Nebraska's Matt Rhule believes team has potential for breakout season | NBC Sports

Matt Rhule on his first year at Nebraska what did you learn about Nebraska Nebraska football your first year that maybe you didn't know um I learned how passionate but also informed the fan base is like you know they they're going to watch warm-ups they're they're gonna they're going to stop me on the street and ask me when we're going to start running counter trap option again like they know the game and uh you know it was after coming from pro football it was it was really cool to get back in that college environment again yeah it seems like there's a lot of people myself included that feel like you know you guys are on the verge of of a breakout kind of year um do you feel Rhule on breakout season that and what needs to happen for for that to take place yeah I mean I think we have a chance to be a really a good team I mean uh We R in a lot of ball games last year and I think we know two got away from us but we lost five games and uh either by a field goal or one went to overtime and despite all that like you know we came back every week we were we were minus 17 in the turnover ratio we we did some things that were really bad yet we still had a chance to win right so I I look at it like we have a pretty good defense pretty good special teams weren't very good on offense last year if we can just get a little bit better there then you maybe we can those close losses will become close wins and if that happens our guys will get some confidence and think good good things will happen you mentioned I heard you say it earlier uh we got to find a way to go from Min -7 to plus seven on the turnover margin how how do How to implement breakout season you try to implement that how do you go about that I think the first thing is um is the team recognizes hey this has to happen because I I think when when they start when they start talking and practice like hey hold the football right or you know hey catch the tuck or they punch with the ball on defense they it's coming from them it starts to happen I think for us man we have to be highly accountable you know sometimes as coaches you're trying to get the next play run you know balls on the ground you're like all right get back run run the next play and we we're just not going to do that anymore you know if if if we set a goal of plus seven uh plus 10 then we then we have to find a way to hit it and and that means that's the number one thing that we have to coach and so um but from drills to accountability to holding ourselves accountable that's the number one thing in the program you mentioned the fans and the the passion uh almost hard to believe Nebraska hasn't been to a bowl game since Going to a bowl game 2017 right they went through a stretch at one point 35 years in a row going to a bowl game um how much will that mean to the fan base to kind of get start a new streak when it comes to that in the postseason I think it'll be it'll mean everything you know I I think there's there's students that stopped me and it meant a lot to me last year to try to get them there because I knew what it would do for them we didn't get it done we came so close when we do it I I I think it'll just be a relief you know it'll be like you know just the Yoke will be lifted and and uh I want them to enjoy football I want them going to the games expecting to win I want them excited about close games and I think right now there's there's such a Negative feeling about all of that because of what we've been through but uh we can change that one great thing you've got coming up um last year you started 0 and2 both tough games on the road you start with I think four home games in a row right this year and a chance to get back at Colorado but Schedule also to get off to a great start yeah you know I I probably mismanaged last year atat a little bit like went on the road to Minnesota it was deafening loud they had a gold out uh went on the road to Colorado it was sold out um being in pro football it's not quite that loud and you know we prepared for it but but didn't you know obviously I didn't do a good enough job started off 0 and2 came back regrouped and made a little bit of a run and um I'm excited to play that first game at home there's nothing like there's nothing like football and Lincoln and uh to to even even all the guys that don't get to travel that that bust their tail at practice like they get a chance to suit up and they get a chance to be out there so I think it'll be a celebration of all the hard work we've done this offseason uh we'll play our best you know we'll go battle UTEP as you said we'll come back we'll play Colorado you know obviously coach Sanders brings a lot of excitement to the game it'll be a national game you know night game chance for us to show off Lincoln to the world uh Northern Iowa then then come back on a Friday night and play Illinois uh to me I couldn't think of a better way to start so a lot of talk a lot of the buzz Dylan Riola around your team this year is about your Young quarterback Dylan riola kind of a family name in Nebraska football uh huge recruit what have you seen from him so far what what is he going to bring to the table I think he just has a really great feel for the game you know um so much of recruiting quarterbacks nowadays it's all seven on seven it's you know it's all just armed Talent you know it's all Splash plays but you know more than anyone else it's it's about making a tough throw on on Third and eight it's about it's about getting hit in the year and coming back and making a play the next play and uh I think Dylan's got that feel he's got that toughness you know he's he raised around the game his dad played a long time in the NFL he loves the preparation process so you know he he still has some work to do to prove that you know he's the starting quarterback but but uh I have a lot of confidence in him and I I believe in you know when he's playing I believe that he's going to move the team your defense last year was Defense outstanding uh Tony white you know one of the hot Commodities you know you you you got him for another year you may not have him for more than that uh but but expectation still very high for your defense this year I assume yeah Tony does a great job and uh we return Tony plus we also return uh a lot of our really good players you a lot of the guys who made those plays and so I I want to see them take the next step like I want to see them score on defense I want to see them take the ball away more than 14 times I want to see them you know uh just just suffocate people and get the offense good field position when you have a struggling offense you know you love to have a defense that turns the ball and takes it away and that's something we didn't do last year and I think that's been Tony's Focus this year couple speaking of your coaching staff a couple changes a couple additions to your staff talk about the new guys that you've brought onto your staff this year New coaches yeah you know uh we brought in John Butler to to to to be our secondary coach you know obviously