Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule speaks with the media ahead of the Huskers’ road game against Oregon.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule met with the media for his weekly press conference at the Hawks Championship Center on Monday morning, reflecting on the team’s loss to then No. 7 Indiana, and looking ahead to the team’s Week 7 tilt against Oregon.
“You know everyone by name and you know how talented they are,” Rhule said. “Really well coached by coach (Dan) Lanning – back-to-back CFP’s and still brutal on both sides of the ball. So, we have a big week of work to go on the road and go into that environment.”
The Huskers were missing cornerback Jamir Conn and defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel in the team’s 20-17 loss to Indiana on Saturday. Rhule says he won’t know the status of Conn until Wednesday, and when asked about the availability of Van Poppel, he said he would be considered day-to-day with a tweak in his lower-back.
Big Red is set to potentially face former Husker quarterback Dylan Raiola for the first time, as Oregon’s regular starter, Dante Moore, remains in concussion protocol. It is not yet determined yet if Moore will be eligible to play Saturday.
Nebraska will hit the road for only the second time this season, playing five of its six games in Lincoln. The team will head to Eugene on Friday before taking on Oregon Saturday at 10 p.m. CT. Rhule said this will be the latest a game kicks off in his coaching tenure.
This will be the ninth time meeting, with Nebraska holding a 6-2 advantage. The last time these two teams met was in 2017, where Oregon got the win 42-35.
Watch Matt Rhule’s full press conference here:
Scouting Oregon:
It’s unusual to see a Dan Lanning-led Oregon team have two losses through five games, but this year, that is the case. The 3-2 Ducks are coming off a 17-15 loss to UCLA at home and lost their first game of the season in Week 2 at Oklahoma State.
Moore left the game on Sept. 26 against USC with the aforementioned concussion in the second quarter, a game which Oregon ended up winning 41-27. Raiola came in for the remainder of the game and led the Ducks to the victory.
Against UCLA though, Raiola struggled, going 6-of-19 for 43 yards and two interceptions. In fact, he was replaced in the game by Brock Thomas in the fourth.
The Ducks only put up 272 yards of offense against the Bruins, while letting up 345.
In the three-plus games Moore led the offense, he threw for 926 yards and nine touchdowns. He also has not thrown an interception. Raiola, on the other hand, has thrown for 456 yards in three games, five touchdowns and the two interceptions against UCLA.
Oregon also rushes for an average of 141.8 yards per contest, with Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. splitting most of the production. Receivers Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore serve as the main receiving targets. They both have scored four touchdowns this season through the air.
Defensively, Oregon has forced 10 turnovers, with eight being interceptions. Koi Perich and Jett Washington both have recorded a pair of picks. Additionally, the Ducks have one of the better outside linebackers in the country in Matayo Uiagalelei, he has five sacks and an interception this season.
Score Predictions:
Nick Eriksen: 35-24, Nebraska
Will Charlton: 27-21, Nebraska
Categories: Husker Sports, Sports
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