Jeff Sims 'looks good,' Nebraska could use both quarterbacks vs. Michigan, Matt Rhule says

The Nebraska Cornhuskers might have a situation brewing at quarterback ahead of Week 5 of the college football season. Jeff Sims, their quarterback to start the season, has been out the last two games following an injury he suffered against Colorado. But as they prepare for Saturday’s matchup against Michigan, Sims is likely to make his return to the field against the Wolverines.

With the return of Sims, where does that leave the Nebraska starter for the past two weeks, Heinrich Haarburg? Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule envisions a situation this Saturday in which Nebraska could use both quarterbacks.

“Both guys have practiced all week,” said Rhule. “I wouldn’t say Jeff is 100 percent. He looks good in terms of movement and sliding in the pocket. Heinrich has looked good. How much can he completely open up all those things? I don’t think we’ll know until game time. But there’s been no restrictions on him.

“So they’re both trying to get ready; (we have) practice tomorrow. We’ll be ready to use either one of them or both of them as needed.”

In Sims’ absence, Nebraska has found some offensive consistency. The Cornhuskers are 2-0 in their last two games against Louisiana Tech and Northern Illinois. Nebraska’s offense is averaging nearly 32 points a game in their previous two contest, and Haarberg’s ability to protect the football has been tremendous during that time.

Haarberg’s numbers under center are superior to Sims in a head-to-head comparison. The sophomore from Kearney, Nebraska, has more total yards and touchdowns passing and rushing, and has committed fewer turnovers on the season compared to Sims. However, it should also be noted that Haarberg’s two starts were against Group of 5 opponents. In contrast, Sims faced off against two Power 5 schools. One of which was ranked in the AP Top 25 and the other a Big Ten rival.

Regardless of which quarterback gets the start on Saturday, the Cornhuskers will have their hands full as they attempt to take down the No. 2 team in the nation, Michigan. The Wolverines’ defense has been anything but generous this season, allowing just two touchdowns in their first four games. No team that has faced Michigan this season has scored more than seven points. Still, Nebraska is looking to change all that on Saturday afternoon when they host Michigan at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

You can catch all of the action on Fox Sports. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 PM CT, September 30.