Rhule Meets with Media on Thursday

Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule met with members of the media to preview Saturday's game against Maryland. Rhule discussed how this Saturday's game being a day of military appreciation has affected this week’s practices and the progression of the defense.

“There’s a couple components to it,” Rhule said. “First of all there’s the respect for the service and the opportunities that are afforded to us by men and women all over the world who protect our freedoms, and protect our way of life and give us the opportunity to do things. It hits close to home with Trev (Alberts) introducing the veterans and his son is in the military, he’s in the U.S. army and he’s been deployed. You start to see it as it hits home. In terms of our program, wanting to watch everyone build personal excellence while putting team excellence above themselves, the concepts of not just discipline but to me it’s about sacrifice. It’s about protecting the unit, the greater good, and making that a willing choice. That’s what allows our military to be as proficient and elite as they are. Those are the same things we’re trying to get our guys to do. To go out there in the midst of adversity, in the midst of fear, in the midst of doubt, and have a love for the University of Nebraska football. Have a love for their teammates, which allows them to overcome those things. I think all those tenants are woven and you see them in the military and they’re all great parts of organizations. We’re always trying to build that.” 

Rhule also spoke on the defense’s progression and the upcoming test against Maryland. 

“I think we go back and look at Michigan State,” he said. “It’s the same game as lots of other games. When we gave up a big play and we tackled it. We go back to Northwestern. It was three trips to the red zone and it was three field goals. This past game the ball got down there and it was a touchdown. The ball game gets a little bit away from you and it was 20-10 it wasn’t really that far away, it ended up being 20-17. We’re always working on technical things, we’re always working on how hard we play, how physical we are. This week presents unique challenges and that they’re going to come out, and they’re going to go tempo. They’re going to come and throw RPOs, they're going to throw perimeter screens, they’re one of 30 teams in the country that have thrown 30 passes in every game in the last two years. It’s four straight games with a touchdown pass, they’re going to chuck it, they’re going to throw it around and they’re also going to run it. They’re also going to get the ball in the perimeter, they have excellent play makers, a great quarterback, a great scheme. For us you can’t change what you do. I told our guys to focus in and trust themselves, make your play and if you go back to last week there were two big plays, one given up on a double move, one given up on a double pass. Having great eyes, having great help, having great depth and safety. It’s one thing to rush in the fourth quarter of a game, if we have the lead we’re going to have to rush the entire game. It’ll be a real challenge for our defense, anytime you play against great players it’s a real challenge and I don’t want them playing defense trying to win the game. When you do that you never play great defense, because you’re like ‘I don’t want to give up a big play because the score is tight.’ Defense is about cutting loose and going and playing and attacking, and they’ll make plays. They’re the third-best offense and third-best plays in the Big Ten. That’s just in Big Ten games, that’s not taking the non-conference games. They’re going to make plays, I just want to see our defense go, compete and battle. It’s really exciting to play a team of this caliber at this time of the year. I wish it was icy and snowy, all of those things. It sounds like it’s going to be a great day, we’re going to have to go play.” 

Rhule addressed Coach Satterfield being up in the box and how it affected the flow of the game.

“I always like my coordinators to pick and see what they want, how they feel and I think he’s been able to see some things and be a little more outside of the moment,” Rhule said. “It’s a little more of an antiseptic environment, I think those things have been good for him. We’ve had some challenges with signs, getting plays in, Elliott Brown really took on that role for us as Garret (McGuire) went up. Elliott Brown who’s a coach on the field and a football player as well was signaling for us. Elliott unfortunately had a pretty bad knee injury last Wednesday. Elliott on a two day notice, with a torn ACL and a knee brace goes to Michigan State and makes signals, standing on the field the entire game. He comes to me this week and says, ‘They want to do surgery this week, Coach, but I’ll wait until the end of the year so I can continue to signal and help the team.’ Which means that would push into training camp and I said, ‘No, absolutely not. Get your surgery.’ Garret may have to come down, just as a result to make sure we’re getting the wideouts in the game and we have a bunch of young wideouts. We have to make sure they understand what’s happening and if Garret comes down, then Satterfield would come up. I like that if Tony (White) is comfortable on the field, they’re comfortable up there. It’s really about those guys being in the best environment for them to think and attack.” 

Kickoff between the Huskers and the Terrapins at Memorial Stadium is set for 11 a.m. (CT) with the game being streamed exclusively on Peacock. It can also be heard through the Huskers Radio Network.