Matt Rhule views Michigan as 'blueprint' for how to build at Nebraska, talks Jim Harbaugh, 'excellent' Wolverines

There are people who say they’re tough, and then there are those who don’t have to say it because it’s obvious. No. 2 Michigan Wolverines football has been in the latter category most of head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure, a hard-nosed, physical team that wins a lot of games.

The Maize and Blue are back-to-back defending Big Ten champions. Their next opponent, Nebraska, in contrast, is looking to build under first-year head coach Matt Rhule after several down seasons. The Cornhuskers are in the beginning stages, viewing teams like Michigan as what they want to become one day.

“Everything,” Rhule said when asked how similar his approach to building his program is to what Michigan does. “You think about when Coach Harbaugh first came in, he was taking over — and I can’t remember if it was one or two coaches, and I don’t ever want to be disrespectful — but a couple years of not being a great program after being a great program.

“And he recruited. I worked one of his camps when I was the head coach of Temple. You guys probably don’t remember, but he was the guy who started the satellite camps. It was a big controversy at the time. He was the first one to go at 12:01 [a.m.] to someone’s house in recruiting. So, I did that; I didn’t like doing it, but I did it because he was doing it.

“He’s had a real impact on the game. Sometimes, I’ll have recruits say to me like, ‘Well, Coach, are we going to be good? Should I go to Michigan?’ Well, he did it, so that’s what we’re doing.

“His blueprint for building that program for the way that they play, a lot of those things are similar. Obviously, we want to have a little bit of an option element at times, too, so there are differences. But the overarching blueprint for being great on the O- and D-lines, having good quarterback play, being physical, [having] a tight end, all of those things, that’s what we’re doing.”

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Nebraska has had mixed results through four games of the Rhule era, but there are certain characteristics that stand out about his 2-2 team. The Cornhuskers have been able to run the football, ranking sixth nationally with 234.8 yards per game, and stop the run, checking in second by allowing only 46.6 yards per contest and 1.8 yards per carry. Michigan also prides itself on the run game on each side of the ball, of course, riding its strengths to two consecutive College Football Playoff berths in 2021 and 2022.

“Excited to get ready to play Michigan, play a Big Ten team at home,” Rhule noted. “Excellent team, No. 2 team in the country for a reason. Great opportunity for us, experience for us.”

Michigan has a strong run game this season, led by senior running back Blake Corum, who’s punched in 8 touchdowns so far this season. Rhule knows his club will have to rise to the occasion to slow it down Saturday afternoon in Lincoln.

“This is a team that’s going to come in that’s trying to prove a point on the ground against you and run the ball at you, so guys have to be up for the challenge,” Rhule explained.

“Corum’s an excellent player. He’s got elite burst, vision, lateral quickness. He’s tough to tackle. I think a lot of people make the mistake, you try to tackle him low, you bounce off his legs. He possesses a lot of traits that make him hard to tackle and hard to defend.”

Michigan’s passing game has also stood out to Rhule, who complimented junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy‘s level of play. McCarthy has completed 71 of his 89 passes for a 79.8 completion percentage that leads the nation with 915 yards and 8 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. He’s also rushed 14 times for 86 yards, 51 of which came in the Big Ten opener against Rutgers last weekend.

“They have a great passing game,” Rhule said. “He’s got tremendous protection, so he’s got time, and he operates on time. He knows where to go with the football. You play man against him, he goes to the route they think, that they designed to beat man. He attacks coverages.

“He’s excellent with his feet, too. He’s a dual-threat quarterback that plays as a pro-style quarterback, but when he needs to he can run. And he’s got poise. The game is never too big for him. 

“I’ve watched a lot of tape on them. I’ve watched them last year, I’ve watched them this year. They’ve beaten two 3-1 teams — two teams that are undefeated other than playing them — and they’ve beaten them pretty soundly. He’s played against good competition. He’s just good at everything he does.”

Run-heavy Nebraska offense will face its toughest test

Defensively, Michigan has held three of its four opponents to less than 80 yards rushing, and East Carolina to only 103 yards on the ground. Nebraska and its option offense have averaged 42.5 rush attempts per game, second in the Big Ten and 17th in the sport, and recorded 5.5 yards per carry. The Cornhuskers will face a different kind of challenge Saturday.

“Michigan’s as good a team up front in terms of their defensive line, in terms of getting off blocks,” Rhule said. “They’re not trying to really fool you necessarily. I mean, they will pressure you. But they are as good a team in terms of playing with their hands, and you think you have a window and they get off [their block]. You have to be content with two- and three- and four-yard runs. And you have to get your backs to run hard. There aren’t going to be gaping holes against Michigan. It’s just not going to happen. It’s going to be kind of that type of a game.”