An overriding message from the Nebraska football program this week involved the need for self-examination after three straight losses and a directive from coach Matt Rhule to “do whatever it takes” to finish this month on a high note.

“Bad organizations point fingers,” Rhule said. “Good organizations look at themselves.”

To look at the struggling Nebraska offense, which scored 18.3 points per game in Big Ten play, Rhule brought former Houston and West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen to Lincoln as a consultant for the remainder of this season.

A product of the Mike Leach Air Raid system, Holgorsen coached teams to an average of 33.5 points per game for 13 years in the Big 12. His insight could give the Huskers and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield a boost next week at USC and in games to end the month against Wisconsin and at Iowa.

“Are we planning the right things during the week?” Rhule said. “That might be one of the questions we need to talk about and look at.”

Nebraska bid to qualify for its first bowl game since 2016, winning five of its first six games as freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola lived up to his five-star billing.

Raiola has thrown one touchdown and five interceptions in the Huskers’ three-game skid. The ground game for Nebraska, a strength last season when it lacked a consistent aerial threat, is averaging 3.61 yards per attempt – 112th nationally.

“It’s a little bit of everything, to be honest,” Rhule said. “If you look at us, we just don’t play well enough offensively to have a chance to win.”

What could Holgorsen add in a short time? And does his arrival in Nebraska indicate his possible appointment to run the offense after this season? In any case, it deserves attention now that the pressure on Satterfield is increasing.

College football writers Mitch Sherman, who covers Nebraska, and Sam Khan Jr., who covered Holgorsen in the Big 12, discussed the possibility of a Rhule-Holgorsen marriage. Here’s that conversation:

Sherman: Why did Holgorsen fail as head coach at Houston?

Khan: I think the changing demands placed on a head coach in this sport have become at odds with what made Holgorsen good in the first place. His strengths are coaching offense, planning games, calling plays and figuring out how to score points. But the job of a head coach these days is less about X’s and Os than it is about program management, year-round recruiting, NIL and roster management.

He led the way in transfers in the pre-portal era, aggressively tapping into that market midway through his tenure at West Virginia, and that approach continued into his time with Houston. But Holgorsen never struck me as a ruthless recruiter or someone who liked that part of the job. And Houston was behind the curve on NIL. High school recruiting tapered off toward the end of his tenure.

Slow starts and undisciplined play have been common over the last two years. Through the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Cougars averaged seven penalties per game, the 14th most in the FBS. They ranked 58th out of 69 Power 5 teams in first-half scoring average. And after fielding one of the nation’s best defenses in 2021, they ranked twice worse than 100th in scoring defense, yards allowed per game, yards allowed per play, third-down, fourth-down and red zone defense.

Holgorsen seemed perpetually frustrated, tired and looking for answers, and that rhetoric was transparent at press conferences, which did him no favors. I think the job ended up being very different from what he signed up for when he arrived in 2019. And in 2023, the Cougars battled uphill as a new Big 12 member, a transition that was difficult for each of their fellow Group of 5 newcomers. .

Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers offense are averaging 18.3 points in Big Ten games. (Dylan Widger/Imagn Images)

Sherman: Rhule’s strengths as CEO and organizer seem to fit well with the areas where Holgorsen struggled. If his time at Nebraska extends beyond this month, how would Holgorsen fit in with Rhule schematically?

Khan: It’s definitely a departure from the style of offense I associate with Rhule, whose teams often identify as tough and tough. Holgorsen has traditionally thrown more than Rhule’s teams, although as head coach Holgorsen joked that Leach kicked him out of the Air Raid club because Holgorsen started running the ball more.

Holgorsen, like many other Air Raid disciples, abandoned the consistent breakneck pace as the defense adjusted to defending the rushing no-huddle. He still put his foot on the pedal when it made sense. His offenses in Houston averaged 27.7 seconds of possession per game from 2019 to 2023, compared to 30.5 seconds for Nebraska under Satterfield, according to TruMedia. The Cougars also played four more times per game than Nebraska during the same periods (68.1 to 64).

