Why are you so in tune with it?

Well, uh, you know, I, I think, um, I think I, I value, I value work, you know.

Um, my son's, my son's 21 years old, he's a junior year.

You know, over the summer, you know, his ap- apartment, roommates leave his apartment, he, he comes back to the house to live, and my wife's like, "Hey, you can be here all you want, but, like, you need to get a job." And they said, "No, he's, yeah, he works upstairs at the 801 to help us out here," but yeah, he's, he's over.

He's waiting tables four nights, five nights a week.

He's got a detailing business.

Like, me and my wife, like, she does half of where she has.

Like, why are you so big on these certain staff positions that are for the player, but it just seems like you're, it's important to you.

Is Nebraska equipped toe-to-toe with anybody in the modern world of college football?

But I think that answer is really twofold.

I think we are not in the upper tiers of player spending.

People use the word coach NIL for a while.

We've got to get rid of that.

It's repackaged.

It's just payroll.

that's so logical it doesn't make sense for college sports when you're saying here coach it's so it's so what's a bigger or not a bigger but how big of an issue is it um our agents and the percentages it feels to me agents are unregulated in college football is that an issue

Is Nebraska equipped toe-to-toe with anybody in the modern world of college football?

But I think that answer is really twofold, right? I think we are not in the upper tiers of player spending, right? Like people use the word coach NIL for a while.

We got to get rid of that.

It's repackaged.

It's just payroll, right? It's player payroll.

And you look at the National Football League, you look at all the major league sports, they basically all have a salary cap because they say the number one expenditure is paying for players.

And, you know, in college football, the spending on players over the last couple years has gone up 60% every year.

that's so logical it doesn't make sense for college sports when you're saying here coach it's so it's so what's a bigger or not a bigger but how big of an issue is it um our agents and the percentages it feels to me agents are unregulated in college football is that an issue

And it's not really policed, so.

Right.

Right.

It, it, it, it's, it's-- I think it's one of the good things for me that I was in the NFL and I dealt with the whole free agent process, right? Like my whole thing in that time was like, "Hey, when it gets to the end of the season, like you handle your money." Like you handle you, uh, you handle you.

Once you agree to your contract or you're with us, then you're with us.

And like, that was always my, my thing.

So when a player was like, "Hey, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna do this for my contract," I understood it.

Yeah.

Yeah

... 'cause I, I've, 'cause as a coach, you know, you evolve.

Like, this'll be my 14th year as a head coach, and I remember my first year at Temple, I went in and we were terrible on defense.

We were, we were pretty good on offense.

We had a dynamic young quarterback, P.J. Walker.

So next year I was like, "Hey, we're gonna be a spread team.

We're gonna score 40." And we s- we were six and six.

Mm-hmm.

What was that scouting process like, and how's it been getting him ingrained in the program?

Well, it, it's been great, and, um, it was kind of one of those fast things, you know? Like, we thought we had our portal quarterback figured out.

We were bringing TJ back, who played great as a freshman for us, but wanted to have a, a veteran experienced guy.

And we're [laughs] sitting there one night, like 8:00, and the agent for the kid calls and says, "Hey, he's not coming.

He's going somewhere else." You know, they offered him X, and that's life, right? Like, and we just kinda hunkered down, and we're like, "Okay, who's out there?" And we thought Anthony was gone somewhere else, and still was open, and, uh, flew him and two other guys in that day, uh, the next morning.

And I was just...

I was like, "Guys, look, they're all good players.

[laughs]

Did that help win Anthony over?

Yeah.

I, I, I think so.

You know, I was in the NFL as an assistant coach.

I was in there as a, a, a head coach.

And so, you know, one of the things I tell the guys is like, "Listen, you know, everyone thinks they know what it takes to get drafted.

But I sat in those rooms when they were going through, uh, the psychological report, when they went through the learning report, when they went through the m- medical report." Um, so it's about building a program that gets you ready for the NFL.

But do you like the idea of a bigger expansion, Matt?

Mm-hmm

... to me, it would be disrespectful to every fan.

It'd be disrespectful to our team.

It'd be disrespectful to come on with you guys and just give coach speak, right? And so I try to say exactly what I mean.

The problem is, is that sometimes it's taken super literally and I'm, I'm saying what's happening in that moment, right? And if you talk to me again next week, I, I might tell you something different.

[laughs] Like, the days are changing.

So, like, yeah, like, like, like w- I don't care if it's basketball, football, volleyball, the roster numbers and the, and the salaries are es- escalating through the roof.

How do you stay dialed in with, with kind of the numbers and the discussion that surrounds Memorial Stadium?

How fluid is the financial component when people wanna pin you down and say, "Well, he said this, and this means this"? Like, what are we missing in that fiscal message that, that is so fluid?

Yeah, you know, I think, uh, one of the challenges I have is, you know, um, uh, you know, I've always prided myself on like I, I don't say anything, I try not to say anything I don't mean, right? I don't wanna give coach speak.

Like it'd be, to me, it would be disrespectful to every fan.

It'd be disrespectful to our team.

It'd be disrespectful to come on with you guys and just give coach speak, right? And so I try to say exactly what I mean.

The problem is, is that sometimes it's taken super literally.

And I'm saying what's happening in that moment, right? And if you talk to me again next week, I'd probably tell you something different.

How do you stay dialed in with, with kind of the numbers and the discussion that surrounds Memorial Stadium?

It's like how do you handle this week with your team as the leader of men who still have games left and also still have a lot to prove not only to yourselves but the fan base, if that makes sense?

Yeah, no, um, I think it's a great question man.

I mean it's like you, you get, you, you get into coaching and you want to have all these amazing moments.

But these are the moments where you like earn your stripes, right? Where you prove what you can do and, and you have to do a great job for your team.

