**Nebraska's Matt Rhule Reflects on Costly Decision in Indiana Blowout**

Nebraska football fans witnessed a devastating setback as the Cornhuskers suffered a 56-7 thrashing at the hands of Indiana. Head Coach Matt Rhule offered his reflections on the game, pinpointing a particular decision during the match that he wishes he could revise.

Expectations were high for a competitive clash between two aspiring Big Ten contenders. However, the game quickly turned one-sided, with Nebraska failing to match Indiana's dynamic offense. From the outset, the Husker defense struggled to counter the Hoosiers, who capitalized on nearly every opportunity presented.

During a press conference on Monday, Rhule outlined the defensive shortcomings that plagued his team. "We struggled at the corner position," he admitted. "They isolated some one-on-one throws and those are 50/50 balls. You should win 50% of the time and they won most of them. The game came down to the run game. We were not able to stop the run... Just didn't tackle, didn't play well."

As the game approached halftime, the Huskers found themselves down by a manageable 14-7. Traditionally strong in the crucial last four and first four minutes surrounding halftime, this time Nebraska faltered significantly. Rhule emphasized, "It's 14-7 with four minutes left in the first half. We call that the middle eight... We've been historically very good in that area and we weren't. We weren't good."

Rhule's introspection continued as he discussed his pivotal decision early in the second half. Down 28-7, the Cornhuskers drove down the field but faced a 4th and 8 or 4th and 9 situation. Despite analytics suggesting the aggressiveness of going for it, Rhule now believes opting for a field goal might have been wiser.

"As a head coach, you always have to start with, what do I regret, what do I not regret?" Rhule pondered. "We probably should have kicked a field goal there. The analytics say no. There's a big part of me that always wants to show the guys that you're always playing to win."

Rhule's decision to go for it on fourth down was intended to demonstrate belief in his team, but it inadvertently backfired, leading to a more lopsided scoreline. "I think defensively, the minute you lose the edge of playing to win and you're trying not to lose, a really good defense becomes really average really quickly," he observed. "I put them in harm's way... trying to get back in the game."

Reflecting on the heavy loss, Rhule acknowledged the impact of his decisions but affirmed his commitment to fostering a winning mindset. Despite the overwhelming defeat, the head coach remains focused on future opportunities to steer his team back on track.