Matt Rhule was critical of the Nebraska Cornhuskers' current standing after their 30-27 loss to the No. 21 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday afternoon.
Nebraska fell to a 3-1 record, showing they are off to a decent start to the season. They won games against Cincinnati, Akron and Houston Baptist with two convincing blowouts to show for it. However, the loss to Michigan shows they still have work to do.
Rhule reflected on the loss after the game, per reporter Mitch Sherman. Even though the Cornhuskers maintain a solid record, he did have satisfaction with the team's standing as he wanted to beat the Wolverines.
“I don’t like where we’re at right now, I feel like someone hit me with a hammer, I wanted to win the football game; I thought we would win the football game,” Rhule said.
How Matt Rhule, Nebraska performed against Michigan
The loss to Michigan also means that Nebraska started Big Ten play with a 0-1 record, something that Matt Rhule did not want to have in the first place against a conference foe.
Nebraska was competitive against the No. 21 Wolverines, trailing 10-0 in the first quarter before firing back with a 17-7 display in the second period. Unfortunately, Michigan continued to control the momentum as Nebraska was unable to complete the rally in the second half.
Dylan Raiola was mostly effective throughout the day. He completed 30 passes out of 41 attempts for 308 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. However, he had negative yardage in the run game, losing 49 yards after seven rushes while absorbing seven sacks from opposing defenders.
Emmett Johnson was the lone bright spot in the run game, making 19 carries for 65 yards while recording five receptions for 32 yards. As for the receivers, five players caught three or more passes. Jacory Barney Jr. led the way with six receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Luke Lindenmeyer came next with seven catches for 60 yards, Dan Key had three receptions for 36 yards, while Heinrich Haarburg provided three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown.
The Cornhuskers will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being at home. They are on a bye next week but will resume play when they host the Michigan State Spartans on Oct. 4.
