Matt Rhule shares his messaging to Jeff Sims after Colorado game

Nebraska quarterback Jeff Sims has not had the start to his Cornhuskers career that he would have hoped coming into the season. The transfer signal-caller has dealt with turnover problems as Nebraska lost its first two games.

But Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule isn’t giving up on Sims. He told the media was his message is to young quarterback, especially as he deals with a high ankle sprain that threatens his status for this weekend.

“Just to control the things that he can control,” Rhule said. “Number one, just getting healthy. He’s obviously watching tape, involved in the game plan. He’s out there at practice but just gotta get healthy. It’s hard for a quarterback to have anything lower leg injury wise in terms of pushing off and moving and sliding in the pocket and doing all the things that make them great Jeff has to just control what he can control and that’s to get healthy as quickly as possible.”

Sims is only 20 of 34 for 220 yards and a touchdown on the season. But he has also been sacked five times while throwing four interceptions and losing two fumbles.

He injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of the team’s loss to Colorado after the game was already out of reach.

The backup quarterbacks for the Huskers are Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy. Both got playing time at the end of the Buffaloes game following Sims’ ankle injury.

“I think Jeff is an excellent player and I think his best football has not been seen yet,” Rhule said. “I don’t want to answer for him, but I would say just I think he’s probably just really wants to win and trying to do things to make us to win instead of just playing each play. That’s really the whole message of our program is just to be in the moment, win the rep and play the play. You’re not gonna win every play. Unfortunately for us, the first two environments, some plays by a lot of different guys have gone from bad to almost catastrophic. We’re learning those lessons the hard way. But I think Jeff deeply cares. And because he cares so much, I think sometimes maybe he, like a lot of our guys on offense, are just pressing and trying to do a little too much instead of just letting the play come to them.”