Nebraska football has had an inconsistent season on the offensive side of the ball.

Early in the year, the Huskers looked like they had a high-powered offense that was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. But as the season progressed, the Huskers’ offensive unit was more of a weakness for the team than a strength. True freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has been learning on the job all season with mixed results. However, those mixed results are to be expected from a quarterback starting for the first time at the college level.

Because of the offense’s struggles, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield received a lot of criticism for his play calling and some comments that seemed unintelligent. Unlike Raiola, Satterfield doesn’t have the excuse of inexperience built into him. He has been calling plays at the college level for years.

However, Raiola defended Satterfield on Tuesday and shared his thoughts on why the offense is struggling.

“Coach Satt gives us the pieces to do that and as players we have to go out there and execute them,” Raiola said. “I know Coach Satt is getting a lot of heat right now for his plays calling. I think it’s unfair to him. He can’t go out there and make plays and do everything he trains us to do. So as players and as the quarterback of this offense, I take responsibility for that and for us to go out there and execute. That’s not his fault.”

Having a quarterback who will defend his coaching staff is a good thing for a locker room. Especially for a young player like Raiola, this is the first college offensive coordinator he’s ever played for. It would be more concerning if Raiola publicly bashed his OC, even if his defense isn’t entirely justified at this point in the season.

Satterfield certainly deserves some blame, but it’s a good sign that Raiola looks out for his coach and defends him from outside criticism. The Huskers need better performances from their coaches and players Saturday against UCLA and moving forward for the rest of the season.

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