Just: Jamal Rule's 'dream come true' Nebraska debut went better than even he expected

Right before Nebraska ran out for the Tunnel Walk, the true freshman running back’s emotions overwhelmed him ahead of his official Husker debut.

He felt it — the synchronized claps from the 85,557 in Memorial Stadium along with The Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius” — in his bones. After the gates to Tom Osborne Field opened, he gazed into the sweltering morning and began to tear up as he saw the crowd.

“It was a long-time dream come true,” Rule said after Nebraska’s 49-21 win over Ohio. “It was even better than I expected.”

Rule — the 6-foot, 210-pound true freshman running back out of North Carolina — has high expectations for himself, don’t get him wrong. But this? The best debut regardless of position in more than 30 years?

Better than expected, indeed.

Rule’s final line: 16 carries for 122 yards rushing with two touchdowns on the ground and 2 receptions for 47 yards receiving with one reception through the air. That’s 169 all-purpose yards with three total touchdowns.

“It was great,” Rule beamed, trying to find the words. “An awesome experience. It was unreal. I didn’t expect — I expected to have a pretty good game. I didn’t expect to find the end zone three times.”

While Rule didn’t expect it for himself, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule knew something like this was possible for the freshman back.

Well before Saturday’s kickoff, Nebraska divvied up the game plan for its litany of running backs. Rule’s assignment? Short yardage situations.

Rhule knew Rule had the potential to pop. Rhule had seen him impress in training camp. Heck, there’s a reason why Nebraska offered the diamond-in-the-rough in the first place. They saw the vision of what Rule could be — regardless of the offers the 3-star he did or didn’t have.

“I said something to Dana (Holgorsen),” Rhule said. “I was like, ‘I bet you his first play is going to be on short yardage for a touchdown.”

It wasn’t on Rule’s first play. It came on his third.

The first play? A 1-yard rush on first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. His second? A 2-yard carry up the middle on the ensuing play? The third? Pay dirt: a 1-yard touchdown carry up the middle to tie the game at 7-7.

Fellow running back Mehki Nelson knew, too. To Nelson, there’s something different about Rule. In Nelson’s experience, true freshmen usually tiptoe around — not wanting to rock the boat.

“That’s not ‘Mal at all,” Nelson said. “Even at practice, ‘Mal’s going to talk his mess to the defense, hype us up during practice. Jamal’s not your average true freshman.”

Carry by carry, Rule proved that to be true.

The self-proclaimed prolific bowler bowled through Ohio’s defense. His fourth carry? A 3-yard gain in the second quarter. He followed that up with his first reception: a 23-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Colandrea to move Nebraska within striking distance of the red zone. After that? All Rule. A 5-yard carry followed by a 1-yard gain. Then? Another touchdown — a 24-yard touchdown after Rule danced down the sideline.

“He’s a stud,” Colandrea said of Rule. “He’s shown us in fall camp that he could go, and he showed it today.”

Rule was ready from the jump. Rule was ready before the jump.

Early Saturday morning, Rule was screaming in elation ahead of his Nebraska debut. His yelling was so loud that Nelson heard him through the walls from the next room — prompting Nelson to intervene and give some advice.

‘’Yo, ‘Mal. Save it for the field,’” Nelson recalled with a laugh. “‘Don’t use all your energy.”

As if Jamal Rule could run out of energy. Jamal Rule is enthusiasm personified.

And even though the heat in Memorial Stadium affected many, it didn’t seem to affect Rule.

The freshman just kept going — recording carries in Nebraska’s win until halfway through the fourth quarter.

At one point — shortly before his third touchdown that put Nebraska up 42-21 — Rule’s performance moved those remaining in Memorial Stadium to crown him with “Ruuuuuuuuuuuule” cheers, but the freshman thought the first one was meant for tight end Luke Lindenmeyer — who is greeted with a similar-sounding cheer when he makes big plays of his own.

The second time, though, Rule realized the love in that moment wasn’t meant for NU’s beloved senior leader. They were cheering for him.

“‘Whoa,’” Rule thought. “‘That’s me.’”

That’s humbling. That’s surreal.

It’s also deserved.

For Rule — who, aptly, has “ROCK” in all caps as his middle name on X — he was one of Nebraska’s rocks on Saturday.

It didn’t matter that he was a freshman. It didn’t matter that his initial, anticipated role was to be the short-yardage back. He took his opportunity and he ran 169 yards with it.

Because for him, this is only the beginning.

“Jamal Rule. Y’all gonna hear the name many times,” junior receiver Kwazi Gilmer said. “He’s like that.”