WATCH: Matt Rhule postgame press conference after Penn State throttles Nebraska
STATE COLLEGE, Penn. – Matt Rhule and the Nebraska football program are 7-4.
The fourth loss of the season is arguably the Huskers’ most embarrassing effort of the year, right alongside the Friday night loss at Minnesota in October.
Final score: Penn State 37, Nebraska 10
Rhule and the Huskers began the season by rattling off consecutive wins over Cincinnati, Akron and Houston Christian for a 3-0 start. Then came the disappointing Week 4 loss to Michigan followed by bounce-back victories over Michigan State and Maryland before another disheartening loss to Minnesota. After Rhule and the Huskers earned their way into the national AP Top 25 poll on the back of that 5-1 start, things took a sharp turn for them in that lifeless loss to the Golden Gophers.
The Huskers rebounded again by beating Northwestern, then let a massive opportunity slip by in a loss to USC and, again, bounced back with a win by outlasting UCLA on the road.
When the dust of it all settled, Rhule and Nebraska had ANOTHER opportunity in a national spotlight game against Penn State – the NBC Saturday primetime game, where the first step toward a potential 9-win season was on the table in State College.
Instead, the Huskers (7-4 overall, 4-4 Big Ten) are flying back to Lincoln after getting chewed up by the Nittany Lions (5-6, 2-6) in a flat, lifeless performance from Rhule and his team.
Nebraska will return home to prepare for a short week as the Huskers get ready to welcome in Iowa (7-4, 5-3) for the annual Black Friday matchup. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. Central Time on CBS against the Hawkeyes, who survived against Michigan State, 20-17, on Saturday afternoon.
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Prior to the return trip to Lincoln, Rhule and several players were made available to the media for Saturday’s postgame press conference as they answered questions about the lackluster performance in Happy Valley.
The players who spoke at the main podium were quarterback TJ Lateef, running back Emmett Johnson, defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy and cornerback Ceyair Wright.
Rhule and the players all discussed the 37-10 defeat to PSU, what the blowout loss could mean moving forward and more thoughts from Saturday night.
Watch and listen to those interviews via the videos below.
Saturday’s postgame press conference videos are also available to watch for free on the Inside Nebraska YouTube channel.