Seven minutes from 7-0.
That was SMQ's assessment after Nebraska’s 17-14 loss at Oregon, and it pretty much wrecked any chance of a calm postgame discussion.
George briefly considered withholding his name from the podcast. Bob wanted Dana Holgorsen taking the bus home. Jay tried to offer some optimism.
Tough room.
Nebraska had Indiana down 17-6 in the fourth quarter. A week later, the Huskers entered the fourth quarter at Oregon leading 14-6. These weren’t games where Nebraska needed a miracle. The players had already put the team in position to win. They just needed to finish.
Then the coaches went haywire. Oregon seemed to be waiting for Nebraska to mess up. Nebraska obliged.
Against Indiana, Nebraska moved away from the running game and underneath throws that helped build its lead. Against Oregon, the Huskers again abandoned the run in the fourth quarter, asking an offensive line struggling in protection to hold up while passing plays developed.
The running game hadn’t been great. Nobody was confusing this with 1995. But protecting a lead requires some commitment to making first downs, working the clock and keeping your defense off the field. Nebraska increasingly looked like they were 20 points behind rather than one protecting an eight-point advantage.
Find Luke Lindenmeyer? No. Throw to the backs? No. Long-developing plays that cause the QB headaches? MORE PLEASE.
Five yards is fine! Stack a few together and they even let you keep possession.
Instead, the offense looked frantic, the defense kept going back out, and Oregon kept getting chances. For all the talk about having an offensive genius as a coordinator, Nebraska couldn’t find enough ordinary, useful football to finish the game.
The Blackshirts deserved more help. That said, they're not entirely blameless. Once Oregon switched to Raiola, Nebraska didn't adjust. Nebraska knows Dylan Raiola can pick through coverage when he has time. Nebraska also knows his feet aren’t likely to frighten anybody. Yet...not one blitz.
SMQ wanted more pressure. Make him move. Letting him get comfortable seemed like an unnecessarily generous reunion gift.
Special teams had a hiccup - a bad punt snap, the knee on the ground and a costly short field.
That’s how seven minutes from 7-0 becomes 5-2.
Bob wants a new offensive coordinator. Matt Rhule owns the decision to keep trusting this one—and the responsibility for turning fourth-quarter leads into wins.
Jay is right that there’s still plenty to play for. But these were two opportunities to deliver something Nebraska fans have spent years waiting to see.
The players got them close enough. The coaching needed to get them home.
Go Big Red. For the entire game, please.
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