Nebraska’s offensive collapse finally costs offensive coordinator

Nebraska’s offensive collapse finally costs offensive coordinator originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Nebraska’s losing streak reached four games Friday night. By Saturday, the Cornhuskers had made a change that had been building for weeks. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen was fired after Nebraska’s 24-13 loss at Illinois, with coach Matt Rhule announcing the move and handing play-calling duties to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas. The decision puts the spotlight on a team that opened the season with a burst of offense and then watched its production disappear. Nebraska scored at least 31 points in each of its first five games. It failed to reach 18 in any of its next four. The Huskers are now 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, a record that leaves little room for another month of waiting for the offense to find itself. A sharp turn from the season’s start The numbers make the change easy to understand. Nebraska had shown it could score, but the offense never recovered once opponents began disrupting its rhythm. The four-game skid included too many empty possessions and too few answers when the Huskers fell behind. Friday’s loss made the situation harder to ignore. Nebraska had 426 yards of offense, but the total didn’t translate into points. Illinois took advantage of mistakes and finished drives while the Huskers struggled to turn yardage into a comeback. That gap between production and results is the challenge Thomas inherits. A new play-caller can change the order of the menu, but Nebraska still needs cleaner execution, better situational football and a way to stay on schedule. MORE :  Malachi Toney's injury, explained: Doctor outlines Miami WR's return timeline and 2026 outlook Rhule owns the next move Holgorsen’s departure also puts more responsibility on Rhule. A coordinator change can bring an immediate spark, but the head coach now has to show that the adjustment can help the entire offense, not just rearrange who calls the plays. The timing leaves Thomas with a short runway. Nebraska’s next game is at Rutgers, and the Cornhuskers need a steadier performance before the season slips further away. The staff change gives them a chance to reset. It also raises a bigger question: can Nebraska recover quickly enough to make the final stretch matter? For Rhule, the most important part may be what the offense looks like on its first few drives. The Huskers need more than a new voice. They need evidence that the season’s opening version of their offense is still somewhere inside this team. MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS: Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach ESPN analyst says 'pump the brakes' on Texas' Arch Manning being the best QB Shane Beamer buyout, contract details as South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dabo Swinney says Clemson is a 'bunch of nobodies' ahead of 2026 season Shedeur Sanders is all over social media after Colorado GPA surfaces