Coaching search intrigue dominates as Nebraska endures familiar result: Huskers observations

LINCOLN, Neb. — Torment. That’s all that is.

Think about enduring wind-chill temperatures within the teenagers to observe a three-win soccer group construct an 11-point lead within the fourth quarter towards an opponent it hasn’t crushed in a decade. An unusual degree of dedication is required to assist Nebraska in these darkish days, however some 40,000 courageous souls hung in there Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Huskers acquired seemingly each dose of excellent fortune for 55 minutes of clock time towards Wisconsin, the final when Graham Mertz’s throw to Keontez Lewis for a primary down into Nebraska territory was overturned, forcing a punt by the still-trailing Badgers.

The ultimate 5 minutes amounted to nothing greater than the newest chapter of Nebraska’s nightmare — a three-and-out offensive sequence, then a Wisconsin drive from the 50 for the successful landing on Mertz’s 1-yard sneak with 35 seconds to play.

The Badgers received 15-14, their ninth straight victory on this sequence. Wisconsin clinched bowl eligibility for interim coach Jim Leonhard. His Nebraska counterpart, Mickey Joseph, misplaced a fifth consecutive recreation. The Huskers are 3-8.

“This one hurts,” Joseph mentioned.

• Regardless of the dramatics on show, I couldn’t escape dialog Saturday in regards to the Nebraska teaching search. It dwarfs all different subjects. I heard about it on the sphere earlier than kickoff amongst relations of visiting recruits, in an elevator from the press field and whereas standing in a concourse-level line.

Even the youngsters promoting Valentino’s Pizza wished to get eyes on Trev Alberts. What’s the athletic director doing? To whom is he speaking? What video games is he watching on an essential Saturday in faculty soccer?

As of 4 days earlier than Wisconsin once more ripped Huskers’ hearts from their chests, former Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule regarded like a pacesetter within the race to take over because the Nebraska coach as quickly as subsequent week. However little emerged late within the week about progress on that entrance.

• Ten weeks after the search started, possibly we’re all studying an excessive amount of into each potential strategic transfer. Who was on the opposite finish of that telephone name, although, with Ron Brown, Nebraska’s senior offensive analyst and a longtime coach as he stood behind the room throughout Joseph’s postgame information convention?

Might it have been Rhule, a fellow New York native who’s been energetic within the FCA neighborhood like Brown? Nah. However the absence of actual info on this search has turned it right into a little bit of a circus, no less than outwardly.

• Who’s an actual candidate? Nicely, Lance Leipold is. The Kansas coach acquired drubbed at dwelling Saturday by Texas, 55-14. Nonetheless, Leipold, decked out in crimson on the Jayhawks’ sideline, gained momentum late within the week. To enter the regular-season finale at Kansas State subsequent Saturday evening, he’s acquired KU locked right into a bowl recreation for the primary time since 2008.

Maybe Leipold will face a choice within the days forward: Signal a contract extension at Kansas, the place a six-win season like this one can be considered as successful for so long as he chooses to teach, or take a leap on a spot like Nebraska, which has received six video games complete up to now two seasons and strives to zoom properly previous the extent of KU in a short while.

• An previous Leipold affiliate might have made the journey to Lawrence with the Longhorns: Shawn Eichorst. The previous Nebraska athletic director, who employed Mike Riley because the Huskers’ soccer coach and was fired in 2017, works at Texas because the senior affiliate AD for inside affairs.

Leipold and Eichorst share Wisconsin roots. They each performed at Wisconsin-Whitewater. Leipold assisted on the Whitewater workers when Eichorst performed, and Eichorst served as AD on the faculty for a four-year stretch earlier than Leipold coached the Warhawks to 6 Division III championships in eight seasons.

In the event that they linked in the course of the Texas go to, the dialogue will need to have been compelling.

• With reference to Leipold, what if the Wisconsin win Saturday in Lincoln truly made the trail to hiring him a bit simpler for Alberts? Leonhard, 40, is extensively seen as prone to transfer into the position of everlasting head coach for the Badgers. Shedding at Nebraska, then dropping huge within the regular-season finale towards Minnesota, remained about the one solution to damage Leonhard’s possibilities.

