The losing streak for Nebraska hit four games Friday night, and by Saturday, the axe finally fell. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen was fired after a 24-13 loss to Illinois, with head coach Matt Rhule making the announcement. Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas is now taking over play-calling duties. This move has been brewing for weeks as the Cornhuskers watched their early-season offensive burst just vanish.
When the Scoring Fell Off a Cliff
The numbers are pretty stark, and they tell the story of this collapse. Nebraska kicked off the season hot, hitting at least 31 points in each of its first five games. That’s a solid start, right? Then, suddenly, the wheels came off. They couldn’t even crack 18 points in any of their next four games. What a wild swing, man. That kind of drop-off is impossible to ignore, especially when you are trying to stay competitive. The Huskers now sit at 5-4 overall and a tough 2-4 in the Big Ten. That record doesn’t leave any room for the offense to just “find itself” over the next month.
Yardage Without Points Is a Killer
Friday’s game against Illinois really highlighted the problem. Nebraska racked up 426 yards of offense, which honestly sounds like a decent day, but it just didn’t translate into points. Illinois, on the other hand, made their chances count, took advantage of mistakes, and finished drives. The Huskers struggled big time to turn that yardage into any kind of comeback. That gap between moving the ball and actually putting points on the board, that’s the massive challenge Thomas inherits. A new voice calling plays can definitely shake things up, but Nebraska needs to execute way cleaner, play better situational football, and stay on schedule. Rhule has to show this coordinator change isn’t just moving chairs around, but a real adjustment that helps the entire offense.
Glenn Thomas has a super short runway here. Nebraska’s next game is at Rutgers, and they need to show a much steadier performance before this whole season completely slips away. This staff change gives them a chance to hit reset. But the real question is, can Nebraska recover fast enough to make this final stretch of the season actually matter? Rhule’s gotta be watching those first few drives at Rutgers like a hawk. The Huskers need more than just a new play-caller, they need to show everyone that the high-powered offense from the beginning of the season is still hiding somewhere in that locker room.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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