Stukenholtz: The Verdict on Matt Rhule’s Critical Calls

All three of those decisions were good in my book. Based on game flow, time and score, and general vibes of the moment, each is what I would have chosen even with the benefit of hindsight. Fine margins in a 20-17 win – good thing Rhule called them right!

In the Big Ten opener at home versus Michigan, NU marched down the field on its first drive and reached the 6-yard line with 4th & 2 to go. Johnson had just managed 1 yard on a 3rd & 3 run play, and a shovel pass to Luke Lindenmeyer only gained half of the necessary yardage. I didn’t mind Rhule’s go-for-it decision, but it was a bit of a trend to stall near the goal line after failed possessions in both the Akron and Houston Christian games the two weeks prior.

Three field goal attempts throughout the game came on 4th and 10 or more, each time after a sack earlier in the series. Easy decisions. Late in the 4th quarter and trailing 30-20, Rhule had no choice but to go for a 4th & 1 at the Michigan 45. Raiola converted on a 6-yard pass to Heinrich Haarberg, and Haarberg ended up with a touchdown two plays and a penalty later.

The final score of 30-27 is still a bit misleading when you factor in Jacory Barney’s Hail Mary touchdown catch before halftime. Maybe you thought NU should’ve taken the points on that first drive against the Wolverines' defense. Rhule’s other choices were pretty straightforward.

On to Michigan State. This was a strange game that at times felt like Nebraska, which led 14-0 after Carter Nelson’s blocked punt return TD, couldn’t lose. Then other times it seemed like NU would never score another point again.  

Three drives in the 2nd quarter pushed to the Spartan 35-yard line, only to be pushed back on sacks or penalties. Rhule went for a 4th & 4 from the 28 and Raiola was sacked. Remember the wind from that game, though? Against those crazy sustained gusts, even a 45-yard field goal try was way too uncertain. Nebraska also led at the time, 14-7, so they were playing from a position of strength.

The second half was very busy in terms of points scored, but no so much on polarizing red zone 4th down or timeout decisions. Comfortable 38-27 win in the end. Onward to Maryland.

Similar to the Michigan opening drive, NU cruised into enemy territory only to sputter to a stop. Emmett Johnson was stuffed on a 4th & 2 from the Terps’ 31-yard line on the game’s opening drive. Rhule was aggressive early on for the second time in three games, but again the gamble did not pay off. Food for thought as the season continues.

In the 4th quarter, Maryland led 31-24. What’s more, the Huskers hadn’t scored a point since halftime and threw a pick-six. But the offense built a long drive that started at their own 8-yard line, converting after holding calls on consecutive series that saddled them with 1st & 19 and 2nd & 16 holes. Then came EJ’s 50-yard burst to set NU up with 1st & goal from the 10. After a Raiola 6-yard scramble on 3rd & 10, with Maryland’s pass defense giving few options, Rhule had a decision: 4th & goal from the 4, down 7, with about 8:00 remaining. Raiola got to the line but couldn’t get it snapped before the play clock expired. Delay of game. Cunanan came on for the short field goal to cut the lead to four, 31-27.

Watching this one play out on my cell phone from my cousin’s wedding reception, I admittedly thought the penalty saved Nebraska those three points. In-season struggles with scoring touchdowns were real. Remember, 60% red zone touchdown conversion in all games, 85th nationally. I disagreed with the decision in the moment.

Upon further review, I’ve moved to Rhule’s side on this call. Consider that this was the one time they’d gotten into scoring range on their three 2nd-half possessions. What if they couldn’t move the ball like this again? Only a touchdown would tie the game, and they would still be trailing if they went field goal. Also in Rhule’s favor was the fact that the Husker offense had scored not one, but *TWO* 2nd quarter touchdowns from inside the red zone in this game! Luke Lindenmeyer’s 7-yard toe-tap touchdown made it 17-14, and then Nyziah Hunter scored from 12 yards out on the next drive for a 24-14 lead. I get the confidence he had in Raiola and his pass catchers.

Rewatching this, Rhule was not indecisive, either. You can see Raiola look to the sidelines and signal for a huddle at 32 seconds on the play clock. They broke the huddle with 18 seconds remaining. Plenty of time. But, after bringing Hunter in motion, Raiola tried to change the protection or audible, and the snap occurred just after it hit double zeros. If Raiola gets the ball, maybe they score, maybe they don’t. Bottom line, they were in position, and their head coach gave them every opportunity to finish in the end zone. Score this one in Rhule’s favor.

No 4th down decisions to be made on the game-winning drive, but NU escaped the East Coast with a thrilling 34-31 victory.

We’re skipping past Minnesota – only two offensive possessions even reached the near red zone, both were field goals on 4th & long, and that’s all that needs to be said about that!

Northwestern came to town next. The Huskers converted a pair of 4th downs on their second drive, leading 7-3. Johnson got a yard on 4th & 1 from the Wildcat 36, and Haarberg picked up a yard on 4th & 1 at the 26. No points, though, after a sack (due to the unfortunate Teddy Prochazka injury) and a missed 44-yard field goal attempt. These were good go-for-it decisions, though, reinforced by the players executing and extending the drive.

