While there were some who thought the departure of Dylan Raiola from the Nebraska football program would sink the team, they instead started the 2026 season undefeated heading into Saturday's matchup against the defending champions Indiana Hoosiers. As Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule showed his acting chops in the DC Studios' sensation show “Lanterns,” the focus shifts to the field, as he sends a message to his team about the showdown with the Hoosiers.
Speaking with Jenny Taft at Fox Sports, he revealed the message he sent to the Cornhuskers, saying that no matter the competition, they should play up to their standard.
“We think we have a good team, and we know that they have a great team. My message to our guys has just been to go play,” Rhule said. “If you try to prove something in life, you get too tight. If you don't believe, you don't play with the same conviction. I think our guys believe in themselves, and while we have infinite respect for them, we're really excited to be out here, but we also believe we've earned the right to be here.”
Our @JennyTaft caught up with @HuskerFootball HC @CoachMattRhule before today's game pic.twitter.com/bYzLcoo6FB
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) October 10, 2026
Nebraska football's Matt Rhule predicts Hoosiers' game plan
When talking about the Hoosiers, Rhule would praise them as they're coming off a national title win, expecting them to get the ball to receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, though they'll look to establish the rushing attack first.
Article Continues Below“Well, I think number one thing is tackle,” Rhule continued. “I mean, that's what's so much fun about this game. This isn't like some schematic, you know, who does this, who does that. At the end of the day, they're so great because they do what they do, and they have great variation in what they do.”
“We don't want to sit out there and be worried about them. We want to play our defense, and we played some really good defense this year,” Rhule said.
With both teams undefeated, something has got to give Saturday, as it remains to be seen if the unranked Nebraska football team can take down the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers.