There's been a ton of talk about the problems with Nebraska's defensive line over the offseason, but one of the players who could be a potential solution wants everyone to know he came to Lincoln specifically because of what he saw two years ago.
Former Boston College defensive lineman Owen Stoudmire faced off against the Huskers in the Pinstripe Bowl against the first NU team to make a bowl in almost a decade. As has been the case far too often in the recent past, the Cornhuskers dominated the game and were poised to run the Eagles off the field. However, a few mistakes here and there made the game closer than it should have been.
Nebraska football DL Owen Stoudamire says Pinstripe Bowl showed him Matt Rhule’s culture
Despite Nebraska allowing Stoudmire and his former team back into that game, the defender said the thing he took away from that defeat is that he wanted to be on Matt Rhule's squad and adopt its culture. One of the newest Huskers talked about his desire to play for Rhule and his staff when he appeared in front of the media after practice earlier this week.
"I believe that's also the way I, you know, play, and I wanted to be part of the culture. I believe everything that Coach Rule and his staff believe in. I think that's something that was a big deciding factor for me to ultimately come here."
When asked what he saw in the Nebraska program regarding the belief system he shares, he noted something that Husker fans hope is prophetic for the 2026 campaign.
"Tough-nosed team … they have a culture and identity, and like I said again, I wanted to be a part of that."
Frustrated Nebraska fans will point out that it's been hard to nail down NU's identity under Rhule. He and his staff brought in Jeff Sims in his first year and clearly wanted to run the ball with its quarterback and running backs. However, when Dylan Raiola arrived, the identity shifted to a much more pocket-passing approach. Now that Raiola is gone and Anthony Colandrea is here, the identity is said to be a version of the Air Raid offense that focuses on the run game involving the quarterback again.
Stoudmire's side of the ball also has a shifting identity. The first three years involved a couple of variations of the 3-3-5 base defense under Tony White and John Butler. Now, Rob Aurich is the third NU defensive coordinator in four seasons, and he's bringing his 4-2-5 base look with him.
In the former Boston College defender's (ahem) defense, he talked about a more big-picture identity. He believes Nebraska isn't swaggy, flashy, or "prime time"; it's more about getting down in the dirt, pushing the opponent around, and winning the day. It's been quite a while since fans have seen that identity from the Cornhuskers. If Owen Stouadmire sees that in the current iteration, and he's right, 2026 could be a very fun year.
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