Matt Rhule’s missteps and deflections are dragging Nebraska down as he continues to blame everyone but himself. The latest is a baffling claim that Michigan — and sign-stealing savant Connor Stalions — injured a player that was denied an extra year by the NCAA:
As the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight came to an end, fans were disappointed. Aside from the incessant Netflix buffering issues, the fight was dull and featured a withered performance from a former giant. Tyson — who is 30+ years past his prime — will sadly only be remembered for one thing from Saturday: the quasi-unintentional shot of his backside in the pre-fight locker room interview.
It was a sad look for the heavyweight who was on top of the world in the 80s and 90s, similar to Nebraska football. Last Saturday marked the Cornhuskers’ fourth straight loss to drop them to 5-5. However, most will remember the last few days more for head coach Matt Rhule showing his ass than his team’s most recent defeat.
At his weekly press conference, Rhule was asked about the NCAA’s decision to decline an extra year of eligibility for his standout safety, Deshon Singleton. Rhule had argued the injury Singleton suffered in Week 5 against the Michigan Wolverines in 2023 would eventually not count, alluding to the sign-stealing allegations.
“Obviously everything that happened against Michigan last year seems like there’s some cloak of, you know, whatever,” Rhule said. “(Deshon Singleton) got cracked on a run play. Did they know it was a run play? Is that game gonna count in a couple years? I thought he shouldn’t get penalized for one play in a game that’s, in my mind, is not even a real game. But the NCAA disagreed.”
Wow. What was the point of this? To simply vent? To create a pathetic pathos for his team? To deflect blame?
Perhaps Singleton wouldn’t be worried about another year of eligibility if Rhule and his team had not spiraled after starting the season 5-1. Maybe Singleton would be champing at the bit to go to the next level if Rhule’s offense hadn’t collapsed to the point of dragging Dana Holgorsen off the street on a one-month contract to save his decomposing offense.
Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen will receive $66,667 in salary for the month of November, I’m told.
— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) November 15, 2024
Going a step further, what play was Rhule referencing that was so egregiously influenced by the notorious mastermind Connor Stalions?
The Wolverines come out in 11-personnel with tight end Colston Loveland flexed out into the boundary. Nebraska counters with a 3-2 Cover 4 variation with a weightless box of five defenders.
Michigan draws up an OT counter-read play. The field-side guard and tackle (Zak Zinter and Karsen Barnhart) are going to pull, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy is going to read the field-side edge defender. If the edge waits to defend, McCarthy will give the ball to running back Blake Corum on the counter play. If the edge overreacts to the pullers and explodes in pursuit of the running back, McCarthy will pull the ball and attack the vacated field-side perimeter himself.
The edge collapses in pursuit of Corum, which results in McCarthy pulling the ball and picking up the first down. Now, go back to the video and watch the safety nearest the boundary-side “40” on the 40-yard line. That is Deshon Singleton.
Reading counter, Singleton rockets downhill to make a play. In fact, he reacts so quickly that Loveland cannot even reach him on the crack block. Instead, he launches full gas into Barnhart, who easily displaces him. Unfortunately, Singleton fell over a diving Nebraska defender (the collapsing edge) and injured his knee resulting in missing the rest of the season.
Now, remember this not just an unfortunate football play. This is all Stalions’ fault. Stalions stole Nebraska’s signs and that is the only reason Michigan chose to run the ball against a five-man box. It is Stalions’ fault that McCarthy correctly read the collapsing edge and pulled the ball. Stalions is the only one to blame for Loveland missing the crack block resulting in Singleton being swatted like a fly in Barnhart’s way. And it is obviously Stalions’ fault the edge defender was lying on the ground as Singleton was blocked.
It’s probably Stalions’ fault Rhule was fired from the Panthers at this point.
As the pressure mounts on Rhule, he will turn to anything to deflect blame or accountability from his shortcomings as a head coach. However, if he is going to lead the Cornhuskers to their first bowl appearance since the Obama administration, it is time for Rhule to cover up and put on his big boy pants.
Unless Stalions stole those, too.