Holgorsen’s overhaul: how simplifying the playbook revived Nebraska football

During his second press conference as a member of the Nebraska football staff, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen elaborated on his approach to “simplifying the offense,” a strategy that paid dividends in the Huskers' win over Wisconsin. While he didn’t dive into exhaustive detail, Holgorsen offered a glimpse into his method for streamlining Nebraska’s attack.

A major adjustment involved clarifying roles for the wide receivers. Holgorsen explained that players were being shuffled across multiple positions, creating confusion and slowing down execution.

“We were probably playing people in too many different spots,” the new Nebraska football offensive coordinator said during his Tuesday presser. “I was like, ‘So why is he here on this play and there on another?’ They were just moving people around too much. One thing I’ve always believed as a receivers coach is to settle players into one spot. Let them get comfortable. That reduces thinking and lets them go out there and just play.”

Nebraska football cutting down the playbook was key

Beyond the positional changes, Holgorsen made a significant cut to the playbook, which he found unnecessarily bloated.

“If it doesn’t make sense to me, it ain’t gonna make sense to them,” he quipped.

These adjustments highlight the stark contrast between Holgorsen's approach and the struggles under former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield. The improvement begs the question: how did things get so chaotic in the first place?

While the regular season winds down, uncertainty looms over Holgorsen’s future in Lincoln. For head coach Matt Rhule and the Nebraska football program, retaining Holgorsen could be vital for maintaining the team’s progress and building momentum heading into next season.