LINCOLN, Neb. – Dana Holgorsen will replace Nebraska as offensive coordinator for the final three games of the regular season, beginning Saturday at USC, coach Matt Rhule said Monday.

Holgorsen, the former West Virginia and Houston head coach, arrived in Nebraska last week as an offensive consultant. He agreed to take over the offense as a play caller after watching the Huskers’ operation on Monday and Tuesday.

“It’s probably unique,” ​​Rhule said. “But it’s what we needed. It’s the right thing.”

Holgorsen, 53, spent this season as an analyst at TCU after resigning from Houston last November. He replaces Marcus Satterfield, the OC for all 21 games with the Huskers for Rhule. Satterfield will remain at Nebraska this month and continue to coach the tight ends, Rhule said.

Nebraska has struggled offensively, ranking 96th nationally in yards per game and 99th in scoring. It has averaged 18 points in six Big Ten games and is 5-4 overall (2-4 in the league) after a bye week that followed back-to-back losses to Indiana, Ohio State and UCLA.

The Huskers have not scored more than fourteen points in any of their eleven losses under Rhule.

Holgorsen is a student of Mike Leach in the air assault system. His teams in Houston and West Virginia scored 33.5 points per game over 13 seasons.

Rhule described him as a “great offensive mind.”

The Huskers won’t change their pro-style offensive system anytime soon, Rhule said. Instead, Rhule hopes Holgorsen can help Nebraska simplify its approach and focus on its strengths.

“He gives us a fresh perspective on what we do and who we do it with,” Rhule said.

Nebraska will visit USC with questions at quarterback. True freshman Dylan Raiola, the five-star talent who has started every game, is working to bounce back from a back injury he suffered in the fourth quarter against UCLA.

Rhule said he expected Raiola to try to practice Tuesday and that Nebraska would prepare Raiola and junior backup Heinrich Haarberg to play against the Trojans.

The second-year coach said he would like to keep Holgorsen in a role at Nebraska in 2025, but Rhule emphasized he made the move in an effort to produce winning results this season. The Huskers started 5-1 but ran into problems ending their seven-year bowl drought, the longest among Power 4 programs.

“I don’t want to speak for coach Holgorsen,” Rhule said. “But I don’t think he would put his name on this and come here and do this if he didn’t feel like there were guys here that he could help win and us grow.”

Nebraska closes the season against Wisconsin on Nov. 23 and at Iowa on Nov. 29.

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(Photo by Dana Holgorsen: Maria Lysaker/USA Today)