Three video games. Three game-winning area targets. Three 13-10 losses. That’s the legacy of head coach Matt Rhule’s first season in Lincoln. 

On Oct. 28, Nebraska improved to 5-3 with 4 possibilities left to nab that coveted sixth win. Fans have been thrilled with the path of this system. Less than a month later, the season is over. The Huskers misplaced all 4 video games by a mixed 16 factors. 

“We’re just not quite there yet,” Rhule mentioned postgame. “That’s why I’m so proud of these guys. They battle, they fight and we don’t make excuses. We just come back. I think that’s the key moving forward.”

There’s little doubt Rhule made strides in his first yr. Nebraska performed a significant sport towards Iowa for the primary time since 2019. It held robust towards the No. 17 crew within the nation and had a number of possibilities to win. 

“You could tell everybody wanted it,” junior defensive lineman Ty Robinson mentioned postgame. “You could tell throughout the week, with the tenacity and discipline and engagement, that this was going to be our game. Unfortunately, that’s not how football works sometimes.”  

The 2023 Huskers had an aura about them that was non-existent throughout the Frost period. There was real hope for this crew. Perhaps it was unwarranted. The bowl sport aspirations might have been too lofty. 

Why ought to Rhule, in his first yr, be anticipated to do one thing Frost by no means did? Throw within the myriad of accidents and true freshmen taking part in vital roles, it’s onerous to think about this teaching employees may expunge the dropping tradition in a single offseason. 

“I know this program is in really really good hands,” senior guard Nouredin Nouili mentioned postgame. “I know the next few classes are all going to destroy everybody in front of them.” 

That was a sentiment shared by many seniors on the podium.

“I’m excited to see what Nebraska is going to be like as long as [Rhule’s] here,” senior defensive again Omar Brown mentioned postgame. “We bought into what he was saying to us. It helped a lot of people.” 

If the Huskers had completed 3-9 with a number of blowout losses, 2023 would have been seen as a wash. A typical Rhule rebuilding yr. But the ache of one other bowl-less season is just compounded by how shut they received. 

In an particularly susceptible Big Ten West, Nebraska was just some turnovers away from a visit to Indianapolis. That will sting for years to return. 

For a fanbase starved of postseason play, Friday’s loss feels very same-old-same-old. And it’s. But with a lot of the identical gamers from the earlier regime returning, Rhule had a frightening hill to climb.

“People always think you fix things by saying ‘go get that player’, but we have a lot of good players here,” Rhule mentioned. “Part of fixing these close losses is asking each player to get a half-point better.”

Whether Rhule believes it or not, it might take a number of recruiting courses to proper the ship. The present roster has been on the dropping finish of numerous one-score video games. Just for good measure, the seniors have been despatched off with another.

The Huskers, someway, discovered a brand new mind-boggling option to lose. Junior cornerback Tommi Hill intercepted a move with 31 seconds left, setting the Huskers up with an opportunity and a dream. Yet, Iowa nonetheless received regulation on senior kicker Marshall Meeder’s first try of the yr. Some issues by no means change. 

“We had our chances down the stretch,” Rhule mentioned. “We just weren’t able to make it happen. The things that affected us all year, affected us.”

Regardless of how good the teaching employees is, Nebraska’s gamers should discover ways to maintain onto the ball. Three extra giveaways on Friday elevated their season complete to 31. 

Sophomore quarterback Chubba Purdy, who at occasions regarded like far-and-away the perfect QB on the roster, ended this loss the identical approach he did the earlier two — a crippling interception. Though he additionally inexplicably put two fumbles on the bottom, his arm remains to be trigger for optimism.

Purdy completed the sport with 189 yards and a landing via the air and made a number of enormous third-down throws. He regarded snug in spots the place different Nebraska QBs would have sailed a move over a receiver’s head. Against the nation’s Tenth-ranked passing protection, it’s onerous to ask for way more. 

“I thought [Purdy] was a little bit sporadic early,” Rhule mentioned. “There wasn’t a ton of pressure so we told him just to settle down and make plays. I thought he started to do that.”

In the second quarter, Purdy linked with freshman receiver Jaylen Lloyd for a second 50+ yard bomb in as many weeks. Reminiscent of Trey Palmer’s enormous catch a yr in the past, it was the spotlight of the day.

Drawing comparability to Nebraska’s all-time single-season receiving chief is a promising signal for the younger speedster. The Huskers may have a gifted broad receiver room in years to return. 

Other than the deep shot, Nebraska had only one drive of over 25 yards. The offense’s lack of ability to march down the sector reared its ugly head as soon as once more. For the third time this season, holding an opponent to 13 factors wasn’t sufficient. 

The Blackshirts stepped up within the second half however actually struggled early. Iowa had 200 yards from scrimmage, and if not for a couple of crimson zone stops and two blocked area targets, may have been up by three possessions on the break. 

Nebraska’s No. 6 ranked run protection regarded battered and bruised all day. Junior operating again Leshon Williams’ 22-yard fourth-quarter scamper put a cherry on high of his 111-yard day. His offensive line constantly received on the level of assault. 

Iowa dominated the trenches on protection too. Nebraska rushed for simply 75 yards, its lowest output of the season by a major margin. 

Still, the Huskers had a number of possibilities to win it late. The Blackshirts pressured 4 three-and-outs and 5 punts within the second half. But for the second straight week, freshman kicker Tristan Alvano missed a area purpose in a three-point loss. 

It’s these missed alternatives that may hang-out Rhule and firm this offseason. They coached nicely sufficient to compete with each crew on the schedule (apart from Michigan however who’s counting). The 5-7 file tells a distinct story. The ghosts of earlier regimes carried over into this one. 

Now, a protracted offseason begins. Expectations will skyrocket in 2024. Nebraska should be prepared to fulfill them come subsequent August. 

“It’s only up from here,” Robinson mentioned. “I think this coaching staff has put a lot of time and effort and has given it a lot of potential to make a massive leap of growth next year.” 

sports@dailynebraskan.com