McKewon: A pregame drill, 4th down play and Matt Rhule’s vision for flaws-and-all Nebraska

SURROUNDED BY CORNFIELDS IN RURAL INDIANA Where the harvest season had begun but was not yet pervasive, so tall stalks rose up and boxed in the two-lane highways some unmarked that lead into the home of Purdue University.

There are few easy ways into West Lafayette.

Theres never been an easy win for Nebraska here, either.

Dont let the 44-7 score in 2013 fool you.

That was an ugly game against a 1-11 team that came with three turnovers and the injury of All-Big Ten lineman Spencer Long.

NU lost at Purdue in 2015, 2019 and 2022.

Wins in 2017 and 2020 felt like extracting a sliver from your big toe.

Theyve now spruced up Ross-Ade Stadium in ways that have had Nebraskas administrative contingent Athletic Director Troy Dannen and lieutenant Haven Fields taking a few notes on the turf and the video screen.

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Purdue to be streamed on Peacock; plus time and TV announced for Rutgers game But before Matt Rhule could get to a few smiles after a 28-10 win, he had to almost visibly process the relief of Nebraska getting out this state with one win.

It returns in three weeks for another vs.

undefeated Indiana.

Only then well know if Rhule plans to use The Drill again on the road.

In a stunning pregame scene, Rhule brought his players out to midfield for a morning battle.

Offense vs.

defense, one representative from each, blocking the hell out of each other as their teams, forming a little alleyway, boxed them in.

Ive imagined this drill.

Since the 2014 Wisconsin game, when Nebraska got steamrolled by the Badgers, the Rewind has presented a metaphor for how you can measure NU against its league foes.

Imagine both teams best linemen in your backyard, put two or three yards between them, and decide which pushes the other around.

Thats your winner.

Thats how Michigan has won 27 Big Ten games in a row.

So the second of these pregame battles featured linebacker Dylan Rogers vs.

fullback Barret Liebentritt.

Rhule made the duo go twice before he was satisfied.

Today was about us coming out to compete, Rhule said when asked about the drill.

I wanted to see the guys come out and fly around and compete, so I called a couple guys out.

That kind of set the tone, linebacker John Bullock said.

Cut to the fourth quarter.

Nebraska led 7-3.

On the play the clinched NUs win a fourth down touchdown from Purdues 1 it was Liebentritt who had to deliver the key lead block on a basic off tackle power play.

So long as NUs offensive line walled off Purdues defensive line which, it did Liebentritt would be able to create a hole for Dante Dowdell.

Which, he did.

He took out two defenders with his lead kickout block.

Dowdell leapt into the end zone.

We ran that play in the middle of the week, (Liebentritt) hit (safety) Marques Buford and Marques made the tackle, Rhule said of practicing the play against Nebraskas defense.

Good on good and we showed it in front of the whole team.

When it counted, Liebentritt delivered, which made Rhule happy.

Hes one of those guys that, as they grow, they go from trying to do everything right to trying to kick someones tail in the right way, Rhule said.

And along the way, they have to block out the noise of everyone telling them what theyre doing wrong.

Its too early in Rhules tenure to determine, for certain, how exactly itll transpire.

His teams including this one will make bowls.

Theyll put more guys on NFL rosters.

Theyll act like a premier, well-funded, fully-modern program instead of one stuck on 1992 spending and media habits, when half of the teams in college footballs top division only had a moderate interest in winning.

Will Rhules NU win like the 90s Huskers? Thatll take more recruits like Dylan Raiola, Jacory Barney and Carter Nelson, the right transfers, more developmental stories like linebacker John Bullock and upper-quartile specialists that Nebraska does not currently possess.

But Rhule understands the toughness quotient of this league.

His two predecessors at Nebraska, both offensive coaches, did not fully grasp it, based on the teams particularly the defenses their tenures produced.

Rhule wants players to transition their head knowledge to heart effort.

