Expectations for the Nebraska football program are higher than they’ve been in a long while heading into the third season of the Matt Rhule era in Lincoln. Rhule led the Huskers to a 5-7 record in 2023 (his first season), but rebounded and secured the program its first bowl game appearance since 2016 with a […]
Expectations for the Nebraska football program are higher than they’ve been in a long while heading into the third season of the Matt Rhule era in Lincoln. Rhule led the Huskers to a 5-7 record in 2023 (his first season), but rebounded and secured the program its first bowl game appearance since 2016 with a 6-6 record last season.
Nebraska downed Boston College 20-15 in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, giving the Huskers their first bowl game victory since 2015. Athletic Director Troy Dannen, who took over for former AD Trev Alberts in March 2024, discussed these high expectations for the program earlier this week.
“In the goals sessions that I have with our coaches, what are my goals are what are your goals?” Dannen said. “I have never given anybody a competitive goal. Too many factors that cannot be controlled. I know this is very subjective, but I don’t sit in my office. I couldn’t call a play. I couldn’t recruit a player. But, you can tell a lot about where a program is at by being amongst them and in that program everyday. That’s being at practice and I’m there 2-3 times a week.”
Nebraska once again looks to be nationally relevant
“I’m over in the football offices. I’m walking around. I’m in the locker room and they’re coming to the house on Sundays for a hog roast. To have great success, the culture that needs to be in place for it is there. I don’t know if it’s always been there, but it’s there right now. I want to win at a level that Nebraska has seen before. You don’t go from where we’ve been to that today. So in some ways you’re right, there has to be progress.”
“I talk a lot about building blocks. Getting to the bowl game, as absurd as that seems, given our last decade that was a foundational block that needed to happen before we could take the next step. Winning the game was a foundational block.”
Nebraska hasn’t surpassed the 10-win mark in a season since 2012, when it went 10-4 with a loss to Georgia in the Capital One Bowl (now known as the Citrus Bowl). The program is looking to get back to where it was in terms of relevance from the 1970s to early 2000s, where it won at least nine games in 33 consecutive seasons from 1969-2001. It hasn’t won at least nine games in a season since 2016.
The Huskers open their 2025 season at home against Cincinnati on Aug. 28. Kick-off is scheduled for 9:00 PM on ESPN.
Category: General Sports
