UTEP coach explains exactly why the Nebraska football culture is 'elite'

One of the things that has marked the still short era of Matt Rhule at Nebraska football has been that he’s installed a culture ready to take off and win big. There’s been a lot of talk about just how much better it is than it was under Scott Frost, who paid a lot of lip service to culture himself.

Lots of people have worked to try and really explain why the Huskers’ culture is so much better than it’s been in the recent past. However, missing out on a bowl game once again made it that much harder to really define what makes things so much better under Rhule.

It might have taken UTEP head coach Scotty Walden to really define how and why Nebraska football culture has really changed. And it’s not exactly the most obvious reason. 

UTEP coach pinpoints why Nebraska football culture is changed

“You know, I told our guys, I've watched them on tape several times watching their defense units,” Walden began at his first press conference of the season on Monday. “You know, I think you can look at the kickoff unit and you can look at the field goal block unit of an opposing team and define the culture of that team's program.” 

“This program's culture is elite. I'm talking about Nebraska. Matt Rule's done a heck of a job. When they run down on kickoff, they run down and it's like 11 wild banshees running down there freaking ready to rip somebody's head off.”

“Then when they attempt to block, you know, field goals, for me, that's a huge, that's the first thing I look at when we're looking at the culture of a team because that's when adversity has struck, especially on PATs.”

“They've just given up a touchdown. How do they rush when the chips are down? And these guys blocked three kicks last year.”

Walden’s take is an interesting one I haven’t heard coming from other head coaches. It also demonstrates that he might just be able to install an impressive culture at UTEP. 

Hopefully, he doesn’t get that culture installed until after Nebraska football wipes the field with his squad.