Nebraska
Neutral in Chaos: Cam Lenhardt on Nebraska’s Late-Game Defensive Identity

Three days after Nebraska’s win over Maryland, defensive lineman Cam Lenhardt delivered a pointed message: This unit has undergone a mindset shift under the current coaching staff, embracing emotional steadiness in chaotic moments, executing well-rehearsed two-minute drills, and rallying around leaders who drive the team’s energy and focus.
Lenhardt offered a clear-eyed assessment of Nebraska’s defensive line performance against Maryland, acknowledging that several key metrics fell short of the unit’s usual standards. He admitted Tuesday that it “took us a little while to get into the groove” when it came to pressuring the quarterback and generating knockdowns, with the defense only truly finding its rhythm during the final two-minute drive.
“We didn’t really find that groove and get to it until the last two-minute drive,” Lenhardt noted, emphasizing how the late-game surge helped seal the win. Still, he maintained a growth-oriented mindset, stating, “A win is a win… but there’s always room for improvement.”
A defining trait of Nebraska’s defense, according to Lenhardt, is its evolved ability to handle adversity, especially during momentum swings in the second half. The team leans heavily on a “stay neutral” philosophy, which Lenhardt explains as avoiding emotional highs and lows.
“It’s always about staying neutral, no matter how high things get, how low things get.” When the game tilted against them, the sideline response was calm and intentional. “We came to the sideline and we were like, all right, let’s everybody take a deep breath, let’s lock in, and let’s go out there and clean things up,” he recalled, underscoring the maturity and composure that now define their in-game mindset.
Nebraska’s growing reputation for closing out games in the final two minutes is no accident. It’s the product of deliberate, offseason preparation. Lenhardt emphasized how the two-minute drill was a major focus throughout training camp, stating, “We practiced two-minute extremely hard… that was like an emphasis for us as a defense and the D-line.”
Now, with that preparation paying off in real-time game situations, Lenhardt sees it as a validation of the team’s dedication, “Seeing it work out and plan… that’s dedication.”
Lenhardt’s reflections ahead of the Minnesota matchup reveal a player who’s grown both physically and mentally since his collegiate debut against the Gophers in 2023. Recently freed from the protective “club” on his hand, he’s felt “a little more free… just being able to grab people,” which has added a new dimension to his practice reps.
That first start against Minnesota remains vivid: “Everything was just fast for me… These dudes are big and fast,” but with more experience, the game has slowed down and his confidence has grown. Still, he admits to carrying “a little bit of bad taste in my mouth” from that opener, fueling his motivation for the upcoming Friday night matchup, a prime-time setting that he and the team fully embrace.
Lenhardt’s insights offer more than just a postgame recap. They reveal the heartbeat of a defense learning to thrive under pressure, stay emotionally grounded, and trust the preparation that’s shaped its identity. From offseason two-minute drills to sideline regrouping and personal growth since his debut, Lenhardt embodies a team that’s evolving with purpose. As Nebraska heads into a high-stakes matchup with Minnesota, the mindset is clear: Stay neutral, stay focused, and finish strong.
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Nebraska
Georgia woman arrested after Nebraska authorities find 130 pounds of meth in car

GRETNA, Neb. (WOWT) – A Georgia woman was arrested on Interstate 80 after Nebraska State Troopers found 130 pounds of meth in her car.
NSP says a trooper pulled a Nissan Altima over for speeding near mile marker 440 on Interstate 80 around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.
During the traffic stop, NSP says the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity, and a K9 with the Papillion Police Department sniffed out the scent of a controlled substance from the vehicle.
A search yielded several trash bags in the trunk, all containing bags of suspected methamphetamine. In total, NSP says, the bags came out to 130 pounds.
The driver of the Nissan, Iesha Smith of Smyrna, Georgia, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and was lodged in Sarpy County Jail.
Copyright 2025 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Matt Rhule loves Penn State. That doesn’t mean PSU should hire him

