Matt Rhule feels for players amid 5-4 start: 'We had one game where the team scouted us'

Nebraska fell to a 5-4 record on the season in the midst of their first year under head coach Matt Rhule after suffering from a close 20-17 loss on the road to Michigan State on Saturday.

Saturday marked yet another close call for the Cornhuskers, highlighted by a controversial touchdown call that gave Michigan State the lead they needed in the fourth quarter to secure the win. A similar instance happened in Week 1 to the Cornhuskers in there 13-10 loss to Minnesota, which Rhule addressed recently in a press conference along with some interesting comments alluding to Michigan‘s current sign-stealing investigation.

“I feel bad for our players, so we’re sitting at 5-4, we own 5-4,” Rhule said.” But we had one game where the team scouted us, we’ve had two games where replay was wrong. I mean that’s tough to swallow.”

“But you know what, we are where we are, and the issues about giving up sacks and turning the ball over, those are the main issues that we’re gonna work on controlling,” Rhule added. “But you guys did ask me about that and I did want to answer that.”

Michigan State receiver Montorie Foster caught a 25-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter on Saturday that served as the game-winner, which was reviewed and upheld as a touchdown despite the ball appearing to move upon contact with the ground, which FOX rules analyst Dean Blandino believed should have been called incomplete.

And in Nebraska’s three-point loss in Week 1 to Minnesota, Cornhuskers’ running back Gabe Ervin extended for the goal line on a four-yard run that could have very well been called a touchdown but was not, with an interception being thrown on the very next play leaving Nebraska with zero points after reaching the one-yard line.

“I’m just saying I feel for our players right? At the end of the day, they’re out there battling trying to get to bowl eligibility right?” Rhule asked. “We’re sitting there with a 5-4 record, you have a touchdown taken away from us at Minnesota, you have a touchdown added at this game. And let me just say this, I called Harlon Barnett on Saturday night, I called him. And I texted back and forth with him on Sunday morning, I don’t want to do anything to diminish Minnesota or him.”

Rhule’s comments regarding the specific scoring scenarios in the Michigan State and Minnesota games were clear, but he was asked to clarify his comments regarding being scouting and if they relate to Michigan’s sign-stealing accusations.

“I’m just saying for our guys, I gotta sit up in the front of the room and they’re watching ESPN, and they’re watching people talk, they’re watching Ryan Walters speak some facts as they’re getting ready. And they’re like what do you think coach? And so my number one job is to advocate for these guys and push these guys to be great,” Rhule said. “I do want to say that this is kind of, I don’t know the right words, kind of crappy right? It’s also good for out guys to learn, like hey you know what, no one cares, no one feels sorry for us. Those plays happen in this game last week and you know what, they didn’t change the score and the other thing happened and it is what it is. We just gotta control what we can control.”

Nebraska fell to Michigan in a 45-7 loss at the end of September prior to reports surfacing about the Wolverines stealing signs. But that hasn’t stopped the topic from being relevant for Rhule and the rest of the Big Ten’s coaches as more and more information seems to be released weekly surrounding the investigation.

The Cornhuskers will continue to fight for bowl eligibility this Saturday as they face Maryland, and at the same time, the college football landscape will continue waiting for more information surrounding the Wolverines’ sign-stealing accusations and potential punishment in the future.