New Nebraska OC Dana Holgorsen on learning offense, tough love for wide receivers

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – In the two weeks since arriving on campus, Dana Holgorsen has spent most of his waking hours in the Huskers facility and film room.

In addition to prepping for Wisconsin, Nebraska’s new offensive coordinator said he is still learning the offense and players’ names. As for why he would want to take on such a gargantuan task midseason?

“I was bored,” he said with a laugh in his first time speaking to reporters. “I was slated to go back to Fort Worth on Sunday night and [Matt] Rhule called and said I need your help.”

While Holgorsen’s appointment officially runs through the end of the regular season, Rhule has stated he hopes the former Houston and West Virginia head coach stays in Lincoln. For now, Holgorsen is just focused on getting up to speed.

“I don’t know what December is going to look like, I don’t know what January is going to look like. I don’t care,” he said. “100 percent of my focus is trying to get our offense better to where we can win against Wisconsin Saturday.”

Holgorsen didn’t need to be here long to know the perimeter blocking needs work.

“There’s some good sized kids out there,” he said, identifying Janiran Bonner, Isaiah Neyor, Jahmal Banks and Carter Nelson by numbers only. “These guys are big bodies.  I’m like ‘Why are you not blocking worth a crap on the perimeter?’ It’s embarrassing. First thing I said to them is that if you don’t start blocking out there, you’re not going to get the ball thrown to you. This past week was our best perimeter blocking of the season.”

Wisconsin has won 10 straight meetings with Nebraska, including four straight in Lincoln. An end to those streaks would finally give Nebraska win No. 6 and bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016.

“It’s shocking to me that it’s been that long that a program like this hasn’t been to a bowl game,” he said. “Doesn’t make any sense to me. But it is where we’re at. We tried everything we could to win that game last week, and we had a chance still. We’ll do everything we can this week and we’ll have a chance to.”

After Wisconsin fired OC Phil Longo over the weekend, Holgorsen will now be the veteran offensive coordinator Saturday against the Badgers.

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