Nebraska fans excited to watch first-year head coach Matt Rhule usher in a new era of Cornhuskers football were horrified as the team lost its season-opener to Minnesota in all-too-familiar fashion. In fact, Nebraska football fans had seen this movie play out last year with former head coach Scott Frost, who was fired last September after failing to record a winning season and, now infamously, having a reputation for losing one-score games.
The score of Thursday's season opening loss to Minnesota? 13-10. Nebraska football fans were so frustrated that they took to social media, causing both Frost and Rhule's name to begin trending. Here are some of the best reactions from Cornhuskers fans.
Another brutal loss for Scott Frost at Nebraska.
— Justin Spiro (@DarkoStateNews) September 1, 2023
You can’t take the Scott Frost out of Nebraska that easily 🌽
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) September 1, 2023
The loss was so eerily similar that some Nebraska football fans forgot for a fleeting second that Rhule, and not Frost, was pacing the sidelines in 2023.
Scott frost drunk I mean Matt Rhule lose this game pic.twitter.com/kiId2U5PSF
— Makar🐐 (@JaysonRamsey9) September 1, 2023
Some Cornhuskers fans took that running joke a step further.
Breaking News 🚨 After last nights loss to Minnesota Scott Frost has filed documents suing Matt Rhule for plagiarism. #Nebraska
— Brian Mostek (@BrianMostek) September 1, 2023
Wait a minute! You can't lose that way, only I can! In all seriousness, this seems to be a serious issue for Nebraska football, one that seemingly traces back to the Frost era- and perhaps even earlier than that.
Scott Frost started the tradition of losing 1-score games at Nebraska. And Matt Rhule has stepped in and embraced right off the bat.
— Dave Biddle (@davebiddle) September 1, 2023
Single digit possession games record at Nebraska
Bo Pelini 20-11
Bill Callahan 10-7
Mike Riley 7-10
Scott Frost 5-22
Matt Rhule 0-1 pic.twitter.com/7YONSngRsO— CFB Home (@CFBHome) September 1, 2023
Of course, it's in the nature of college football fans to overreact. And Nebraska fans, who were really excited to see Rhule, a coach who found success at the college level with Baylor, turn this ‘Huskers program around.
Turning the ball over four times and being penalized seven times in Rhule's debut was not exactly what fans had in mind. There's plenty of time for Rhule and company to turn things around, but it's hard to ignore just how familiar this loss felt for Nebraska football fans.