Nebraska
Matt Rhule Sees Lots to Like and Work on as Nebraska Football Hits Season’s Midpoint
Nebraska head football coach met with the media Monday for what will probably be the only time during the Huskers’ off week. He discussed the state of the team at midseason, Saturday’s win against Rutgers, the upcoming game against unbeaten Indiana, and a lot more. Below are Kaleb Henry’s notes, and above is the video of Monday’s half-hour session.
- Did a normal Monday. Will practice Tuesday through Thursday then be off through Sunday.
- Happy with the turnover margin. *a couple of false starts on this presser because of reporters’ phones falling lol*
- Being a physical team is a work in progress
- Against Illinois, got caught looking at the scoreboard instead of just playing
- Culture of execution, in terms of penalties, would like to see improve. Especially pre-snap penalties and personal fouls and such. Drawing a lot of penalties too.
- Special teams is a tale of two things: punts landing inside the 10, fake a punt, stop a fake…but giving up blocked kicks and punts.
- Run game offensively “is not where it needs to be”
- A lot of things to work on. Doing a good job self-scouting right now.
- Riley Van Poppel played on Saturday, something that was planned ahead of time.
- Some potential redshirt guys have played 2 or 3 games already.
- James Williams impacted the game against Rutgers after the tough decision to redshirt last year.
- Dylan Raiola “has been great”. Has had some wow moments.
- Was hard to get into a rhythm offensively with starting field position in the second half, though that’s not an excuse.
- Not just a “do your job guy”. “Do your job AND go make a play”.
- Guys on offense need to do better at not getting tackled. “Those 12 yards runs have to start being 50 yard runs”
- Ceyair Wright “has done an excellent job”
- Goal line stand was “good calls by Tony (White) with great plays by players”
- Not sure of the rotation for DBs if/when Tommi Hill is good to return.
- Isaac Gifford blocked the wrong guy on the first blocked punt.
- Personal protector missed a block on the second blocked punt.
- Wishes he had done the fake punt earlier.
- One of the best things Rhule has ever seen is Brian Buschini struggling through pain but getting throws in during halftime in advance of the fake punt.
- “That last punt was as big a play as I’ve been a part of”
- Fake punt was a call and not a decision by the punt team in the moment.
- Tristan Alvano is beginning the phase of testing where he’s at for health and returning.
- Blye Hill is set to play four of the final six games to hold onto his redshirt. A good backup if Tommi can’t go and Ceyair would be out.
- Heinrich Haarberg needs to play more. The challenge in getting Haarberg in more and getting him the ball is having so many talented players on offense.
- Not surprised by the 6-0 start for Indiana.
- Brought over a lot of guys who know how to win with new coaching staff. Already had some good players there.
- “You would have never though Alabama would have lost to Vandy”
- The transfer portal has changed the game on who can have success.
- Great teams of the ’90s and 2000s were stacked with talent. That talent is being spread out a little more with the portal and NIL.
- No one has talked with Rhule about wanting to redshirt and hit the portal.
- Ty Robinson is a force this year because of his development. Allows him to be out there for multiple different packages.
- “I still wake up at night upset we lost to Illinois”
- Proud of the work and growth by the team through the first half of the season.
- Rare for Rhule to have the team with two tackling days during the week, something they did last week ahead of Rutgers.
- James Williams can be anyone he wants to be. “My kids love him; my dogs love him”
- Terrance Knighton has done a good job of building a room of camaraderie.
- Won’t do much recruiting during the off week. Going to do more on the second off week.
- “I’m a button pusher, no doubt.”
- Unbelievably physical in the spring and training camp and then apprehension in season about player load.
- “In order to play great defense you have to practice great defense.”
- Not allowed to quit. You can lose, don’t want to lose, but people aren’t paying to watch the team lie down.
- No thinking with pregame physicality drills. It’s just about coming together and celebrating the team being physical.
- Happy for Micah Mazzccua getting in and playing well. Can be whatever he wants to be but has to stay focused day by day.
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May 24-30 marks Invasive Species Awareness Week. Nebraska Public Power District and Nebraska Game and Parks want to remind lake-goers to be careful and help prevent invasive species from getting into Nebraska lakes.
Nebraska Invasive Species Awareness Week provides an opportunity for residents to learn more about these species and discover how simple actions can help prevent their spread. Throughout the week, residents can learn more about invasive species impacting the state’s natural resources and economy, and what they can do to help prevent their spread. A series of webinars hosted by invasive species professionals will be held May 26-29 at 1 p.m. each day. On May 27, the public is invited to participate in an online invasive species trivia night, where participants can test their knowledge and win prizes from the comfort of their homes.
Invasive species are one of the leading threats to Nebraska’s natural resources, impacting ecosystems, outdoor recreation, agriculture, and state economies. From invasive plants crowding out native habitats to aquatic invasive species damaging waterways and infrastructure, prevention and education are critical to protecting Nebraska’s land and water resources.
Invasive species like zebra mussels can easily spread from one pond or lake to another if boat owners don’t fully drain all water from their watercraft after each use. Once zebra mussels enter a waterway, they attach to any available surface and reproduce rapidly, often clogging pipes and infrastructure.
The Nebraska water bodies with established zebra mussel populations are Lewis and Clark Lake, Lake Yankton, the Missouri River, Offutt Air Force Base Lake, and Beaver Lake near Plattsmouth. To combat the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species, Game and Parks staff will conduct boat inspections at boat ramps statewide this summer. Since its implementation in 2020, the Aquatic Invasive Species Program has inspected more than 26,000 watercraft across the state.
Safety should remain a top priority when enjoying recreational activities on NPPD’s water resources, and the public is urged to follow all regulations set and enforced by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Visit CleanDrainDry.org/ for more details on the Clean, Drain, Dry Procedure and OutdoorNebraska.gov/aquatic-invasive-species for information about invasive species in Nebraska. The public is encouraged to report any suspected observations of zebra mussels or other aquatic invasive species to Game and Parks at 402-471-7602 or at [email protected].
Nebraska Game and Parks is offering residents a chance to win prizes simply for getting outside and moving, as part of a challenge honoring America’s 250th birthday.
The Outdoor Nebraska 250-Mile Challenge invites participants to log miles through activities like walking, running, kayaking, horseback riding and more using any fitness app. The goal is to reach 250 miles before the end of the year. Once completed, participants fill out a form on the Nebraska Game and Parks website to become eligible for prizes.
Mike Selman, a regular walker at Zorinsky Lake, said the challenge caught his attention.
“I think it’s great, as long as you put in the time and effort,” Selman said.
Selman said getting outdoors is already a big part of his routine.
“I absolutely love it, I love being outdoors, just the beauty, the nature, the trees, the water,” Selman said.
He said one of his favorite aspects of the challenge is the opportunity to explore Nebraska’s many outdoor spaces.
“Especially here, around Zorinsky, Standing Bear, Flanagan, you got great opportunities and great places to go,” Selman said.
When asked if he planned to submit his miles, Selman did not hesitate.
“I’ll definitely think about it, most definitely,” Selman said.
Between Memorial Day and the end of the year, logging just over 1 mile a day would be enough to reach the 250-mile goal and qualify for prizes.
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We’ll have to wait a bit longer to get into the Cowgirls’ Super Regional.
A rainy night in Lincoln meant the teams only managed to get four outs into the Super between Oklahoma State and Nebraska. The game is tied at 0. The weather delay lasted about two hours before they called it.
The game will resume at 4 p.m. Friday and be televised on ESPN2. They will not play another game Friday, as Game 2 will now take place at 4 p.m. Saturday.
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