Omaha, Neb. ? Tom Osborne never had days like these when he was Nebraska’s head football coach. However, he’s come to understand what Frank Solich is going through during this season of discontent in the Cornhusker state.

Solich, whose Huskers are mired in the program’s worst season in 41 years, has turned to the coach-turned-congressman for support and counsel.

The two talk once every three or four weeks, in person or by phone.

“I tell him to hang in there and that things will get better,” Osborne said Tuesday. “Frank is mature and stable, a good football man. He understands the vagaries of the business.”

The Huskers (7-5) must win their Nov. 29 regular-season finale against Colorado and a bowl game in order to extend their streak of nine-win seasons to 34 in a row.

Their five losses are the most since the 1961 team went 3-6-1.

Solich said he welcomes advice from Osborne, who won 255 games and three national championships before he retired after the 1997 season.

“He’s been a help to me throughout my career,” said Solich, an Osborne assistant for 19 seasons. “He comes by and offers words of support. Coming from someone who knows the game like he knows it, you appreciate his comments.”

Osborne said key injuries, inexperience on defense and having a first-year starting quarterback have held back the team. Circumstances, he said, aren’t dire.

He said Solich should ignore fan criticism, especially calls for the firings of defensive coordinator Craig Bohl and other assistant coaches.

Osborne fired only three assistants during his 25 years as head coach.

“Coaches don’t forget how to coach in a year,” he said.

“Last year at this time we were 11-0 and played in the national championship game and everyone was really thrilled.”

Osborne said Solich, who has 49 wins in five seasons, should be cut some slack.

“No program in the country has been immune to a down year,” Osborne said. “We’ve been very fortunate to go 40 years without anything real bad. And this year isn’t going to be real bad. To me, real bad is a losing season.”

Osborne had his share of hard times as head coach. In 1978, after five straight losses to arch-rival Oklahoma, Osborne felt so unappreciated that he almost left to take the Colorado coaching job.

“We had years we were 9-3,” Osborne said, “and I guarantee you that people weren’t happy.”

But Osborne’s teams never dropped to the depths of the 2002 Huskers.

How did he avoid a collapse?

“Just dumb luck,” he said.