“We’re Nebraska. Go Play.”

Nebraska had its chances against Michigan. The bye week is about turning those chances into points (and obviously wins).

Photo by Erin Sorensen

Let’s get right to it: Michigan walked out of Lincoln with a win and Matt Rhule didn’t dress it up. He started Monday—his only media availability of the bye week—by setting the tone for the next two weeks.

“Obviously, disappointed with the result on Saturday,” he said. “I think it's really, really important for us right now as a coaching staff, and really a football program, to have a very calculated response. Not to overreact, not to under-react, but just to be very disciplined in the way that we see things.

“What I've asked our guys not to do is not to settle for the narrative of we're just a couple plays away. That's a deadly, deadly thing when you start saying things like that.”

That’s the assignment for the bye week: be exacting but not emotional. Nebraska had shots to steal a win late but Michigan closed better with three third-down conversions on the clinching field-goal drive, then Nebraska’s onside kick that was there but mishandled.

“You always have to make one more play than your opponent,” Rhule said. “We had our opportunities. We didn't get it done.”