Matt Rhule has already shown a willingness to make difficult staffing decisions when he believes they're necessary.
In 2024, he demoted longtime assistant Marcus Satterfield midway through the season and fired another longtime assistant, Ed Foley, following that same year. He didn't hesitate to move on from John Butler after just one season as defensive coordinator when he determined the fit wasn't right.
Those weren't necessarily easy decisions, particularly considering his history with Satterfield and Foley. But Rhule recognized changes needed to be made and acted accordingly.
Now he needs to make another difficult decision. A decision that's getting easier by the week.
Matt Rhule needs to move on from Dana Holgorsen.
The once-innovative offensive mind has become stagnant in his role with the Huskers. Despite having as much talent on offense as Nebraska has had in at least a decade, the unit can't seem to get rolling against quality competition.
It's been painfully obvious since the Huskers got into the meat of their Big Ten schedule, particularly against equal-or-greater talented opponents. Frankly, it's been a hallmark of Holgorsen's tenure since he arrived in November 2024.
Nebraska started this season 5-0, generating plenty of optimism that Rhule was finally on the verge of breaking through in his fourth season. The Huskers have since dropped three straight games against Indiana, Oregon and Washington, with the offense becoming progressively less effective against the three most talented teams they've faced.
Against Indiana, Nebraska scored 17 points. A week later, the Huskers managed just 14 against Oregon. Following a bye week that should have given the coaching staff time to address its issues. Nebraska put up and embarrassing 10 points in a 17-10 home loss to Washington on Halloween night.
Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and Head coach Matt Rhule. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Another dominant showing by the defense wasted by an inept offense facing a Husky defense that came into the game ranked 56th nationally in scoring defense (22.7 ppg), 51st in total defense (336.1 ypg), 54th in rushing defense (131.1 ypg) and 59th in passing defense (205 ypg)
That's 41 points over three games. Five total touchdowns and an average of 13.7 points.
Meanwhile, Rob Aurich's defense held Indiana to 20 points, Oregon to 17 and Washington's offense to just 10.
Nebraska held fourth-quarter leads in all three games and lost every one of them.
The defense hasn't been perfect. The late breakdowns against Indiana and Oregon were costly, and Washington's fourth-and-18 conversion on its go-ahead drive was inexcusable. But there's no question Aurich's unit has done more than enough to give Nebraska an opportunity to win each of those games.
The same can't be said about the offense.
I've written extensively about Aurich and the defense he's brought to Lincoln. I firmly believe it's a playoff-caliber unit, and the scheme absolutely has the potential to help Nebraska make the 12- or 24-team playoff field - and compete for championships.
That opportunity has already been wasted this season.
The bigger question Rhule needs to ask himself isn't whether Holgorsen can put together a good game plan against an overmatched opponent. We've already seen that he can. It's whether this iteration of his offense is good enough to consistently compete against the caliber of teams Nebraska needs to beat to become a legitimate contender.
I don't see how he can draw that conclusion.
It's been an issue for all four years of Matt Rhule's tenure at Nebraska: The Husker offense has no identity.
I was forthright in my disapproval of hiring Marcus Satterfield as offensive coordinator during Rhule's initial staff assembly, so the struggles during his year and a half calling plays didn't come as much of a surprise.
Dana Holgorsen during his time as head coach at Houston. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
When Rhule brought in Holgorsen to replace him in November 2024, he brought a rsum that made the hire exciting and left fans - and me - optimistic. The former West Virginia and Houston head coach had spent the better part of two decades building his reputation as one of college football's more innovative offensive minds.
But nearly two years later, the problems that existed under Satterfield remain. The offense lacks consistency. It lacks creativity. Most importantly, it lacks answers when opposing defenses adjust to what Nebraska is doing.
Holgorsen seems to have lost his fastball.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday ahead of the Washington game, Holgorsen described Big Ten football as a "race to 21," emphasizing how difficult it has become to consistently score points against conference defenses.
Well, let's look at that number.