If Wisconsin went on the hunt, Leipold could be a candidate. He served as a graduate assistant underneath Barry Alvarez in Madison from 1991 to 1993.

• The clandestine nature of this Nebraska search has made it unattainable to not anticipate a shock. Whereas Rhule and Leipold stay often known as candidates sooner or later, others certainly exist — together with coaches who’ve been missed publicly as severe targets.

The chance that Alberts makes a rent that catches us off guard charges simply as excessive, for my part, as a transfer that we anticipate.

• Nebraska continues to recruit at a fervent tempo, even with out readability in this system management past subsequent week. The freezing chilly sideline was crammed once more Saturday with prospects. Among the many group was 2024 broad receiver Isaiah McMorris of Bellevue West, who counts gives from Nebraska, Penn State and others.

One other acquainted face blended with the recruits: Grant Wistrom, the 1997 Lombardi Award winner, three-time Nebraska nationwide champion and Tremendous Bowl champion. Wistrom coaches at Springfield (Mo.) Glendale, and he visited his alma mater with Glendale defensive lineman Kellen Lindstrom.

Grant’s daughter, Charlie Wistrom, was not on the journey. Charlie is a Division I prospect in soccer, her dad mentioned, and a pal of Lindstrom. She kicked for the Glendale soccer group this fall as a sophomore. Regardless of her legendary final identify, faculty soccer is just not in her plans.

• Nebraska introduced attendance at 86,068, its 389th consecutive sellout. That determine displays tickets bought, not folks within the seats. At kickoff, maybe 75 % of the stadium was full. By the fourth quarter, largely due to the chilly, about half of the seats appeared occupied.

That the Huskers made it by way of this season with the sellout streak intact, even with the assistance of donors to purchase unsold tickets, is a testomony to the loyalty of followers whose group has misplaced 49 of its previous 73 video games.

• Quarterback Casey Thompson returned Saturday after a two-game absence due to an arm damage suffered late within the first half towards Illinois on Oct. 29. Thompson threw a pair of touchdowns to Trey Palmer and rushed for 33 yards on 11 carries. He hit 12 of 20 passes for 106 yards.

Earlier than the sport, Thompson walked in senior day festivities. He mentioned he had not determined if he would return to Nebraska as a sixth-year senior in 2023.

“If I occur to be again,” he mentioned, “I’ll stroll once more subsequent 12 months.”

Thompson, 24, earned an undergraduate diploma final 12 months at Texas. He’s set to obtain a grasp’s diploma from Nebraska subsequent month.

• Behind all the frustration of dropping and drama of the teaching search stand folks with so much at stake.

Nebraska security Marques Buford went down with a leg damage in move protection throughout Wisconsin’s opening offensive possession. He was carted off the sphere, signaling encouragement to teammates whereas grimacing in ache.

“It regarded ugly,” Joseph mentioned of the report he obtained.

After the sport, Nebraska inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud sat on a sofa outdoors the locker room along with his younger sons, Brooks and Hudson. Father and sons ate Chick-fil-A as they watched Rutgers and Penn State on TV.

Ruud grew up in Lincoln. He’s the son, nephew and grandson of former Huskers and ranks because the main tackler at school historical past. His youngest pupil, true freshman Ernest Hausmann, recorded a game-high 12 stops Saturday and oozes potential.

However Ruud could not get to teach him for much longer. Saturday was maybe his ultimate dwelling recreation on workers at Nebraska.

Of Hausmann and fellow true freshman cornerback Malcolm Hartzog, whose third interception of the season led Saturday to a second-quarter Nebraska landing, Joseph mentioned he hoped to sit down down with them quickly and talk about their futures.

The coach mentioned he thought each defenders would return. However you by no means know, in fact, with gamers and coaches, on this period of faculty soccer.

(High picture of Nebraska’s Malcolm Hartzog and Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen: Dylan Widger / USA Immediately)