Clester Johnson discusses Nebraska's losses and Matt Rhule's leadership

Seventeen to ten. That’s the final score Nebraska carried into the bye week after its loss to Washington, and it marked the third consecutive game the Huskers had every opportunity to win and didn’t. Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI reported that national championship-winning wingback Clester Johnson reached out to the Common Fan podcast for a special midweek episode to talk about what’s going wrong, who’s responsible, and whether Matt Rhule and this team can still turn things around.

It matters right now because the frustration in Lincoln has hit a boiling point, and Johnson — a player who knows what winning close games looks like from his days under Tom Osborne — isn’t mincing words about it. Four games remain, and Friday night’s trip to Illinois could decide where this season goes.

Three Winnable Losses, and Problems That Go Deeper Than Bad Bounces

Johnson believes the issues extend well past a handful of unfortunate plays. The Common Fan episode, also covered by commonfan.co, laid out a familiar list: Nebraska couldn’t establish a consistent running game against Washington, squandered opportunities, and needs coaches to put players in positions to succeed. But Johnson also pointed at the locker room, arguing the Huskers need stronger leadership from the players themselves, especially when momentum shifts late in games.

Nebraska Football and the Agony of Almost

He drew on his own experience under Osborne, recalling a culture built on unity, belief, respect, and accountability. The question he leaves hanging: can today’s Huskers build that mentality before it’s too late?

Nebraska has surrendered fourth-quarter leads in consecutive games, and the guys discussed recurring special teams problems. Johnson recalled Osborne’s emphasis on finishing, including offseason workouts after the Orange Bowl loss to Florida State.

Clester Johnson discusses Nebraska's losses and Matt Rhule's leadership — Photo: sports.yahoo.com

Coach’s Emotional Remarks Spark Fan Backlash

After the Washington loss, Rhule’s emotional Monday press conference drew significant controversy, especially his comments regarding a fan verbally confronting his daughter. Everyone agrees, including the Common Fan crew, that targeting a coach’s family is completely unacceptable. The debate is over whether Rhule’s decision to address it publicly pulled attention away from the team’s ongoing struggles, and whether the bond between the coaching staff and an increasingly frustrated fan base is starting to crack.

The guys debated how much responsibility belongs to the coaching staff versus the players.

Another HEARTBREAKING Nebraska Loss! Matt Rhule Speaks Out as Pressure Mounts

Has Rhule lost the confidence of Husker Nation? Or would a couple of wins flip the conversation entirely? Johnson isn’t ready to write off the head coach, but he isn’t defending the distraction either.

The Missing Ingredient: Making the Play When It Counts

Here’s the core of Johnson’s argument: Nebraska has enough talent to compete with anyone on its schedule. The problem isn’t effort or physical ability. It’s the inability to make the critical plays when games are on the line — a recurring fourth-quarter problem that has become as much psychological as it is physical.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule talks three-game losing streak, previews Illinois

He shared stories from the Osborne era: the competition for playing time, the demand for eliminating mistakes in practice, the player-led commitment that carried Nebraska through the 1990s. In a Common Fan episode, Johnson said he’s more optimistic about this year’s Huskers than he has been in quite some time — he called the 5-2 team the best of the Rhule era and praised quarterback Anthony Colandrea, while insisting the running game must become more consistent to take pressure off the quarterback as November arrives.

Johnson has been impressed with Colandrea since his days at UNLV, noting that championship teams almost always have a dependable rushing attack. He also addressed the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on rebuilding a winning culture today.

Can the Season Still Be Salvaged?

He believes the Huskers are still fighting, still talented, and capable of finishing strong — but Friday night’s trip to Illinois could decide the season’s direction from here. End the losing streak there, and momentum can build into the final stretch.

Despite everything, Johnson told Husker Nation: “It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s okay to demand better. He sees a team closer to breaking through than many frustrated fans might realize.”

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