Head coaches in their first year often struggle to create a developmental identity for their team. They endure losses to learn and sacrifice some of their players' prime. This is so that the young guns could fully embrace their role. The Nebraska football program is undergoing this very same process. They currently have a two-win record entering their matchup against the Illinois football squad. But, this did not stop Matt Rhule from appreciating the amount of growth that Jeff Sims, Princewill Umanmielen, and the rest of the squad have experienced.

Matt Rhule is doing his best to break even in their season record. It all comes down to their matchup against the Illinois football program. He stressed how much the team has been able to grow after five games of college football action, via Evan Bland of the Omaha World-Herald.

“Sometimes when you look at it from 500 feet you’re like ‘Man, we don’t really have the results we want,” the Nebraska football coach said.

However, he remains optimistic about the smaller picture. He outlined that guys like Jeff Sims and Princewill Umanmielen have become more mature in their styles of play, “But then you look at it on a really granular. Micro level. You have guys like Princewill that are really developing and getting better.”

The Nebraska football squad got decimated by Michigan. A bounce-back effort is likely to be expected by most fans when they face Illinois. Will they be able to get to a hot streak and build a winning culture from there?