Since Friday, all the news surrounding the Nebraska football team has felt like bad news. The vibes, from a program that seemed poised to turn the corner, have turned quite bad. Even Husker head coach Matt Rhule was in an especially sour mood during his Monday press conference. And yet, the latest update on Rocco Spindler could be the start of another vibe shift.
Spindler was injured during the first quarter of the Huskers' game against Minnesota. After the game, it didn't appear his prognosis was excellent. Rhule said in his postgame that Spindler's hand injury required a trip to the hospital and offered his prayers to the offensive lineman. And yet, it's now possible that the Notre Dame transfer could return for this weekend's pivotal game against Northwestern.
"Rocco had surgery on Sunday, and it just comes down to pain tolerance. He's cleared to play this week, so we'll see if he's able," the Nebraska head coach said during his press conference.
Rocco Spindler cleared to play as Nebraska looks to fix blocking woes
That Spindler could play Saturday is surprisingly good news for a Cornhuskers team that has severe offensive line problems. NU allowed 9 sacks to Minnesota, a school record for the Golden Gophers. This year, the Huskers have allowed 25 sacks, which is the worst number in college football.
Nebraska will also have offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett back for Northwestern, who missed the second half of last week's game after being ejected for targeting. Rhule talked quite a bit during his press conference about how badly the coaches need to see improvement when it comes to blocking for quarterback Dylan Raiola. Having both starters back would be a big step forward.