Matt Rhule explains decision on failed 4th and 1 late in first quarter vs. Michigan

Down 14 points to Michigan late in the first quarter on Saturday, Matt Rhule and Nebraska opted to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Wolverines 12-yard line. Heinrich Haarberg tried to take it himself out of the shotgun formation, but the Michigan defense held strong to get the stop.

It was an aggressive decision for Rhule, who explained the decision after the quarter with FOX Sports’ Allison Williams.

“We’re playing to win,” Rhule said. “We want to run the football, we thought we put the ball on our best player’s hands. … We’re gonna play to win. Obviously, they got off to an early lead with it. Trying to settle down a little bit. Put a good drive together, wanted to go ahead, 4th and 1. We’re gonna go for 4th and 1s and see what happens.”

Michigan then turned around and went down the field for a nine-play, 88-yard touchdown drive to make it a 21-0 lead. J.J. McCarthy kept it for a 21-yard touchdown run to extend the Wolverines’ advantage to start the second quarter.

Heinrich Haarberg to the start for Nebraska against Michigan

Nebraska entered the game with a question mark at quarterback. Matt Rhule said this week he’d determine the starting quarterback based on practice performance, and ultimately went with Haarberg over Chubba Purdy and a banged-up Jeff Sims. Haarberg started the last two games for the Cornhuskers — back-to-back victories over Louisiana Tech and Northern Illinois — and got the opportunity to start under center against Michigan.

Haarberg has gone 24-of-47 passing for 278 yards with four touchdowns in the air and no interceptions this season. He has also been a significant rushing threat, leading Nebraska with 272 rushing yards to go with two touchdowns on the ground.

When it came down to picking a starter for this week’s game against Michigan, Rhule said it all came down to practice performance and how that can translate to the field on game day.

“I play the guy I think gives us the best chance to win,” Rhule said. “It’s unique in that I have a guy that was the starter that couldn’t finish the game, really. And then, I had another guy that was the starter this past game that couldn’t finish the game. So I had two quarterbacks that couldn’t finish the game. So for me to sit up here on a Monday and say, ‘This is what’s happening,’ this isn’t, like, gamesmanship. Both guys do the same thing, really.”