was the defensive coordinator at Penn State spent the last 10 years in the NFL really in Buffalo had one of the best pass defenses so a guy that I trust to take our defensive you know as good as we were on defense to take our secondary play to the next level um brought in Glenn Thomas to be our quarterback coach and Glenn was my quarterback coach and and coordinator at at uh at Temple at Baylor you know we played young players there and PJ Walker and uh and Charlie Brewer and he he he helped them and so bringing him back to help in this process with our quarterback play I'm fired up about and with the new analyst rule we've been able to bring in some some other young guys you know that you know maybe their rol is limited but they can help our players and uh I think every great player deserves a great coach we've tried to do that for him you know one one of the things and there's a lot of changes with college football you know over the last few years and one of Roster limits the things that's being talked about they haven't settled on a number yet is roster limits um some programs that maybe not a big deal but Nebraska's always been one of those teams that has had 140 150 guys on the team the walkon program was always huge how does that impact uh and and what are your feelings about that oh it's going to impact ice a ton you know we we have almost 150 guys on the team right now you know cuz we're blessed we have guys that you know live their whole life wanting to be a Husker yeah and um those are the guys that that that bring character to that locker room into that weit room and to that practice field and they wait for the day they get to run down on a kickoff and for some guys they turn into NFL players so I'd hate to see that taken away from us you know we'll do the best we can to continue to honor that but you know football changes the rules change and you just have to adapt with them yeah how about and I haven't asked too many guys this but just another thing that's different from when you were in college before you know go to the NFL now you're Developing at Nebraska back in college the whole nil World in college football how is that coming along and developing at Nebraska and in Lincoln for you guys I think I think we do a really good job at it you know we're not the best you know I tell people all the time hey we're doing a great job we have some we have some room to go though to catch some some of the elite teams but um you know A lot's going to change now with Revenue sharing coming in uh you know we we have we have a great budget you know we have a great athletic director in Troy Dannon um I think we'll find a way to to be relevant no matter what no matter what the rules are back in college football now what have you found to be more challenging and more difficult about coaching college football today I think the big Roster turnover thing is just the the the roster turnover you know I I really like that's why I didn't like the NFL as much I love the get a guy as a freshman watch watch him grow help him through the hard times give him confidence when he needs it give him a kick in the the pants when he needs it and watch all a sudden you wake up one day and you got a bunch of grown men out there playing for you and um you know seeing guys play for us and go somewhere else or a guy somewhere else plays for us that's a challenge it's not maybe as fulfilling for me but um if it's in the player's best interest then then I understand it and we'll we'll do the best we have with the guys with the time that we have them for yeah um Defensive tackles couple guys that really stood out to me watching your team last year those two interior defensive tackles you have talk about those guys and and what they mean to your team yeah I mean I think they're the heart and soul of our team you know Nash I mean he finished football season went right in and lost 40 pounds and wrestled I that's the kind of guy he is he's physical he's tough a Ty Robinson who's you know here at media dayto day he's he's an explosive athletic player so they hold themselves to a high standard they work hard they're not afraid to be vocal uh but they also are great teammates and uh they're dominant players really the strength of our team so I know you're kind of new to the Rivalry uh in that game but uh what what Iowa rivalry do you know or what have you learned so far about that rivalry game with Iowa yeah you know what it's really my second game with Iowa but it feels like it's my third because I took the job on the morning of this game two years ago and uh we accepted the job and sat down as a family and watched Nebraska a three- win Nebraska team come in and beat Iowa Trey Palmer had a great day and so I experienced that last year a heartbreaking loss to Iowa on a game that went back and forth and so um but even from the fact that our players you know they they grow their facial hair out a lot of them do that game I mean it means something to the guys it means something to our fans obviously it's over Thanksgiving weekend so um give me one thing that you're very thankful for you know I'm I'm very very thankful for my My Wife and Kids you know know I'm really thankful for my son Bryant you know he's he's a freshman here at Nebraska last year in in order for me to take this job he lived back in Charlotte and stayed in Charlotte for a year so he could finish his senior year and you know I didn't want to leave him I said no no that's that's not fair to you and he said he said you're a coach and I want you to coach at Nebraska I'll be fine here uh you know throughout this process growing from being you know making $800 at Albright College to Western Carolina it's it's the sacrifices Julie made it's also the sacrific is my son made you know moving from Philly to wakeo to Charlotte to now Nebraska and he's been my partner every step along the way so I'm really thankful for him I'm thankful that now he's a college student he gets to be on the sidelines with us and uh hopeful hopeful that we can celebrate a win together what is your favorite Favorite Thanksgiving leftover meal Thanksgiving leftover meal o it's a great call I've never been asked that before uh so I'm a big green bean cast roll fan man so and I know I know you're supposed to have turkey okay I also like to have a little ham we also have some Italian influences in our family so I love I absolutely love uh turkey sandwich on white bread with the leftover turkey with mayonnaise like a little bit of warmed up ham I like the I like the um green bean salad and if there's any pasta I'm going eat that too love it pretty healthy yeah of Favorite Thanksgiving tradition course uh okay last one what is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition um that's a great question uh this is this sounds so selfish I love eating and then going in and falling asleep watching the game and then waking up I uh I love that but I also I also uh I also like just just the time with family right you know especially playing a game the next day right now it's like it's actually like the Calm before the storm and uh that makes it even better