Its a tricky thing, too, with a program that has so many ghosts to exercise, that evokes so little fear in Big Ten foes who werent conditioned, like Big Eight and Big 12 teams were, to see Nebraskas mystique.

So its going to require kind of a relentless effort on Rhules part to get the program over the hump.

And hes kind of a relentless guy.

He needs a giant staff because he pushes hard and has the green light to pursue big ideas.

Even if Rhule was calm after the game and, according to players, at halftime of a then-scoreless contest, he doesnt conduct that pregame drill without reason.

He didnt conduct it, for example, before the Illinois game.

And it took awhile for Nebraskas physical advantage to really kick in.

Purdue helped with a series of bad penalties that left PU coach Ryan Walters frustrated (while he chewed something, maybe gum?) in his postgame press conference.

NUs scoreless first half is chalked up mostly to a rebuilding field goal unit, but the Huskers also couldnt move Purdues interior line much.

As the game wore on and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield kept leaning on Barneys wide sweep runs Nebraska punched a few holes in Purdues front.

NU overcame its penalties as the Boilermakers slowly tired in the muggy air.

Purdue lost confidence while Nebraska clung to it.

You get the sense NU is learning to win when 15 things or three field goal attempts go wrong, because it gets the core things right: Toughness and physicality.

Nebraska fell short there against Illinois.

It rose to the test against Purdue.

And of course it takes a blend doing the right things the right way for Nebraska to tangle with the Big Tens best.

NU coaches know the field goal unit is a mess and will spend the week focusing more on execution.

On offense, the Huskers want to run what Rhule calls high-level plays and struggle to block without picking up penalties.

While one shouldnt have to run Minnesotas elementary system to avoid flags from Big Ten refs, Nebraska has to clean it up before the tough part of the schedule hits.

Which is about to happen presently.

Undefeated Rutgers rolls into town this week.

It ranks seventh nationally in fewest penalty yards per game.

It gains nearly 100 more yards per game on the ground than Nebraska, leads the Big Ten in time of possession, and has a knack for getting fourth down stops.

Its defense doesnt create a lot of havoc, but Rutgers doesnt beat itself.

The Scarlet Knights are East Coast tough something Rhule knows about.

So Saturday may well come down to making two lines, separating them by a few yards and seeing who wins a brawl.

In football, its legal to push, shove and smack.

People can spend all of their time thinking about what were not, Rhule said.

I choose to see what we are.

Nebraskas identity continues to develop as the league slate closes in.

On with the Rewind.

Cornerback Ceyair Wright: A second strong performance at cornerback in Tommi Hills absence.

Five tackles, two pass breakups and a couple good sticks of opposing ball carriers.

When Nebraska has a full cupboard of corners that is, when Tommi Hill and Blye Hill are fully healthy watch out.

Wrights a keeper, too.

Quarterback Dylan Raiola: Skilled in making that layered throw between two levels of defense, he can also put a little more smoke on the deep passes.

NU has drawn a ton of defensive pass interference penalties this year, but would prefer completions on some of those downfield throws.

Receiver Jacory Barney: With 104 rush yards and 121 receiving yards this season, he has a WanDale Robinson quality to his game.

Punter Brian Buschini: The 34.3-yard average doesnt blow you away, but two his punts were downed inside the 20, and the third should have been.

Plus, Buschini finished with three tackles, including a crucial takedown of Purdue safety Joseph Jefferson after hed recovered the ball off a blocked field goal.

Tight end Thomas Fidone: Hes starting to feel it.

Up to 11 catches for 112 yards on the season, Fidones routes look more fluid than they did earlier in the season, and Raiola will reward him in due time.

Running back Emmett Johnson: More carries, more reception opportunities.

Eight touches for 98 yards is proof of needing more attention.

Hes still, at many moments in 2024, looked like NUs best back.

Edge rusher James Williams: Sack Man had two of those on Saturday.