Holgorsen has now faced 20 Power Four opponents as Nebraska's offensive play-caller. The Huskers have reached that 21-point threshold just nine times. Excluding touchdowns scored by the defense and special teams, Nebraska has averaged only 21.6 points per game in those contests.
That's not going to get it done.
And before anyone points to the offensive production during Nebraska's first five games this season, consider the competition. The Huskers averaged 43.6 points during that stretch, which included games against Ohio, Bowling Green, North Dakota, Michigan State and Maryland.
Those numbers looked impressive at the time. But the past three weeks have exposed them for what they were.
The offense that looked so promising against inferior competition has proven to be a fugazi.
The Huskers' running attack has lost much of its punch after starting the season strong against lesser competition. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There's a difference between compiling statistics when you have a significant talent advantage and being able to consistently move the ball against defenses capable of matching up with your personnel.
The latter is what Nebraska needs if it intends to compete at the level Rhule was brought here to reach.
The Washington game was particularly frustrating.
Nebraska entered the matchup as a 7-point favorite and, according to ESPN, had a 87% chance of winning playing in front of another incredible Memorial Stadium crowd. With the Huskers already having suffered back-to-back heartbreaking losses, the game felt like a must-win to regain momentum.
Instead, the offense came out flat and played like it was unprepared.
Anthony Colandrea threw interceptions on Nebraska's first two possessions, immediately putting the team behind the eight ball. Fortunately, the defense prevented Washington from capitalizing on either mistake.
The Huskers eventually put together an impressive 95-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. It was the kind of possession that demonstrated what the offense is capable of when it's functioning properly. Which has become few and far between.
Then things inexplicably went sideways again.
Nebraska actually showed signs of establishing a productive running game. Jamal Rule and Mekhi Nelson combined for 10 carries and 56 yards during the opening half.
During the first half against Washington, Nebraska ran the ball just five times in its final 24 plays. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yet despite Colandrea struggling through his worst performance as a Husker, Holgorsen continued leaning heavily on the passing game. Nineteen of Nebraska's final 24 offensive plays of the first half were passes.
Inexplicable. Check that, inexcusable. Holgorsen hasn't demonstrated much patience when it comes to establishing the running game, but completely abandoning what's working is frustrating to watch.
The Huskers finished with 387 yards of offense against Washington, so it wasn't as if they were incapable of moving the football. But yards don't win games. Points do.
Nebraska had opportunities to put the game away and couldn't finish drives. The offense managed just one touchdown, committed three costly turnovers and went scoreless in the second and third quarters. They tacked on a meaningless garbage field goal when the game was already decided with 31 seconds remaining in the game.
Washington's offense spent most of the evening struggling to accomplish much of anything against Aurich's defense. The Huskies punted on eight of their first nine possessions before finally breaking through late.
Nebraska should never have allowed them to hang around long enough for that to matter.
Unfortunately, we've seen this script three games in a row now.
The most concerning aspect isn't simply the lack of production. It's how the offense has performed as these games have worn on. Holgorsen doesn't seem to have a counterpunch. When opposing defenses identify what Nebraska is trying to do and make adjustments, the Huskers struggle to respond.
Anthony Colandrea's worst outing so far as a Husker came one day after the news that he is returning for 2027. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There's no rhythm, no consistency and no apparent identity to fall back on when Plan A stops working.
And that's particularly troubling considering the personnel Holgorsen has been given to work with.
Pat Stewart and Nebraska's front office made a major statement Friday when news broke that Anthony Colandrea had signed a deal to return to Lincoln in 2027. On3's Pete Nakos reported that Colandrea is expected to be among the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football next season.
The agreement had reportedly been negotiated over several weeks and comes shortly after Rhule publicly complained about SEC programs attempting to tamper with his quarterback.
It's clear Nebraska's decision-makers don't think Colandrea is the problem.
Neither do I.
