Nebraska's football team's week was already defined by hard choices before kickoff. Senior defensive back Malcolm Hartzog will undergo season-ending surgery and redshirt after appearing in two games, a move Matt Rhule framed as prioritizing long-term health with an eye to 2026 eligibility, per On3.
The Husker secondary loses a proven producer from 2024, and while a bowl appearance could open a door late, his regular season is done. Against that backdrop, Nebraska still handled its business versus Northwestern, only for the postgame conversation to shift to officiating.
Asked about a pivotal fourth-down sequence in which it appeared the Wildcats might have been short, Rhule said communication from the crew was lacking.
“I was told nothing. I was more worried about Troy [Dannen]. Trying to calm Troy down. The guys on my side were communicating, but they didn’t come over and tell me. I’m looking it up there [on the video board]. I saw him bobble it… Then they said, oh, the buzzer wasn’t working. If they had run that play, I would’ve been really upset. So I challenged it, then they said, ‘No, they buzzed it down.’ But it looked like the ball went up in the air, but I’m going to stay away from that one,” Rhule said.
He added, “It’s a great thing for me when you have an AD that is fiery… Right is right, wrong is wrong. And we didn’t get many breaks today, I’ll just leave it at that.” All per 247Sports.
The frustration underscored a familiar message: control what you can, but speak up when the process breaks down. Between the supposed buzz-down, the bobble he saw on the board, and a sideline focused on keeping the athletic director composed in real time, Rhule’s critique targeted mechanics and clarity, not just a single spot.
Amid the noise, the program’s focal points remain steady. Quarterback Dylan Raiola publicly pushed back on speculation tying Rhule to the Penn State vacancy after James Franklin’s exit. “He ain’t going nowhere,” Raiola told On3’s Pete Nakos, saying his head coach is locked in and that outside chatter doesn’t faze the team.
Put together, Nebraska’s football team week told a clear story: bank a win, absorb a major injury decision, and demand cleaner officiating communication. The next step is turning that edge into cleaner execution as the schedule tightens.
