As the Nebraska football team bounced back after losing to the Michigan Wolverines in Week 4 with a win over Michigan State last Saturday, head coach Matt Rhule would defend a specific area of their offense. While it was important for the Nebraska football team to improve after the embarrassing loss to Michigan, extending their losing streak against ranked opponents, Rhule would speak about the running game after the Spartans' win.
The team's offensive line had been a focal point after totaling 43 and 67 yards on the ground against the Wolverines and Spartans, respectively, with some yards being negated due to sacks taken. However, Rhule would say that the “narrative” around the Cornhuskers that the rushing attack is inadequate is “silly,” according to On3 Sports.
“I saw a lot of good things, and I saw some other things that have to be improved,” Rhule said. “Some of the sacks are on them. Some of the sacks are on other people. So, I think it’s just — right now Emmett Johnson is third in the league in rushing. So the narrative that’s out there that we can’t run the football is silly.”
Nebraska football's Matt Rhule on Dylan Raiola and him taking sacks
With the comparisons between Patrick Mahomes and Nebraska football's Dylan Raiola, there's no denying that the latter has been getting pressured in the last two games. The Cornhuskers have allowed seven and five sacks in the prior two contests, but as Rhule mentioned, Raiola takes accountability for some of them.
“College football, you take away sacks. Are we giving up too many sacks? Yes. That’s what I love about Dylan Raiola,” Rhule said via On3 Sports. “On one of them, he said that’s on me, ‘I was holding the ball.’ A third down sack doesn’t really bother me as much as a first or second sack because if you just hurry up and get the ball out of your hand and don’t get the first down anyway, you’re punting the ball.”
“We don’t want sack fumbles,” Raiola said. “There were just some times there, as we all saw, that things kind of got a little out of whack and out of kilter. We have to be better, but I don’t think it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. We can’t block anybody.'”
The Nebraska football team is 4-1, 1-1 in the Big Ten, as they next face the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday.
