Tag: Nebraska

Oct 19, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) prepares to snap the ball during the second quarter of a game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

No. 4 Ohio State aims to regroup vs. smarting Nebraska

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The start of the college basketball season is about two weeks away, but the Nebraska and Ohio State football teams are thinking of rebounds.

Both the Cornhuskers (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) and the No. 4 Buckeyes (5-1, 2-1) are coming off disheartening losses going into their Saturday conference matchup in Columbus, Ohio.

Nebraska was feeling good heading into a game at Indiana last weekend but absorbed a humbling 56-7 defeat.

“I think if you have the right team and the right group of men in the room, if anything, 56-7 should snap you back to reality,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said Monday. “We have a great, great test ahead of us, but we’re excited to move forward.

“We just weren’t ready for that moment. We weren’t ready for that game. Even in the pregame, it felt awesome. … I think there’s a challenge sent to the coaches. There’s also a challenge sent to the players. These are grown men.”

The Buckeyes, even after a 32-31 loss at now-No. 1 Oregon on Oct. 12, have a much bigger goal than Nebraska’s.

With the new 12-team playoff system, Ohio State still controls its own destiny but also knows another slip-up might end its chances.

“You look ahead at what we’ve got in the second half of the season, and then right here with Nebraska, you quickly move onto that and realize that there’s a lot of teams across the country taking a loss,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “So now we’ve got to go play our best football here in the second half of the season.”

Ruhle, who is in his second season with the Cornhuskers, is eager to avoid a repeat of last season’s nightmare finish. Sporting a 5-3 record and needing just one win to reach bowl eligibility, Nebraska lost its final four.

Ruhle trusts that his players will put the Indiana game in the rearview mirror with the Buckeyes looming.

“I do think, if I’m going to be completely honest, my battle since I’ve been here has been the, ‘Here we go again,’ which predates us,” he said. “So, this is a great opportunity for our guys. It’s like a gut check to say, ‘Hey, if every time we’re down, we’re going to talk about our confidence,’ then we better start handing out participation trophies.”

The Buckeyes were torched for 496 total yards by Oregon, and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has been criticized by the likes of former Alabama coach Nick Saban for not pressuring Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was 23 of 34 for 341 yards and two touchdowns without being sacked.

“I’m not happy with anything right now, but certainly we want to get more pressure on the quarterback. There’s no question,” Day said. “It’s the coach’s job to make sure that we put our players in a situation and environment to be successful. So that’s the first thing we’ve got to look at. And then it’s the players’ job to go do it and execute it.”

Ohio State will face another slinger in Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is no stranger to the Buckeyes. He committed to Ohio State in May 2022 but decommitted seven months later and settling on Georgia in May 2023. However, he switched his commitment again and signed with Nebraska in December.

Raiola was 28 of 44 for only 234 yards and three interceptions against Indiana, giving him nine touchdown passes and six picks on the season.

“I think he’s got an opportunity to be a great player,” Day said. “I think he’s already playing at a high level and he’s got a lot of talent, got a great family.”

–Field Level Media

Indiana's Justice Ellison (6) runs during the Indiana versus Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.

No. 16 Indiana runs over Nebraska

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Justice Ellison ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as No. 16 Indiana rolled to a 56-7 Big Ten Conference blowout of Nebraska in Bloomington, Ind.

The Hoosiers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) rolled up 495 yards of offense against a top-15 defense nationally despite losing starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke to a hand injury. Before departing at halftime, Rourke completed 17 of 21 passes for 189 yards with a touchdown.

Backup Tayven Jackson came in and the high-powered offense didn’t miss many beats. He was 7 of 8 for 91 yards and two scores in the second half as Indiana passed what some considered to be its toughest test to this point.

While the Hoosiers were sharp in every phase, the Cornhuskers (5-2, 2-2) weren’t. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola completed 28 of 44 passes for 234 yards but also tossed three interceptions, two of which turned into Indiana touchdown drives.

