Nebraska-Illinois postgame nuggets
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and a handful of players met with media following Friday night’s 20-7 win at Illinois.
Here is a full recap of what they had to say…
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule
***Rhule said the defense played “exceptional” while the special teams made some big plays. On offense, they made some big conversions but needed to close the game better.
“For a team that’s trying to win… they kept running onto the field excited to play… That’s a team that I want to coach.”
***Rhule on the Huskers: “They played like a team.”
Guys made mistakes, but “they owned it.” To bounce back like that after how badly things went against Michigan, Rhule said, “I thought they attacked.”
***Rhule said the goal-line stop on Illinois’ opening drive and then score after starting at the 1-yard line was a perfect example of NU’s resiliency.
***Rhule noted the wind was a significant factor tonight, so much so that they planned to go for it on fourth down as much as possible until they got inside the 20.
***Rhule said he told Heinrich Haarberg that he would coach him like “a really good one.” He thought Haarberg
***Rhule accused Illinois of yelling out calls before the snap, which was a big reason why Nebraska had so many false starts. “I just want to make sure I defend my guys.” He said he contacted the Big Ten last week and confirmed that was against the rules.
“We’re not a sloppy team.”
***Rhule said the defense’s mentality was, “The scoreboard is going to be the same on every possession.” That helped them come back out with the same mindset despite all of the turnovers by the offense.
***Rhule said NU “really wanted to incorporate (Thomas) Fidone” into the passing game tonight. Fidone had three catches for 42 yards.
***Rhule said he told the team they would go for it on fourth down a lot.
***The short kickoff that NU recovered was not planned. “That was a deep kick,” Rhule said. That was another example of how strong the wind was.
***Rhule said Nebraska had nothing to prove to anyone because the team believed in itself. He wants his guys to “enjoy this ride” even though there will be ups and downs. It’s what “learning how to win” is all about.
***Rhule said Marcus Washington suffered a knee injury and would have an MRI tomorrow. Washington walked off the field after the game, but his status was in the air right now.
EDGE Jimari Butler
***Jimari Butler said Nebraska played to “the Blackshirt mentality” tonight, which they always talk about.
***Butler said the defense kept telling the offense, “We got you,” to the offense even after all of the turnovers.
***Butler said his goal all week was “trying to apply the pressure” against the run and pass.
***On the first fourth-and-1 stop, Butler said, “That was a tone-setter.” He said tonight felt like Sunday’s practice, which he said was one of the hardest of his career.
***Butler said creating so many turnovers on defense was something they always preached. To get them in a game – “That kind of took it to life.”
***Rhule’s message to the Huskers has been, “Champions act like champions before they’re champions.” He said this win was a step in that direction for NU.
Offensive lineman Bryce Benhart
***Bryce Benhart said Nebraska “just wanted to play as a team” in all three phases. “This one was really fun.”
***Benhart said NU had “come a long way over the last couple weeks.” Much of that was how the Huskers have come together as a team.
***Benhart agreed that Illinois was yelling calls out before the snap. He said that was a distraction, but the offensive line needed better focus.
***Benhart liked how much Rhule went for it on fourth down. “Why wouldn’t you want to go for it on fourth down?”
Nebraska linebacker Nick Henrich
***Nick Henrich said having so many in-state guys make big plays tonight was really fun to see. “It was awesome. Really cool.”
***On Rhule’s message that people would learn a lot about Nebraska this week, Henrich said: “I think we’re really coming together.”
***Henrich said the defense’s mentality was “just go play.” They try not to pay attention to the score or the game clock.
***Henrich said the goal-line stop was “absolutely massive” for Nebraska’s confidence. He gave a lot of credit to the defense line.
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