As Nebraska’s head coach search rolls into its eighth week, the team will pick up the pieces from its 26-9 loss at the hands of Illinois, the Big Ten West leaders.
The chances of NU winning the division are likely gone now. And, while this may not be a popular opinion, so too are Mickey Joseph’s chances to get the big job on a full-time basis.
Depending on who you talk to, this was potentially a win-and-you’re-in scenario for the interim head coach. Had Mickey pulled off the upset – which would have been Nebraska’s first victory over a ranked team in 20 tries – he would have at least strengthened his argument.
Alas, the Illini rendered that scenario moot by dominating a majority of the game.
Outside of a couple plays schemed up for Husker tight ends Travis Vokolek and Chance Brewington, the offense didn’t get much done.
Brewington’s 45-yard catch and run set up Timmy Bleekrode’s lone field goal. Vokolek’s 56-yard touchdown grab along the sideline was the one time NU found the end zone. Outside of those two explosive plays, NU managed only 60 yards rushing and 87 yards passing. Those were also the only Big Red points scored.
Running back Anthony Grant gained 41 yards on two plays on Nebraska’s first drive, but just 47 total yards after that.
Illinois forced four turnovers to Nebraska’s one. The Illini converted 7-of-15 third downs while holding the Huskers to a meager 2-for-12.
While Illinois running back Chase Brown was toting it 32 times for 149 yards, quarterback Tommy DeVito was the picture of efficiency, completing 20-of-22 passes for 179 yards and two scores. Brown also caught a TD and DeVito tacked on 37 net rushing yards on six carries.
It was a thorough beating. But, for a fleeting moment inside Memorial Stadium, the game was up for grabs.
After an inexplicable sequence moved Illinois back from the NU 22 to out of field goal range, Thompson and Vokolek put the Huskers on top 9-6. Nebraska’s defense then forced a 3-and-out.
A Nebraska score here would’ve proved the Mickey mojo was real, right? And boy was Rahmir Johnson open on a wheel route. But quarterback Casey Thompson’s pass was a bit behind Johnson – who still should have caught it – and it bounced off of his hip and landed on the turf.
Two plays later, Thompson was crushed, intercepted and knocked out of the game with an injury that caused him to lose feeling in his fingers. Two plays after that, touchdown Illini.
With Logan Smothers and Chubba Purdy in at QB after Thompson’s injury, Nebraska gained just 36 yards in two-plus quarters.
Now, Illinois has allowed just 17 points in the second half this season, best in the nation. Even if Thompson had not been knocked out of the game, Nebraska probably still would have struggled to score after halftime.
Mickey Joseph, now 2-3 at the helm with losses to Oklahoma, Purdue and Illinois, is not all to blame for what transpired Saturday. This was Scott Frost’s program for over four seasons, after all. Joseph did not hire Mark Whipple, was not in Lincoln as the Huskers recruited their current roster, and should not be held responsible for their lack of accountability that was fostered under Frost.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for Mickey in terms of proving to Athletic Director Trev Alberts that he should have “interim” removed from his office door. And it should be that way. He’s never led a Division I football program, which should rate quite high on Trev’s list of priorities for a new coach.
In order for Mickey to win this gig, he was going to need to do something outrageous, like make a bowl game with this group of players and a coaching staff slapped together in a wild off-season.
He may still accomplish that feat. There are four games to go with a 3-5 record. But even if he does, hiring him would be the hire of passion, of getting wrapped up in the moment.
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That’s not Trev Alberts’ style.
In his time leading Omaha’s athletic department, Trev made the difficult decision to cut the football and wrestling programs. He took the university to Division I. He hired a national title-winning hockey coach in Dean Blais, who took them to the Frozen Four.
Trev Alberts doesn’t do passionate; he does pros-and-cons lists, thoughtful consideration, detailed evaluations and calculated action.
He has talked about how NU needs to become the premier development program in the country. He sees what has become of the program, and I’m sure he’s noticed how rough it looks on both lines of scrimmage. Having been an All-America defensive end, he knows what it should look like up front.
Nebraska fans pining for the good ol’ days don’t really want the fullback or the option back. (OK, some might.) What they actually want is the success Nebraska enjoyed when the fullback and the option were featured.
NU didn’t win three national championships in the 1990s because they ran the option, they won because they kicked ass up front on both sides of the ball. They won because the offensive and defensive lines did their thing so well it didn’t matter what the opponent tried.
While the fullback and the option are likely not coming back to Lincoln, an identity and recruiting and developing to that identity certainly can … with the right coach.
Which brings us back to Mickey Joseph and why Trev Alberts should hire someone else.
Look, I think Mickey has done an admirable job with what he was handed. That being said, Nebraska’s priority should be to find the guy who best recruits, develops and coaches, particularly offensive and defensive linemen.
Mickey has a proven track record as a recruiter, having landed big-time skill position talent in his time as an assistant coach. He would be a tremendous asset in that role to the next head coach, and I would love to see him stay on for 2023 and beyond.
But the fact that he doesn’t have that type of head coaching experience is the deciding factor. Nebraska’s loss to Illinois on Saturday afternoon sealed that for me. Why? Because 2022 Illinois is the program almost every Nebraska fan thinks they cheer for. They’re who Nebraska fans see themselves as, and could be again. They force turnovers. They get better as the game goes on. Most of all, they dominate up front. Most of all, they’re winning games.
Earlier this year, I said Nebraska’s current peers are not Wisconsin and Iowa, but Illinois and Purdue. In recent history, that’s still true, but the Illini have accelerated their turnaround by hiring the right guy who’s done it before.
If Nebraska misses on this hire, they’ll cede more ground in the pecking order. As we’ve seen, it’s easy to lose ground and hard to make it back to the top.
Illinois is doing things with Bret Bielema that Nebraska fans assumed they’d see with Scott Frost.
The good news is Bielema is an example of the right head coach hire leading a quicker-than-expected turnaround.
That guy is out there for the Huskers. He’s just not on the football staff today.
So the search goes on.
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