LINCOLN, Neb. — In the auditorium at Nebraska’s Osborne Legacy Complex on the Monday after its only loss in the first half of this football season, coach Matt Rhule told the Huskers if they had pulled out a victory against Illinois on a late score, another game like it later in the fall would have ended in defeat. Advertisement His point? Some lessons can only be taught in a loss.
We might have seen that other game on Saturday. Against like-minded opponents in physical Big Ten contests decided on defensive stops and special teams play in the fourth quarter, Nebraska won one and lost one. Without the 31-24 loss against Illinois, there likely was no 14-7 win against Rutgers .
Before a tantalizing second half starts Oct. 19 at unbeaten Indiana , the task is this: build on the progress against improved competition. You thought Saturday afternoon was hot at Memorial Stadium? Just wait until Nebraska gets inside the figurative frying pans at the Horseshoe and the Coliseum.
A year ago for Nebraska, there was no victory like it enjoyed in Week 6. The Huskers lost four such games by a total of 16 points in November and another in Rhule’s Nebraska debut — against Minnesota and the same quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis , who was harassed by the Blackshirts into four consecutive incompletions at the end on Saturday. So as the Huskers enter a bye week, forget the blocked kicks and punts that keep happening.
Remove the noise around Dylan Raiola , who struggled late for the Huskers ag.