Colandrea certainly deserves criticism for his performance against Washington. Three interceptions are unacceptable, particularly the final one that was returned for a touchdown and essentially ended the game. He picked a terrible time to have his worst outing as a Husker, just a day after the announcement of his new agreement.
But let's not forget how he got here.
Colandrea was essentially Nebraska's backup plan in the transfer portal after Kenny Minchey left the Huskers at the altar and flipped his commitment to Kentucky.
Even so, Colandrea has been even better than many people had anticipated. He was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year at UNLV last season after throwing for 3,459 yards and rushing for another 649 while accounting for 33 total touchdowns.
Anthony Colandrea pitches out during his 2025 season at UNLV. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Some questioned how his size and gunslinger reputation would translate in the Big Ten. Well, he's proven to be one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, despite playing in an offense that doesn't completely capitalize on his best traits.
His leadership and competitiveness have galvanized this team.
The handling of Colandrea has become another glaring example of Holgorsen's shortcomings. It's becoming painfully obvious that Holgorsen hasn't developed an offense that accentuates his quarterback's strengths.
I've watched enough of Colandrea to know there should be far more RPO concepts at the core of what Nebraska is doing. Colandrea is also being asked to operate from the pocket far too often. Why not move the pocket, cut his reads in half and allow him to see the field more clearly?
I don't care what he's officially listed at, he's closer to 5-foot-10 than 6-foot. Why continually ask him to stand in the pocket, peer over the congestion in front of him and work through full-field progressions while the defense collapses around him? That's not his game.
Didn't Holgorsen study the tape of Colandrea at UNLV in 2025? It certainly doesn't look like it. The last three games, against the most talented teams Nebraska has faced, have only magnified how poorly this offense has been tailored to its quarterback.
That Colandrea has managed to excel - at times - in this scheme is a testament to his talent.
Why aren't there more designed opportunities to move the launch point and put defenders in conflict?
This isn't suggesting Colandrea should never be asked to throw from the pocket. Of course he should. But there's a difference between requiring a quarterback to develop that part of his game and designing an offense that consistently plays to his strengths.
The staff knew exactly what kind of quarterback it was getting when it brought Colandrea to Lincoln. The question now is why, eight games into the season, the offense still looks so disjointed.
And it's not just the quarterback. What's going on with the wide receivers?
Nebraska wide receiver Nyziah Hunter is tackled during the Oregon game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kwazi Gilmer is an NFL-caliber receiver. Jacory Barney is a really good college receiver. After a breakout first season in Lincoln following his transfer from Cal, Nyziah Hunter has been on a milk carton for most of this season.
Luke Lindenmeyer has the tools to play in the NFL, yet outside of the Indiana and Washington games, he's been largely ignored in the passing game - which has been the fate of every tight end Holgorsen has ever coached. The Big Ten is a tight end conference. Teams that don't utilize theirs are the outliers.
Receivers are dropping too many catchable balls, struggling to consistently get open and making boneheaded mistakes blocking on the perimeter.
Holgorsen has been doing this way too long for excuses.
Nebraska has invested immense resources into upgrading its offensive personnel. The program has aggressively recruited the transfer portal, expanded its financial commitment to the roster and surrounded its quarterback with more established playmakers than this program has had in years.
The return on that investment simply hasn't been good enough.
And the quarterback investment isn't stopping with Colandrea.
His return for 2027 gives Nebraska the opportunity to bring along prized five-star quarterback recruit Trae Taylor without forcing him onto the field before he's ready.
TJ Lateef in action during his first start as a Husker, against UCLA in 2025. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The staff also has TJ Lateef, who gained valuable starting experience last season after Raiola's injury, and Daniel Kaelin, who returned to Nebraska following a year at Virginia.
Lateef's future is something to monitor. It's difficult to envision him being content spending another season as a backup with the possibility of competing for the starting job in 2028.
Still, Nebraska has assembled a talented quarterback room with both immediate options and long-term potential.
That's another reason Rhule can't afford to get this decision wrong.
