Could Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule be on the verge of making his first significant roster decision of the 2023-24 season? Ahead of their Saturday afternoon home game against Louisiana Tech, Rhule is going to stick with the guy who helped him earn his first Cornhuskers win last week.

“Sources: Heinrich Haarberg will start again this week at QB for Nebraska, with Jeff Sims available but not 100-percent (ankle),” Pete Thamel of ESPN reported. Sims' injury seemingly makes this a mundane and straightforward move, but fans must be wondering if this will be the direction the program chooses to go in for the time being.

Haarberg, a sophomore and Nebraska native, made his first college start in place of the injured Sims last Saturday. He completed 14-of-24 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding a whopping 98 rushing yards and another score on the ground in a 35-11 thrashing of Northern Illinois.

Sims, who came over from Georgia Tech, struggled to take care of the football in his first two games against Minnesota and Colorado (four interceptions and two fumbles lost). Granted, he did face stronger competition than Haarberg, but Matt Rhule is intent on cleaning up the sloppiness that has been embedded in the Cornhuskers' DNA for far too long.

It is too early to speculate on the makeup of the QB room going forward, especially since Jeff Sims is still not fully healthy. Rhule might also covet experience for next week's Big Ten battle with No. 2 Michigan. Though, Heinrich Haarberg might just grab the job by force with a solid performance versus Louisiana Tech.

Nebraska football does not have the luxury of veering from a winning path. This season needs to be about generating momentum and taking a sizable step forward. Perhaps that comes with Haarberg leading the way.