So Nebraska would likely move at a faster pace with Holgorsen as OC.

Overall, his teams still threw the ball more than Nebraska. According to TruMedia, the Huskers have averaged 26.5 passing attempts and 37.6 rushing attempts per game since Rhule’s arrival. In Houston, Holgorsen averaged 34.5 rush attempts and 33.5 pass attempts in five seasons, but was more run-heavy early in his tenure.

Holgorsen’s team also threw it downfield more often, averaging 8.1 pass attempts of 15 or more air yards per game, compared to Nebraska’s 6.6.

The biggest difference? The use of 10 personnel (one running back, four receivers). Since the start of last season, Nebraska has used it on just 2.7 percent of snaps, while Holgorsen has used it on 19 percent of Houston’s offensive plays, according to TruMedia.

Conversely, Nebraska has used 12 men (one back, two receivers) in 26 percent of games since the start of last season, compared to Holgorsen’s 16.2 percent in five years with Houston. But it’s easier to make ends meet at a Big Ten school than it was in Houston during Holgorsen’s day, so maybe the drop-off won’t look so stark.

Sherman: Regardless of his coordinator, Rhule believes he will lean more on the run in 2025. The Huskers’ inability to control games with a rushing attack has frustrated the coach. So a Holgorsen offense at Nebraska would probably look more like some of his early Houston teams.

What are Holgorsen’s strengths as an attacking mind?

Khan: When he focuses on game planning, Holgorsen is still one of the better game goers out there.

He is adept at playing to his team’s strengths and taking what a defense throws at him. A perfect example came last season in Houston’s near-upset Texas. The Longhorns had two of the best defensive tackles in the country: eventual NFL Draft picks T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. Instead of taking a stubborn approach, Holgorsen didn’t even try to establish a run game. Houston threw the ball 46 times and attacked a broken Texas secondary with speedy receivers. Only twelve times was the ball passed to a running back.

Holgorsen is at the forefront of trends, from up-tempo to the RPO system. He often found creative ways to run. He added nice wrinkles to Air Raid staples to attack defenses. If he is not given too many tasks as head coach, I have no doubt that he would continue to evolve and achieve success. He still enjoys calling plays and coaching the ball.

Sherman: That’s intriguing from a Nebraska perspective. The Huskers wanted to use the RPO play with Raiola this year, but it didn’t work out. And even if Satterfield largely knew what an opponent would throw at Nebraska, his play calling and the Huskers’ execution seemed off balance.

For example, when Big Ten teams scouted Nebraska, many tried to emulate the success of Illinois and Rutgers and put pressure on Raiola. And yet Nebraska seemed unprepared for the heat. How has Holgorsen’s offensive system evolved?

Khan: He has become less aggressive in using up-tempo play. Most teams escaped because the pace put a defense in a difficult spot after quick offensive possession.

Holgorsen generally used tight ends more over time, topping 20 percent with two on the field at a time in 2021 and 2022.

And the quarterback run game became more common. At West Virginia, Holgorsen mostly went with pocket passers, although he did use QB Skyler Howard as a rusher. In Houston, Clayton Tune was a staple of the Cougars’ rushing attack, with 1,197 rushing yards and 144 touchdowns in four seasons under Holgorsen.

Sherman: That he has a history with pocket passers and mobile quarterbacks makes him a candidate to fit with Rhule. Rhule’s teams have played both. Raiola seemed to want to perform more in the past two games. His mobility and instincts in the pocket are strong, but he would prefer to remain a distributor.

Holgorsen’s history and his success with quarterbacks like Graham Harrell and Case Keenum, albeit in a system the coach would adapt for the Big Ten, could appeal to Raiola. And make no mistake: that is important.

(Top photo: Maria Lysaker / Imagn Images)