Then, in the last minute of the 1st half, Rhule went for another 4th & 1 from the 26-yard line. Cunanan had just missed from 44 yards out a few minutes ago. Leading 7-6, Raiola scrambled and leaped for the line to gain…and fumbled. With just a yard needed, I was on board with all three of these decisions in what proved to be a 28-21 win over Northwestern.

Now to USC, and the 3rd quarter incidents that sparked this examination in my brain. 3rd quarter, up 14-6, Raiola (and left tackle Elijah Pritchett) out, and Johnson rips off a 6-yard run on 2nd & 5, reaching the Trojan 43-yard line. Then, after the play, Turner Corcoran continues blocking to the echo of the whistle and draws a two-handed shove from a USC defensive lineman. Penalty, right? Nope! Rhule is understandably incensed, as was the Memorial Stadium crowd. Super obvious missed call.

In Rhule’s defense, I don’t think he called a timeout just to argue with the refs. He certainly knows better than to think the would-be penalty was reviewable. As the offense got into the huddle late due to the aftermath of the no-call, the savage booing from the crowd, and Rhule getting after the officials, Lateef was running up against the play clock. Rhule called a timeout right as double zeros showed. Maybe Lateef didn’t get the guys organized quickly enough. Maybe Holgorsen didn’t get the call in fast enough. Blame him for not keeping his composure if you want – players take their cues from their head coach, after all – but the timeout happened because he didn’t want the offense to have a 1st & 15, not to whine or use a challenge.

To make matters worse, Rhule burned a second 2nd half-timeout on the same 3rd quarter series! Facing 3rd & 2 at USC’s 35, Lateef’s pass to EJ only gained a yard, setting up 4th & 1 from the 34. It was 52 yards if Rhule wanted to kick it. He chose to run a hard count play, trying to draw USC offsides. Didn’t work.

First, the field goal is not a gimme. While Cunanan had made one from the same distance at Arrowhead against Cincinnati, 52 yards is not a sure thing. Second, Rhule has tended to go for it in 4th & 1 situations in plus territory. Why not just have Holgorsen call his best play and go get it? Did he not trust Lateef or his offensive line? Third, Rhule has to realize he just spent a timeout three plays ago! If the hard count didn’t work, he could have taken the delay of game penalty and punted. Archie Wilson has shown the ability to pin it deep, and NU still had an 8-point lead.

The first timeout was understandable. The second? Inexcusable.

Of course, you know what happened next. Doink. USC touchdown and 2-point conversion tied the game. Five plays later, the Huskers lost momentum and, eventually, the game, 21-17.

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So what did we learn? The worst handling of offensive timeouts, 4th down decisions, or both, just happened in the USC loss. And…that’s the extent of my criticism this season.

I believe Rhule tipped the scales in Nebraska’s favor against Cincinnati with his 4th down calls.

An early turnover on downs against Michigan could have had a butterfly effect on the rest of that game, but we all saw how inept Nebraska was at times on both sides of the ball. It didn’t cost them a win.

Nor did 4th down decisions in wins over Michigan State and Northwestern, or the loss at Minnesota.

I learned that I support Rhule’s go for it call in the 4th quarter at Maryland, reneging on my initial reaction.

All that is great. But boy was that USC scenario terrible.

The stakes were raised as the calendar flipped to November. The blackout was amazing with almost 100% participation from Husker Nation. The night game environment was awesome as usual. Big name opponent that entered the game ranked. Most of all, this team had set itself up for this to be big. A 6-2 record, no matter how you get there, is good enough to get you into the national conversation. Make no mistake, if Nebraska had won that game, you would have heard the P word a lot this week. Playoff.

It all flipped in the 3rd quarter. Injury or no injury, penalty or no penalty, Matt Rhule, as head coach, has to manage any situation that comes up, no matter how difficult. Whether it was his brief loss of composure or any hesitation it may have caused his players or his offensive coordinator; whether it was his lack of situational awareness on the 4th down that lost him his courage, another timeout, points, momentum, and ultimately a huge game; or whether it was whatever those actions then caused his players, coaches, or fans in the stands to let up even a little; whatever it was, it was unacceptable. And it did, unquestionably, help in part to cost them what would have been Rhule’s biggest win at Nebraska.

These decisions will be magnified going forward with three games remaining in the regular season. Only two of NU’s 36 red zone or near red zone chances against Power-4 competition have featured TJ Lateef at quarterback. And one of them was the absolute worst outcome of 2025. Here’s hoping that trend doesn’t continue!

The week of practice with everybody knowing Lateef is the guy will surely help the entire operation. That being said, he will need everyone around him to help support him in his first collegiate start.

Like I said earlier, coaching is hard. You can do 99% of your job at an elite level. But if that 1% that isn’t pops up at the worst possible moment, it’s all you’re remembered for.

The verdict: only one egregious decision this season by Matt Rhule. But it was a damning one.