⚡ CFB Dashboard

When Matt Rhule arrived at Nebraska, the Huskers didn't have the volume of defensive linemen that some other teams did. So his thought was, "All right, let's be an outlier initially." Tony White did a great job with that approach. Rhule noted Nebraska was "pretty damn good" defensively in 2023 and 2024 in that 3-3-5 scheme. But as players such as Williams Nwaneri and Kade Pietrzak arrived, and Cameron Lenhardt and others developed into defenders who could set the edge, Rhule began thinking he'd prefer to play more four-down defense. Rob Aurich had a plan with similarities to some of the Big Ten defenses Nebraska had struggled against, while bringing his own twists. "I think you go back to last year and look at some of the games we struggled in: Minnesota we struggled, and that's a Joe Rossi blueprint. Michigan State, we struggled in. I'm not saying that's the only reason," Rhule said of his decision to move quickly to Aurich after last season. "But as I watched it, I was like, 'Man, I love the way Iowa plays defense. I love the way Minnesota and Michigan State play defense.' So let's get something that's at least close to that." Rhule likes that Aurich is dynamic and "evolved" in his scheme. He doesn't simply sit in four-down quarters. He'll bring pressure and simulated pressure. "He's a savant of football. He studies it. I'd like to think one of my strengths is understanding protections after having coached in the NFL as an offensive line guy," Rhule said. "We play North Dakota and they're sliding to the field, and he starts bringing all his boundary simulators and Cover 2s to take away the short throws." One example that shows the four-down quarters structure offered a foundation, not the entire blueprint. "So he's not just sitting in that world. But I felt like it matched our players."