James Franklin will be remembered for not getting Penn State over the hump
USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg looks at James Franklin’s tenure at Penn State, which ended Sunday.
Matt Rhule has a big ol’ crush on Penn State.
Don’t take my word for it. Listen to Nebraska’s coach gush with affection for his alma mater.
“I love Penn State,” Rhule said, as his face lit up, during his weekly news conference one day after James Franklin’s firing. “Met my wife there. It’s my alma mater. Fan since I was born. I think I probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I love Pat Kraft,” the Penn State athletic director.
That, folks, sounds like a man waiting on a job offer. A man experiencing a bout of infatuation — and not for the Huskers.
I half expected Rhule to rip off his Nebraska hoodie, reveal a mountain lion’s head on his undershirt, and start swaying and singing “For the Glory.”
Oh, sure, Rhule also said he loves Nebraska and he wants to “turn this thing into a beast,” but how much are we to believe that pledge while Rhule is rubbernecking Penn State?
This whole situation smells a little too obvious. Rhule played at Penn State as a walk-on under Joe Paterno, then started his career as a volunteer coach there. Kraft previously was Rhule’s boss when he coached Temple. They’re pals.
Rhule also hinted Nebraska’s not bankrolling his roster to the extent he’d like.
It’s clear why Rhule would flirt with well-heeled Penn State, but why should Penn State settle for the easy choice? Hiring Rhule would amount to hiring a Franklin 2.0. This one just smiles more.
Matt Rhule credentials are a lot like that of James Franklin
By every indicator, Rhule’s a solid coach. He’s a program builder. He’s steady. He worked wonders at Baylor and Temple, just as Franklin did at Vanderbilt. He leaves programs better than he found them.
Each of those descriptors applies to Franklin, too.
By firing Franklin, Penn State signaled it desires to be elite, not solid.
By every indicator, Rhule’s not elite. Like Franklin, he loses the big games. He lost to Michigan a few weeks ago. He’s 8-13 against Big Ten competition in 2½ seasons at Nebraska.
It should be said he’s got Nebraska trending up, with a 5-1 record. Year 3 consistently marks a crescendo for Rhule’s tenures, and this one is no exception.
Sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola is flourishing. Might Raiola follow Rhule to Penn State, if his coach left?
If Penn State hired Rhule, nobody could say it hired a bad coach. I would say Penn State spent tens of millions of dollars and triggered the second-largest buyout in college football history, just to replace Franklin with a more charismatic Franklin.
Rhule’s chops for program building cannot be questioned, but Penn State doesn’t need a rebuild. It needs a closer, a cut-throat like the one Big Ten rival Indiana cooked up.
Will Penn State go for obvious hire or challenge its imagination?
Rhule is the unimaginative, tug-on-the-heart strings choice. That’s worked elsewhere. Mario Cristobal, a Miami native who played for the Hurricanes, has “The U” humming.
Kirby Smart, Jim Harbaugh, Phillip Fulmer and Steve Spurrier won national championships coaching their alma maters. Ohio native Urban Meyer did his thing at Ohio State. Bear Bryant suited Alabama beautifully.
There are just as many examples of the obvious choice going splat. Including the guy Rhule replaced at Nebraska. Scott Frost seemed like a slam dunk. He stunk.
So did Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, his alma mater. So did Kliff Kingsbury in his Texas Tech homecoming.
Mike Shula flopped coaching his alma mater. Alabama replaced Shula with a West Virginia native who played at Kent State. Nick Saban went on to become the GOAT. Alabama built him a statue.
None of the four coaches in last season’s CFP semifinals was at his alma mater. Of that quartet, only Franklin was a native of the state where he coached. A lot of good that Pennsylvania upbringing did Franklin against UCLA and Northwestern.
You think Indiana cares Curt Cignetti is from Pittsburgh, played at West Virginia and came to Indiana by way of James Madison? Indiana wouldn’t trade its Yinzer for any born and bred Hoosier.
Think Oregon minds Dan Lanning, he of the defending Big Ten champion Ducks, is from Missouri and ascended as Smart’s defensive coordinator, three time zones away from Oregon? Nope.
Plundering a coach from a big-brand program isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, either. Texas A&M tried that with Jimbo Fisher. LSU is attempting that with Brian Kelly. Southern California is trying it with Lincoln Riley. None of those guys made the playoff after changing jobs.
Hiring Rhule would be the easy move, the obvious hire, a choice who ensures a high floor. He’d charm the skeptics at his introductory news conference, and he’d love Penn State, and, at first, Penn State would love him back.
And when Rhule proves he’s the second coming of Franklin, Penn State would wonder why it spent all that money to hire the coach it just fired.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
Nebraska
Five takeaways from P.J. Fleck’s news conference: Gophers are slow starters

Punter Tom Weston averaged 46.4 yards on his seven punts, having one fair caught at the Boilermakers 14-yard line.
“We were locked in on special teams,” Fleck said. “We made huge punts at critical moments; Tom did a good job with that. … And we were able to be consistent in the field-goal game, and that helped us. We made our two field goals. They missed one.”
The Gophers safety duo of Kerry Brown and Koi Perich each had an interception — Brown’s pick ending a Purdue scoring threat at the Minnesota 1 and Perich’s pick-six providing the winning points. Fleck had praise for another member of the secondary, sixth-year player Jai’Onte’ McMillan.
After the Gophers took a 27-20 lead on Perich’s 27-yard interception return for a TD with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter, Purdue drove to the Gophers 7 and faced fourth-and-goal with two minutes left. Quarterback Ryan Browne fired a pass to Michael Jackson III at the goal line, but McMillan, a transfer from TCU, knocked the ball away from Jackson, ending the Boilermakers’ last good threat.
“He is a selfless player,” Fleck said. “He can play nickel, he can play the dime, he can play safety. He’s very versatile. He’s played a lot of football in his career, so I’m just really proud of the selfless teammate that he is.’’
Fleck considers Nebraska coach Matt Rhule a friend, and the two joined UNLV coach Dan Mullen last summer for a Kenny Chesney concert in Las Vegas.
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