Nebraska looks for answers: What will Dana Holgorsen bring to the Huskers' offense?

A prevailing message from the Nebraska football program this week was the need for introspection after three straight losses and coach Matt Rhule's instruction to “do whatever it takes” to finish well this month.

“Bad organizations point fingers,” Rhule said. “Good organizations look at themselves.”

To get a look at Nebraska's struggling offense, which scored 18.3 points per game in the Big Ten, Rhule brought former Houston and West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen to Lincoln as a consultant for the remainder of this season.

A product of the Mike Leach Air Raid system, Holgorsen coached teams in the Big 12 for over 13 years, averaging 33.5 points per game. His insights could give the Huskers and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield a boost next week at USC and in the month-ending games against Wisconsin and Iowa.

“Are we planning the right things during the week?” Rhule said. “That could be one of the questions we need to talk about and look at.”

Looking to qualify for its first bowl game since 2016, Nebraska won five of its first six games while freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola lived up to his five-star target.

Raiola threw one touchdown and five interceptions in the Huskers' three-game stretch. The ground game for Nebraska, a strength last season when it lacked a consistent threat through the air, is averaging 3.61 yards per attempt – 112th nationally.

“It’s a little bit of everything, to be completely honest,” Rhule said. “If you watch us, we’re just not playing well enough offensively to have a chance to win.”

What could Holgorsen add in a short period of time? And does his arrival at Nebraska signal that he might be hired to run the offense after this season? It at least deserves attention as pressure mounts on Satterfield.

College football writers Mitch Sherman, who covers Nebraska, and Sam Khan Jr., who covered Holgorsen in the Big 12, discussed the possibility of a Rhule-Holgorsen marriage. Here is that conversation:

Sherman: Why did Holgorsen fail as head coach at Houston?

Khan: I think the evolving demands of a head coach in this sport no longer aligned with what Holgorsen did well in the first place. His strengths are coaching offense, game planning, calling plays and figuring out how to score points. But a head coach's job these days is less about Xs and Os and more about program management, year-round recruiting, NIL and roster management.

He was ahead of the game in transfers in the pre-portal era and aggressively tapped that market in the middle of his tenure at West Virginia, and that approach continued into his time in Houston. But Holgorsen never struck me as a tireless recruiter or someone who loved that part of the job. And Houston was behind the curve with NIL. Towards the end of his term, secondary school recruitment slowed.

Slow starts and undisciplined play were the order of the day in his final two years. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Cougars averaged seven penalties per game, the 14th most in the FBS. They ranked 58th among 69 Power 5 teams in first-half scoring average. And after fielding one of the best defenses in the country in 2021, they led twice in scoring defense, yards per game allowed, yards per game allowed, third down, fourth down and red zone defense worse than 100.

Holgorsen seemed constantly frustrated, tired and looking for answers, and this rhetoric was transparent in press conferences, which did him a disservice. I think the job has changed significantly from the one he signed up for when he arrived in 2019. And in 2023, the Cougars struggled uphill as a new Big 12 member, a transition that was difficult for any of their newcomers from the Group of 5.

Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers' offense are averaging 18.3 points in Big Ten games. (Dylan Widger/Imagn Images)

Sherman: Rhule's strengths as a CEO and organizer seem to align well with the areas that bothered Holgorsen. If his time at Nebraska extends beyond this month, how would Holgorsen fit with Rhule schematically?

Khan: It's definitely a departure from the attacking style I associate with Rhule, whose teams often describe themselves as tough and run-heavy. Holgorsen has traditionally thrown more than Rhule's teams, although as head coach Holgorsen joked that Leach kicked him out of the Air Raid Club because Holgorsen started running the ball more.

Holgorsen, like many other Air Raid supporters, eschewed the constant, breakneck pace as the defense adjusted to fending off the frantic no-huddle. He still stepped on the pedal when it made sense. According to TruMedia, his Houston offenses averaged 27.7 seconds of possession per game from 2019 to 2023, compared to 30.5 seconds at Nebraska under Satterfield. The Cougars also played four more plays per game than Nebraska during the same period (68.1 to 64).

