Matt Rhule on playing in poor weather: 'I welcome the rain'

Nebraska and head coach Matt Rhule might have some poor weather coming their way this weekend for their game against Louisiana Tech. But the first-year coach isn’t afraid of a little rain.

Rhule told the media Thursday he hopes it a messy day because it’s a chance for his team to show what it can do.

“We practiced Wednesday’s practice half on the fields out here, half in the stadium,” Rhule said. “We did some wet football stuff last night. Luckily for us, you guys know us, we don’t go inside in camp during the rain. We don’t go inside the spring. We don’t use the indoor facility unless we absolutely have to. Doctor comes in and says it’s too hot, you have to go in the indoor. Otherwise, we’re outside because we play outside. We’ve gotten lots of reps in the rain, gotten lots of reps this week during a wet ball drill.”

The Weather Channel has Saturday’s forecast 82 degrees and partly cloudy while noting that a “stray shower or thunderstorm is possible.”

But Rhule said the weather should not dictate how his team goes about playing the game. Obviously, you have to make adjustments to gamelans because of the weather. But weather should impact effort and playing to the team’s standard.

“The great thing about being at the University of Nebraska is you know everyone’s gonna show up no matter what,” Rhule said. “For me, I think about all the people coming and sitting in the stands. I think about your family and friends, my family and friends, everybody going out there, they can’t come and have us bumble the ball around because it’s wet. There’s a standard. We have to play in a way that, as Coach Osborne would say, is pleasing to the fans.”

Rhule clearly takes a lot of pride in being able to showcase a competent and exciting football team for the Nebraska faithful.

The team got off to a rough start to begin the year with losses to Minnesota and Colorado but a win Saturday would bring them to a .500 overall record heading into the rest of Big Ten play.

“We have to play to a standard and we have to show our gratitude and thanks,” Rhule said. “I’m thankful for all the people in the state and everything that they do. You have to play well. You can kind of hear my voice like I’m trying to make sure our guys understand like, there is no excuse for not playing Nebraska football. We hear a lot of excuses. You can hear him if you want to like, Well, I’m a little banged up. We’re a little banged up. We’re a little tired. We’ve been through a lot. Who cares? This is what it means to be a Cornhusker. This is an amazing opportunity. I welcome the rain. I prepared all camp in the rain saying, ‘Hey, guys, when it rains, you better go out there and be like, Hey, we do this all the time.'”