Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule Speaks on the Cornhuskers’ Upcoming Matchup with Indiana

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Matt Rhule’s Cornhuskers are fresh off a bye week, but he had plenty to say about his team in this week’s meeting with the media before taking on Indiana. Rhule spent much of his time going into detail about his team, specifically, but he did have a couple mentions of the Hoosiers before wrapping up his half-hour. Here is what he had to say about the matchup with Indiana explicitly.

Q: On the challenges that Indiana poses his team.

“They’re leading the Big Ten in passing and they’re close, if not the top, in rushing. They’re top 10 in the country in offense, they’re top 10 in the country in defense. They’re the only team that hasn’t trailed all year and they’ve scored 80 points in the fourth quarter. This is probably a top 10 football team we’re facing. They started the season unranked so they’re maybe not getting the dues that they’re supposed to get. Other people can lose to a bad team, and they’ll keep them in the top 10 because they started in the top 10. Coach (Curt) Cignetti has done an amazing job. Their quarterback is absolutely fantastic, they’ve got playmakers. They’re good on special teams. It’s a great team.”

Q: On Indiana’s focus on the transfer portal and if it’s something to get used to in college football from here on out.

“Everyone has to forget the logos and the names – ‘this team has always been good.’ Vanderbilt backs up a win against Alabama with a win over Kentucky, it was probably the best defense in the SEC because they’ve got a dynamic quarterback. I spent Saturday watching college football, and every day is starting to come down to the end. You’re really starting to feel the impact of the two-minute timeout, especially at the halves. People that play the middle eight have an advantage, and in your roster and how healthy you are. You can have a really good team and all of a sudden, lose them one year. I think in college football now, if you lose a coach to a better job or a different job, it can decimate your program. It can be a quick fix for another program. There’s a lot of things that are just different and I think everyone is going to have to get used to it.”

Q: On road games this season and if the prep has changed for this one.

“…Truly, playing against good teams allows you to show what you can do. You can’t show what you can do when you play bad teams, you do that when you play good teams. Indiana gives us a chance to show what we can do, but as much as anything else, I want us to respect the game and I want us to respect what it means to be a Nebraska Cornhusker. I have a lot of respect for Coach (Curt) Cignetti and his staff and their players, so I hope we play a certain way.”

Q: Discussing Nebraska’s run strategy… (stray mention of Indiana)

“…There’s not many teams that have a top ten offense and a top ten defense, Indiana does….”