Therefore, Nebraska would likely aim for a faster pace with Holgorsen as the OC.

Overall, his teams still threw more balls than Nebraska. According to TruMedia, the Huskers have averaged 26.5 pass attempts and 37.6 rush attempts per game since Rhule's arrival. In Houston, Holgorsen averaged 34.5 rush attempts and 33.5 pass attempts over five seasons, but he was run-heavy early in his tenure.

Holgorsen's team also threw it down the field more often, averaging 8.1 pass attempts with 15 or more air yards per game, compared to Nebraska's 6.6.

The biggest difference? The use of 10 people (one running back, four receivers). According to TruMedia, Nebraska has used it on just 2.7 percent of snaps since the start of last season, while Holgorsen has used it on 19 percent of offensive plays with Houston.

Conversely, Nebraska has used 12 personnel (one defensive back, two receivers) in 26 percent of games since the start of last season, while Holgorsen has used 16.2 percent in five years in Houston. But it's easier to land good tight ends at a Big Ten school than it was during Holgorsen's time in Houston, so perhaps the decline wouldn't look as stark.

Sherman: Regardless of his coordinator, Rhule expects to rely more on the run in 2025. The Huskers' inability to control games with a rushing attack has frustrated the coach. So a Holgorsen offense at Nebraska would likely be more similar to some of his early Houston teams.

What are Holgorsen's strengths as an offensive player?

Khan: When he focuses on game planning, Holgorsen is still one of the better players.

He is adept at playing to his team's strengths and taking advantage of what a defense offers him. A perfect example was Houston's near upset against Texas last season. The Longhorns had two of the best defensive tackles in the country – eventual NFL draft picks T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. Instead of being persistent, Holgorsen didn't even try to establish a running game. Houston threw the ball 46 times and attacked a struggling Texas secondary with speedy receivers. It only handed the ball off to a running back 12 times.

Holgorsen was always on top of the latest trends, from the up-tempo system to the RPO system. He often found creative ways to run. He added nice wrinkles to the air raid braces to attack the defense. If he isn't overwhelmed as a head coach, I have little doubt he would continue to develop and succeed. He still loves calling plays and coaching the ball.

Sherman: This is fascinating from a Nebraska perspective. The Huskers wanted to use the RPO game with Raiola this year, but it didn't work out. And even when Satterfield largely knew what an opponent would throw against Nebraska, his play calling and the Huskers' execution seemed out of whack.

For example, when Big Ten teams scouted Nebraska, many tried to emulate the success of Illinois and Rutgers and put pressure on Raiola. And yet, Nebraska seemed unprepared for the heat. How has Holgorsen's offensive system developed?

Khan: He has become less aggressive when it comes to playing fast. Most teams got away from it because the pace puts a defense in a difficult position after fast attacking ball.

Holgorsen generally used tight ends more frequently over time, hitting over 20 percent with two on the field at once in 2021 and 2022.

And the quarterback run game became more and more common. At West Virginia, Holgorsen played mostly with pocket passers, although he also used QB Skyler Howard as a rusher. In Houston, Clayton Tune was an integral part of the Cougars' rushing attack, recording 1,197 rushing yards and 144 touchdowns in four seasons under Holgorsen.

Sherman: His experience with pocket passers and mobile quarterbacks makes him a candidate who can keep up with Rhule. Rhule's teams have shown both. Raiola has tried to run more in the last two games. His mobility and sense of the pocket are strong, but he would prefer to remain a distributor.

Holgorsen's history and success with quarterbacks like Graham Harrell and Case Keenum, albeit in a system the coach would modify for the Big Ten, might appeal to Raiola. And make no mistake, this is important.

(Top photo: Maria Lysaker / Imagn Images)