And so, um, instead of you know, feeling, being in your own feelings, I think you have to really think about your guys.

And so first you got Dylan, um, devastating news.

I mean, you know, you sit there you're thinking, you think he's get a sprain in his ankle, you know, he wants to go.

Yep.

What's the mindset as you look down the last four games here, which are all pretty big, uh, down the stretch for your Nebraska Cornhuskers?

Yeah, I think the thing that our team is, has, has learned, you know, and I think we, we unfortunately learned it the hard way at Minnesota.

Um, and then, you know, is like, hey, co...

Parities in, here at college football, like...In the NFL, you know, if you have a winning record, you're probably going to make the playoffs.

I mean, we're- we're pretty close.

But you don't, you know, nine, nine and- nine and eight is a good season, ten and seven is a good season.

Parities in college football.

Um, after you, after that loss to Minnesota, was that something that was needed for your guys? And, and what was the message after that?

What are your thoughts going into Friday night's game against Minnesota, and where your team sits currently at in your messaging to them about the possibilities?

Yeah, I think the thing about our team is just, hey, the last few games we've been up 14-0 and 10-0, and we've allowed the other team to get back in it.

So we're still kind of playing...... up and down, riding the highs and lows.

And, and you know, we have the youngest team in the Big 10, so this, it's, that's not an excuse.

You just have to teach them.

You have to teach them, like when you're up 14-0, don't go out there smiling and relaxed, and let them score, make it 14-7.

Put them away.

Mm-hmm.

Oh yeah.

The thing about the Big Ten, unlike any other conference except maybe now the ACC, is there's these huge, huge, huge swings.

Like this week, we're going to go to Maryland, it's on the East Coast, we're playing at 3:00.

We'll get back probably, I don't know, 11:00, midnight.... then we turn around and go on the road next Friday for Minnesota.

Like, well, uh, if you, as a coach, you could complain about that.

But for me, I'm just like, "You know what? Like, we, we've known we have to do that.

Wha- what, it would be a disservice to our players to complain about it." So we're not, we're not gonna complain about anything.

Hmm.

Go ahead, AJ.

Yeah, speaking to that, Coach, I, I...

In your past as a coach, and I'm sure you, you're always paying attention to how, how good can your team get from the beginning, from game one till say game 12? What kind of progress can you make? What kind of momentum can you build? Is that something you feel like this team...

Obviously, uh, y- each and every game, win or lose, like, you guys are getting better? Like, I just wonder, when you look back at the end of the season, you look at, hey, week one or two, and you think...

I've, I know I've sometimes been like, "We were a different football team back then." Like, "We don't make those mistakes anymore.

We're so much better." Do you see that for this team and for, you know, teams you've had in the past? Yeah, no doubt.

I mean, you know, the interesting thing in that game, uh, AJ, is we went down the field in, two minute before the half, ended up throwing a Hail Mary for a touchdown.

But what can you do as a coach to like, to facilitate that, to act- to make sure it actually happens?

He's been there.

No, no, I mean, so...

Yeah, so I don't know.

I don't know how that'll play out.

I mean, he's got a lot of things going on but, uh, we know he, he's...

The day that he decides to come in, uh, we'll be here ready for him.

And, you know, I think the, the thing that the videos that we released, I mean, those were both at halftime.

(laughs)

Is that the messaging? And how do you not look ahead to the rest of the schedule that is very, very good? You got a, you got a pretty solid lineup coming right around the bend here.

Yeah, no doubt.

Um, I, I think the way we've, we've talked about it all along is, you know, the guys, guys want to go to the NFL.

So obviously like, hey, we have three preseason games, uh, just like you have in the National Football League.

And that's not to diminish them but it's, hey, we're in the Big Ten and we have to go coast to coast.

We have to play all these good teams, so we have three games to establish kind of our identity.

Guys, the players on our team, they have three games to establish their role.

How do you feel about Micah Parsons joining the Packers?

Now, in your third year in Nebraska, what did you see last night that makes you think this team could be special or what do you think you need to work on?

Well, I mean, we, obviously, we have a lot to work on.

But, uh, I, I thought, I thought the biggest thing was our best players made plays.

Our tailback, Emmett, Emmett Johnson, ran for over 100 yards.

You seen Isiah Hunter here, uh, transferred in for us, made a big play to, to score a touchdown.

And then, like I said, Malcolm Hartzog picks that ball off to win the game.

And, you know, you said it earlier, Pat, like, I think the biggest thing, like when you watch the best teams in college football, you know, take, take out the talent, obviously, but I mean, the, the, the best teams, they go in expecting to win, man.

What made you, uh, do that? What is this team like? I, I guess, what's the culture like to where you felt like this is something that you should do?

What i- w- how do you look at the season in terms of not verse wins or losses, but in terms of your players and what you want your players to really, um, lean into this year in terms of their development and their cohesion as a team?

Well, um, I mean, it, it, it's year three for us.

You know? So, you know, year one you come in, you know, the guys don't even know what to expect.

You know, the way we do things is, is different, you know, maybe than what they've done before.

It's, it's hard.

And so that, that first year you're kind of teaching it.

You want them, you want them to sort of learn the process.

Mm-hmm.

They still want to choose hard." Can you expand on your thought, when you say, "Stick it out and fight"?

Well, I mean, I think...

I think it al- it- it... first of all, I'll say this.

It's- it's kind of, um... it's kind of, you know, for each, for each individual.

I think, you know, sometimes we have guys that walk in and- and they really want to play, and they're not gonna play.

And- and- and for those guys, you know, maybe I could help them with their journey somewhere else.

Um, there's also something too, though, to- to guys that... they're gonna make it.

So where is he right now? As you look back on him last season, where was he then? Where is he right now?