Matt Rhule knew something had to change. Through his first 21 games as Nebraska’s head coach, the Huskers’ offense failed to impress, falling well short of the massive hype generated by the signing of five-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Scrutiny of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield hit a fever pitch after his unit produced just two touchdowns over a two-game stretch — a 49-point blowout loss to Indiana and a four-point heartbreaker to Ohio State.
Rhule called on trusted friend and offensive mastermind Dana Holgorsen. Brought on as a consultant with three games left in the regular season, Holgorsen quickly ascended to offensive coordinator — the role Satterfield had held since Rhule’s arrival in 2023.
No longer dealing with the daily pressure that comes with being a head coach — which took its toll during stints at West Virginia and Houston — Holgorsen embraced a return to his roots: an all-offense, all-the-time mentality. His presence generated intrigue over the final four games and immediately impacted Raiola’s performance.
Holgorsen’s promotion is one of several staff changes Rhule made this offseason. Without question, the Huskers’ offensive output — and specifically Raiola’s performance — will be the measuring stick in a top-heavy Big Ten, where the Huskers are a +3900 bet to win the league, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“I think each (coach) is a different story,” Rhule said this spring. “Dana is someone I had history with. I knew it would be a good fit with me because of the time I spent with him. Especially when I went to the NFL we spent a lot of time together because he was a head coach at the time at Houston. So that was a great connection. So that one was easy in terms of, ‘Hey, I know we’ll fit.'”
What Holgorsen brings to Huskers’ offense
Over the past decade-plus, Holgorsen has modified his Air Raid scheme to focus on balance — a diversion from the pass-heavy approach he took early in his career. Holgorsen has served as an offensive coordinator four times: at Texas Tech in 2007 under Mike Leach, at Houston from 2008–09 with Kevin Sumlin and at Oklahoma State in 2010 under Mike Gundy.
In all four of those consecutive seasons, Holgorsen’s offenses ranked in the top three nationally in both total yards and passing yards per game — an unprecedented stretch for a playcaller across three major programs.
College football has changed since then — and Nebraska has a long way to go to replicate that level of firepower — but with Raiola’s talent and several key additions from the transfer portal, the potential is there.
“He understands that component of being the starting quarterback,” Holgorsen told The Athletic in June. “I’ve been very impressed with how he’s attacked this summer. I think it’s awesome. I see a different side to him now than I did when I got here.”
Nebraska led the Power Four in turnovers during the 2023 season. Satterfield failed to turn water to wine with Jeff Sims, Chubba Purdy and Heinrich Haarberg under center along with a weakened rushing attack. While the Huskers got to bowl eligibility last season, offensive production failed to meet Rhule’s expectations and Raiola’s development was hampered by an over reliance on screen passes and quick routes in the passing game.
A year after Nebraska’s offense finished with its lowest output in a decade, the Huskers managed just 5.29 yards per play in 2024. By season’s end, Nebraska ranked 103rd nationally in scoring offense (23.5 points per game) and 94th in total offense (359 yards per game), leading some to question Raiola’s future before he reaffirmed his commitment to the program before Christmas.
Holgorsen told The Athletic he will the first week of camp in August to install Nebraska’s updated scheme, using film study from the spring to tweak the Huskers’ attack.
Looking over West Virginia’s offense over the last few years, Holgorsen used bunch formations and variations of three- and four-wide receiver sets with the Mountaineers. Jacory Barney, Nyziah Hunter and Kentucky transfer Dane Key project as Nebraska’s top options in a wideout room that is objectively upgraded from last season.
The talented trio should help alleviate one of the receiver room’s biggest problems a year ago — creating separation and space from defenders after the snap.
While the Mountaineers hit the transfer portal to to replenish their receiver talent, they stood firm on their running back room. The Huskers could deploy some two-back looks with Emmett Johnson and Kwinten Ives.
During his last season at West Virginia, Holgorsen utilized CJ Donaldson — who’s now at Ohio State — and Jaheim White as a one-two backfield punch, with quarterback Garrett Greene also representing a run threat. Huskers fans aren’t going to see that out of Raiola, a traditional pocket passer who must get faster with his reads.
“I expect you’ll see the ball come out quicker now after he had a year to take some lessons from the college game,” Husker247 analyst Brian Christopherson told CBS Sports this week. “Honestly, we already started to see that the last month (of the 2024 season) after a tough October. You’d assume an improvement in the explosiveness department too. Nebraska had just 10 pass plays of 30 yards or more last season, which ranked 124th. I suspect you’ll see that number make a climb, especially if Nebraska can early on show a better rhythm in the short-to-intermediate passing game that defenses have to respect.”
Raiola must deliver in key moments
You’re not going to find the Huskers ranked in any preseason polls, but they’re hovering just outside several summer top 25s basedon last season’s finish and the talent returning. Raiola’s upside is a big part of that optimism. He flashed his massive talent early last season before reality set in against stiff Big Ten competition.
He threw four interceptions without a touchdown pass in losses to playoff-bound Indiana and Ohio State, then couldn’t come up with decisive drives in the second half of setbacks against UCLA and USC. In all, five of the Huskers’ six losses with Raiola at quarterback came by a single possession.
Nebraska squandered a 10-point halftime lead during a loss at Iowa and failed to find the end zone in the second half of a 27-20 setback to UCLA as well. The Huskers’ defense kept the team from taking on more water late and ultimately pushed the program to its first bowl game win since 2015.
But the Huskers didn’t hire Rhule to stack up Pinstripe Bowl victories. They brought in the accomplished coach to return the program to the top level of college football. To do that, Holgerson and Raiola will have to be on the same page and turn some of last year’s flashes into consistent success.
Luckily Nebraska fans won’t have to wait long to see how that relationship has progressed. A season opening clash against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Aug. 28 will provide a stiff test ahead of a Big Ten clash with Michigan a few weeks later.
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