Another edge rusher, MJ Sherman, had 2 sacks.

Linebacker John Bullock: The pick six and a key tackle for loss when Nebraskas defense needed a stop.

The Peacock broadcast: The NBC/Peacock folks struggled to blend the ambient crowd/band noise with announcers Jac Collinsworth and Michael Robinson.

Collinsworths pronunciation of Lafayette was unique, too.

NBC remains a work in progress for an elite college football production.

Fox and CBS are better.

Purdues giant scoreboard/video screen in the south end of Ross-Ade Stadium: If you want to imagine what NU wants to do with a South Stadium video board setup in five years, Purdue has it.

The board is big and the sound system is installed into the board.

Purdues staff wasnt keen on replays unless a review was taking place which nullified some of the purpose of the board.

Still, it had a good size, look and sound.

2: Plays allowed by NUs defense of 30 or more yards this season.

Only one defense nationally Ohio State, which has allowed zero is performing better in that category, and its probably the Buckeyes who will most challenge the Huskers excellence in preventing big plays.

2019: The last time Nebraska had two defensive touchdowns.

Both of the pick-sixes that season were in the same game a season-opener against South Alabama.

This year, Tommi Hill has the pick-six against Colorado and John Bullock had the return against Purdue.

The last NU linebacker to score a defensive touchdown was Marcus Newby with a pick-six in the 2017 Northwestern game.

The Huskers last had more than two defensive touchdowns in 2013, when they had four interceptions for touchdowns.

2016: The last year Nebraska won four games before the month of October began.

That year, NU entered October 4-0 after wins over Fresno State, Wyoming, Oregon and Northwestern.

22: Receptions for Nebraskas running backs this season, which is already six more than the backs had all of 2023.

Rahmir Johnson leads the way with 13 catches, followed by Emmett Johnson with seven and Dowdell with two.

No ones confusing these guys with Marlon Lucky in 2007, when he had a school-record 75 catches.

Not yet, anyway.

40%: Opponents third-down conversion rate.

Thats too high for defensive coordinator Tony Whites taste, and the last three foes Northern Iowa, Illinois and the Boilermakers converted 37.5%, 53.9% and 46.7% of their third downs, respectively.

Tackling and coverage spacing remain two to-do items of Nebraskas defense.

After each game, I ask fans on my Facebook page to provide feedback.

Selected and edited responses follow.

Jason Schievelbein: We have to have a kicker ready next week.

Yes, it is a big deal.

With Alex Henery, we had to get to the 40.

With our current kicking situation, we have to get to like the 15.

Steve Brown: Regardless of the outcome, were better than this, arent we? Why cant we put together more than one half of quality football against equal or inferior opponents? Ryan Chappelle: Barney and Raiola are really special players.

Defense got some swag back today.

Rutgers got outgained 521-299, did not force a turnover ...

and beat Washington 21-18.

The Huskies missed three field goals and had two drives die inside the Rutgers 20 with zero points.

Sound familiar? The difference between Rutgers and Purdue is a Scarlet Knight run game that just doesnt quit.

RU averaged 5.6 yards per carry and made the necessary stops.

Indiana committed four turnovers and beat Maryland 42-28 in front of 48,223 fans at its own Memorial Stadium.

Coach Curt Cignetti wrote a note to IU student requesting their presence at the game, even if it meant putting off their homework.

His team is 5-0 and should be 6-0 when NU rolls into town Oct.

19.

That crowd will be a sellout, too.

UCLAs offense looked incompetent in a 34-13 loss to Oregon.

The Bruins amassed 172 total yards fewer than Idaho did against the Ducks and had two field goal drives.

With Penn State, Minnesota, Rutgers and Nebraska coming over the next month, UCLA may not have another win on its schedule.

A slight restoration of trust leading into Saturdays homecoming contest, a crucial heading-into-the-bye week showdown that may shape the back half of Nebraskas season.

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