling for a field goal instead of scoring a touchdown after 1st and goal from the 9 on the opening drive, then getting nothing on their final drive of the first half, that blunted the impact of Nebraska’s brilliant 30 minutes to start the game.
But those bumps in the road happen. How is it that the Huskers’ execution erodes the moment it’s needed most? I’ll never understand.
3-You deserve better
Not that a fanbase that has sold out 63 years of home games needs a whole lot more kudos, but they deserve them for their efforts Saturday. They were passionate, loud and influential throughout the game. Even Cignetti’s band of football robots seemed to have trouble with the noise levels, drawing a penalty and forcing Indiana to burn timeouts.
Outsiders who haven’t been to Lincoln in a while or ever were wowed by the experience, and said so on social media. Despite a horrid decade and 20-plus years out of the national championship race, Nebraska football home games have remained a top-notch experience, and it’s due to the fans’ passion that it is. The fans nearly drove their team to victory Saturday. They deserve the reward of a big moment, like a win against a ranked foe to celebrate.
Husker fans deserve more for their investment. That’s not to say a coaching change is needed. Progress toward the goal of winning big games is being made with this regime. Rhule seems to be finally solidifying the identity of his Nebraska football program, after having to bend for two years to fit Dylan Raiola’s strengths. The alchemy of a mobile quarterback plus top-notch receivers and a promising running back seem to fit offensively, and there have been plenty of promising signs from Rob Aurich’s defense in year one. But at some point, promise has to turn into results, into the Huskers actually winning one of these games rather than leaving fans shuffling out of Memorial Stadium consoling themselves with “at least we played ’em close”.
4-On to Oregon
So it’s on to Oregon, my pick to win the national championship at the beginning of this year. Pardon me while I wipe the egg off my face. Something has not been right with the Ducks from the beginning of the season. Their performance against a good but not great Boise State team to open the season was lackluster. The loss at Oklahoma State was a total egg of a showing. And while Oregon showed great grit in finishing the win at USC a couple of weeks ago, they looked flat-out terrible Saturday against UCLA, losing at home 17-15 to the resurgent Bruins. The Ducks turned it over seven times. Seven times! Dylan Raiola, who was good in relief of Dante Moore after Moore was knocked out of the game against the Trojans, gave the ball away three times, twice with interceptions, once with a fumble. Oregon fumbled the ball away five times to the opportunistic Bruins.
How much gas do the Huskers have in the tank? The game with the Hoosiers was physical and bruising. Rhule himself called it “brutal”. But if Nebraska can heal and lock in for one more week before an off week, they have a chance to grab a notable road win against one of the more highly-touted teams from preseason. And where is the Ducks’ mindset after losing against UCLA? Especially if Moore can’t play against Nebraska, you have a quarterback question, though neither shined against a good UCLA defense. They’ve already lost two games in a season that most expected to see Oregon in the playoff. Does it focus a team that hasn’t played up to its potential, knowing their backs are against the wall and their margin for error to get to the CFP doesn’t exist? Or do they fold with their season already tarnished and a long road to cover to get back into the mix?
Nebraska is a veteran team that’s seen plenty. Surely they see the opportunity ahead of them, and will stay focused with the off week looming ahead. If they’re able to, the Huskers have a chance to get a road win few Nebraska fans thought was possible at the beginning of the year.