'It's a War for Consistency': Matt Rhule Previews Nebraska's Matchup with Washington

Nebraska is looking to bounce back after suffering consecutive losses to quality opponents.

However, that's easier said than done with five Big Ten games remaining in 2026. Though some programs are more consistent than others, Matt Rhule knows any team is capable of winning on any given night.

During his Monday media availability, Nebraska's head coach touched on that very point while reflecting on the loss to Oregon and sharing the message he delivered to his team ahead of the Huskers' home matchup with Washington Saturday night.

Nebraska's bye week came at a fortunate time, considering how the Huskers' last two games ended. The Big Red were beaten down physically and emotionally after consecutive three-point losses that saw starters on both sides of the ball go down with injuries.

Even so, a week of rest should've helped Nebraska regroup. In a college football season that seems to have featured more parity than ever, Rhule believes the Huskers can get back on track if they find a way to become more consistent.

“I’m not surprised at all,” said Rhule regarding a week of college football that saw several Top 10 teams lose. “The biggest travesty right now is the preseason Top 25. I mean, if that were the stock market right now, would you put your money in it? It’s just because of the (lack of) depth.”

“It’s a war for consistency,” he continued. “In these two leagues (the SEC and Big Ten), there’s tremendous parity at the top. No games are easy, and you have to show up every game… You better be ready for war, man. You better be ready to not just fight, but fight and find a way to win. That’s the place that we’re at right now. We’re trying to find a way to win those winning moments, win the fourth quarter to win a big football game.”

Rhule also shared that he delivered the same message to recruits while Nebraska's staff hit the road during the bye week. Based on those conversations, he believes the Huskers' top targets remain confident in the program's direction and are excited about returning to Lincoln for Saturday night's game.

“I think when you talk to the kids that we like, when they come here, they’re blown away by what’s here,” he said. “They’re blown away by the fan base; they’re blown away by the game day atmosphere, the facilities. We have a bunch of coaches that are doing a really nice job recruiting. We have players that are doing a really nice job recruiting.”

“You lose that game in the fourth quarter, and I want to walk into oncoming traffic,” he said with a laugh. “And I walk in places, and kids are like, 'God, we’re so close, coach. We’re so close’.... As a coach, you can’t really say that, but those kids are staying up; they’re watching us fight toe-to-toe with these guys, and we’re like a play away. Some of those guys say, “Coach, I think I can make that play”. That’s the mentality that I want our players to have… I think there's a lot of recruits out there that are like, “There's a lot of good things happening; it’s a really cool place.” I think they’re very interested.”

For those attending Saturday's game, Memorial Stadium will look quite a bit different. Nebraska's second annual Blackout will once again feature black end zones, but this year's midfield logo will showcase a skull and crossbones.

Rhule is excited for his team to play in that kind of environment, pointing to several memorable atmospheres during his time in Lincoln that rank among the best in college football.

“I thought it was unbelievable,” he said when giving his thoughts on the environment against USC a season ago. “In my time here, it was the Colorado game our second year, the end of the Wisconsin game (2024). It was last year that game (against USC). It was Indiana two weeks ago... Just unbelievable atmospheres that rival anywhere.”

Atmospheres only go so far when a team can't match the energy of its fans. Two weeks ago, Husker Nation stayed up into the early hours of Sunday morning to watch Nebraska play, only to be rewarded with a heartbreaking loss.

Asked about his team's urgency following consecutive defeats, Rhule said it shouldn't be an issue Saturday night.

“I don’t think our issues have been urgency,” said Rhule. “I think we’ve played really hard. I think we’ve played really physical. I think we’ve got to do a better job as coaches of giving our guys a plan in the fourth quarter to win on defense and win in the winning moments.”

“And then offensively, it just wasn’t good enough against Oregon,” he continued. “They took away the things that we wanted to do, and we didn’t have enough there, answer-wise, for our players to go out and execute… Going into this year knowing that Washington was probably going to be the Blackout game… I’m hoping that’s all our guys need, to be quite honest.”

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