2017 Husker Football Struggles

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Mareesa Buskirk, Staff Writer

Husker football is a such a popular thing in Nebraska, and the Husker fan base is huge, spreading beyond the state of Nebraska Cornhusker football record. This season many were disappointed with the outcome of the season.

Fans say that the reason for the outcome this season is the coaching staff. As some of you may know Head Coach, Mike Riley, was recently fired. No replacement has been officially announced, but many rumors have been flying through social media. Mike Riley was hired as head coach on December 5, 2014. In his three years coaching the Huskers, his overall record was 19-19. In Riley’s final press conference he stated, “I am very thankful for the people I have met in this program and in this state. Most of all I’m thankful for this team.”

Riley is also the second coach in four years that has been fired in addition to the athletic director. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is paying up to 170,000 a month for Riley, and will continue to pay this amount through February of 2021. In addition, paying former coach, Bo Pelini, and athletic director, Shawn Eichorst, they will soon have to pay new people to fill these positions.

The Huskers ended the season  with a record of was 4-8, which was one of the worst seasons since 1961, and fans have many theories why. Their overall defense is ranked 102nd in the country, and total offense was ranked at 85th.Throughout the 2017 season, there wasn’t much offense on the field. The Huskers were rarely successful in running the ball. Some of their worst games this year were Ohio State, where they lost  56-14, and Iowa,  and again losing  56-14. The team’s only wins were Arkansas State, Rutgers, University of Illinois, and Purdue University. Within their success, there was still some struggle on both offense and defense.