The next offensive coordinator needs to be capable of developing a system that fits Colandrea while also laying a foundation that Lateef, Kaelin and Taylor can thrive in.
The pieces are there. The resources are there. What Nebraska needs is someone capable of putting it all together. Rhule needs to address an offense currently holding his program back.
Matt Rhule's Nebraska teams are 4-17 after reaching five wins in a season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nebraska is in a precarious position.
The Huskers have made incremental progress throughout Rhule's tenure. The culture is strong, his message continues resonating on the recruiting trail and he's demonstrated the ability to attract talented players and assemble a staff capable of developing them.
But with Nebraska seemingly on the precipice of breaking through, the Huskers keep finding ways to come up short.
It's becoming a troubling pattern.
Rhule is 2-10 in the month of November at Nebraska. Even more concerning, his teams are now 4-17 after reaching five wins in a season.
Think about that. For four consecutive years, Nebraska has reached five wins and then struggled to maintain momentum.
Last season, the Huskers were on the verge of beating USC and improving to 7-2 before Dylan Raiola suffered a broken right fibula in the third quarter. At least then you could point to losing your starting quarterback and having to turn the offense over to a true freshman. That was compounded by a defense that had developed serious problems stopping the run.
What's the excuse this year?
Nebraska has an experienced, dynamic quarterback. It has talented skill-position players. The offensive line was rebuilt with significant investments, and the defense has become one of the nation's most effective units under Aurich.
The Huskers have had leads in the fourth quarter against three quality opponents and couldn't finish the job.
The common denominator has been an offense that can't consistently generate enough production when it matters most.
Holgorsen hasn't built an offense around his quarterback's best traits, and he hasn't demonstrated an ability to consistently scheme answers when opponents adjust to his game plan.
At what point does the responsibility fall on the coordinator? For me, we've reached that point.
The remainder of Nebraska's schedule isn't going to make things any easier. The Huskers travel to Illinois on a short week to play an Illini team that has won three in a row and then have a long trip to Piscataway to face Rutgers. They close the season with a home game against Ohio State before their regular season finale against arch rival Iowa on the road on Black Friday.
Rhule will need to buck several troubling trends if he wants to regain momentum and avoid another late-season collapse.
If Nebraska stumbles its way through November and suffers a fourth consecutive disappointing finish, the growing frustration among sections of the fan base is going to become considerably more difficult to contain.
A staffer picks up trash thrown on the field by fans after Washington's final touchdown Saturday night. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The apathy that's beginning to take hold could grow roots and spread.
That's the bigger-picture concern.
Nebraska has invested too much time, money and effort into rebuilding this program to allow an underperforming offense to prevent it from taking the next step.
I'm not suggesting replacing Holgorsen automatically guarantees success. Coaching changes come with risks, and finding the right replacement will be critical.
But keeping him simply because Rhule respects him, values his experience or believes another offseason might finally unlock the offense would be a bigger gamble.
If the staff can somehow right the ship over the next month, perhaps the two sides can part amicably at the end of the season.
If the offense continues to regress, the situation could become considerably messier. It isn't difficult to envision a scenario where Rhule eventually turns play-calling responsibilities over to co-offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas before the season ends.
Will it come to that? I know Rhule respects Holgorsen immensely, and I don't question the knowledge or experience he brings to the profession.
Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Hologorsen during a 2025 game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN
But this isn't about whether Dana Holgorsen was once one of college football's best offensive minds. It's about whether he's still capable of building the kind of offense Nebraska needs to become a championship contender.
Based on nearly two years of evidence, I don't believe he is.
Rhule has a defense capable of helping this program take a significant step forward. He's assembled a talented roster and created a foundation that should allow Nebraska to compete with the better teams in the Big Ten.
He can't afford to let an offense without an identity continue holding the program back.
It's time to move on from Dana Holgorsen.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/nebraska as Jeremy Pernell: It's Time for Nebraska's Matt Rhule to Move On From Dana Holgorsen .
