"I want them hit": Matt Rhule's fiery halftime speech to incite 'killer instinct' among Nebraska players goes viral

Geoff
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule (Image Source: IMAGN)
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule (Image Source: IMAGN)

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule went viral on social media with his fiery halftime speech that motivated the Cornhuskers to score more in the second half en route to a 68-0 demolition of the Akron Zips on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

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At halftime, Nebraska is ahead 33-0 over Akron, and Rhule wasn't satisfied with his team's performance in the game's first 30 minutes. In the Cornhuskers' locker room, the third-year coach went off at his players for letting the Zips disrespect them in several instances.

"You have one half. If they try to drop back and throw it and that quarterback's not on the ground, I want new guys in there rushing," Rhule said in the viral speech posted by CBS Sports on Instagram. "I want them hit. I want them to never say out our name again. That's the killer's instinct I ask about."
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The Cornhuskers kept it going in the second half, adding 35 more points and holding Akron scoreless to complete the shutout. The win lifted Nebraska to 2-0, which kept them in pace in the Big Ten Conference standings after Week 2.


Nebraska coach Matt Rhule warns about Houston Christian's toughness

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule organized a media availability session on Monday to discuss the Cornhuskers' upcoming game against FCS opponent Houston Christian (1-1). He pointed out that he respects the Huskies' coaching staff, led by second-year coach Jason Bachtel and its defensive crew.

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"The defensive staff all came over from Hardin-Simmons, which, if you know Division III football in the state of Texas, no one does it better than those programs. They know how to coach football," Rhule said. "Really, really active on defense. They’re going to challenge you with different looks."

The Huskies throttled Arkansas Baptist 69-0 their season opener before losing to Eastern Kentucky 20-10. Rhule likes how Bachtel runs his offensive schemes at Houston Christian and praised him and his coaching job for doing a fine job in making it a good team.

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"When you’re FCS in the state of Texas there are a lot of high school players and some guys who go off somewhere and want to transfer back. They have good facilities and it’s a great university. They’re doing a nice job there," Rhule said.

Nebraska is 15-0 against FCS schools and is expected to secure its 16th win, but the veteran coach remains wary about his team's next opponent and wants his players to continue playing tough.

Nebraska Cornhuskers Fan? Check out the latest Cornhuskers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place

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Edited by Geoff
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