Matt Rhule readies Nebraska for a team built to ‘bleed’ a defense

“It got pretty loud in there and I just didn’t want any penalties,” Raiola said Saturday. So he switched to a silent count, threw a touchdown to Jahmal Banks and got the Huskers rolling toward their 28-10 win.

Such delicate checks are “rare” for true freshmen, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said Monday, but the Huskers have prepared Raiola, completing 70% of his passes, to do “really, really, really high-level stuff.”

NU needs all of Raiola’s red zone acumen for its next Big Ten test.

Undefeated Rutgers (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) rolls into town Saturday afternoon capable of giving the Huskers fits in all the areas where they tend to struggle.

“They make you earn it,” Rhule said.

* Nebraska’s defense struggles to get off the field on third down. Rutgers ranks 17th nationally with a 51% third-down conversion rate.

* NU’s field goal unit has missed 5 of 9 kicks this season. RU has made blocking kicks a specialty under coach Greg Schiano, a former Penn State assistant at the same time Rhule played for the Nittany Lions.

* The Huskers’ red zone offense has converted just 59.09% of its trips inside their opponents’ 20-yard line into touchdowns, which ranks 13th in the Big Ten and 88th nationally. Rutgers’ defense has allowed just 36.36% of opponents’ red zone trips to become touchdowns.

Stingy, bend-don’t-break defense is how the Scarlet Knights beat Washington 21-18 despite allowing 521 yards and 7.89 yards per play. In five trips inside RU’s 20, the Huskies scored just twice, and just one touchdown.

Nebraska (4-1, 1-1) had four trips inside Purdue’s 20 and scored twice in the second half — Raiola’s toss to Banks and a key fourth-and-goal touchdown run from Dante Dowdell.

“Washington had a bunch of yards but they were 1-for-5 on touchdowns in the red zone,” Rhule said. “So even one of the touchdowns we scored (at Purdue) we had to get it to fourth-and-inches. So, yes, while we’re throwing the ball around decently, can we get the tough yards?

“Can we get the fourth-and-1, can we get the fourth-and-2, can we get the third-and-1, without everything having to be a speed sweep? Can we line up and knock you back to get that yard?”

Next question: Can Nebraska stop Rutgers from getting that yard?

The Scarlet Knights lead the Big Ten in time of possession — nearly 34 minutes, 28 seconds ahead of Iowa — and, not surprisingly, rushing attempts per game at 43.75, almost 10 more than the Huskers.

The majority of Rutgers’ carries go to back Kyle Monangai, whom Rhule described as “The Matrix.” At 5-foot-9, 209 pounds, Monangai rarely receives a clean hit from a defender and breaks tackles at ease.

“Nothing ever hits him,” Rhule said.

RU will try to add a chapter to the book Illinois started earlier this year in its 31-24 overtime win over Nebraska. The Illini was so effective with its offensive game plan of power runs and play-action passes that Rhule heard defensive coaches say Purdue had gone to “the Illinois plan” during Saturday’s game.

“You’re seeing other people now slow the game down, run the ball, bleed our defense, try to keep us off the field,” Rhule said.

NU’s defense responded so well to the Boilermakers’ gambit that PU’s offensive coordinator, Graham Harrell, got fired on Sunday.

Nebraska’s own offense has been more explosive than Rhule expected, thanks to Raiola — who leads the nation’s freshmen quarterbacks with 1,224 passing yards — delivering on-time passes to a variety of big-bodied receivers who can make plays in traffic and draw defensive pass interference penalties. NU has 23 plays of 20 or more yards.

Rutgers’ defense has allowed just 11 such plays. The Scarlet Knights allow nicks to their armor without getting gashed, forcing opponents to execute again and again in key situations.

The Huskers have at times been pinpoint in their execution — see Raiola’s touchdown pass to Banks — and slipshod, such as the two false start penalties deep in Purdue territory.

In a game full of “tough, hard yards,” Nebraska can’t afford to have an off Saturday.

“As I told our guys,” Rhule said, “it’s time for grown-man football. Enough of this ‘I thought I heard them clap.’”