Not to be outdone by the offense, the Hoosiers’ defense forced five turnovers and logged seven tackles for loss. Nebraska managed only 70 yards on the ground.

Indiana set an immediate tone by marching 75 yards on the game’s opening drive, Ellison capping it with a 5-yard run. Rourke made it 14-0 with 13:37 left in the half on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Myles Price.

Jacory Barney Jr.’s 7-yard scoring jaunt drew the Cornhuskers within 14-7 at the 7:40 mark, but the Hoosiers took control with two touchdowns in the final 3:47 of the half. Ty Son Lawton scored on a 1-yard run to finish a 75-yard drive and Ellison made it 28-7 at the break on a 31-yard run.

The game was a rout with two more Indiana scores in the third quarter. Jackson converted a short field after an interception, finding Miles Cross for a 2-yard touchdown pass, and then connected with Elijah Sarratt on a 15-yard strike with 1:46 left.

Kaelon Black added a 10-yard touchdown run less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, and Elijah Green capped the scoring on a 1-yard run with 3:45 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) hands the ball off to running back Emmett Johnson (21) against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska leans on defense to hand Rutgers its first loss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A strong defensive effort and rushing touchdowns by Dante Dowdell and Janiran Bonner carried Nebraska to a 14-7 Big Ten victory over visiting Rutgers on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1) recorded four sacks and limited the Scarlet Knights to 78 yards on the ground. Nebraska also intercepted Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis twice. Kaliakmanis completed 15-of-37 passes for 186 yards.

The Scarlet Knights (4-1, 1-1) were 2-of-14 on third down, and 2-of-6 on fourth down.

Nebraska led 14-0 until Kaliakmanis tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ben Black with 4:08 to play. The TD capped a nine-play, 50-yard drive.

Rutgers’ final possession began on its own 11-yard line with 2:17 to play. The Scarlet Knights moved the ball to the Nebraska 26-yard line before turning the ball over on downs with 1:17 remaining.

Rutgers blocked two punts in the game, the second of which was blocked by Jamier Wright-Collins midway through the third quarter, recovered by Shaquan Loyal and returned 14 yards to the Nebraska 2-yard line. The Scarlet Knights failed to cash in, however, as Nebraska forced a turnover on downs.

It was the third punt and fifth kick Nebraska opponents have blocked this season.

The Cornhuskers, who scored on both of their red zone opportunities, led 7-0 after one quarter and 14-0 at halftime.

Nebraska took a 7-0 lead when Dowdell scored on a fourth-and-goal play from the Rutgers’ 1-yard line and John Hohl added the point-after kick with 3:09 left in the first quarter. It was the first time Rutgers allowed a touchdown in the first quarter this season.

Bonner helped Nebraska double its lead when he scored on an 11-yard run with 1:48 remaining in the first half.

Dowdell led Nebraska’s rushing attack with 57 yards on 14 carries. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola was 13-of-27 for 134 yards. He was intercepted once.

Nebraska has held five of its six opponents to 10 points or less. The Cornhuskers are the only FBS team that hasn’t allowed a rushing TD this season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws a pass against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Unbeaten Rutgers wary of QB Dylan Raiola, Nebraska

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Although his team is unbeaten through four games, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said the Scarlet Knights will need to take a step forward on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb., if they expect to come away with a Big Ten road victory over Nebraska.

“The Big Ten is the most challenging league in the country and it requires you to get better every week,” Schiano said. “If you don’t, you’ll get left in the dust. My main focus is getting our team as improved as we can by Saturday. Will it be enough? I don’t know.”

Nebraska (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) has one of the conference’s top quarterbacks, Dylan Raiola. The freshman has completed 70.4 percent of his passes (100 of 142) for 1,224 yards — both figures ranking among the nation’s top 25. He has passed for nine touchdowns and been intercepted twice.

Rutgers (4-0, 1-0) is averaging 237.8 rushing yards and 35.0 points per game. Running back Kyle Monangai has produced 589 yards and six touchdowns on 97 carries and ranks third in the country in rushing yards per game (147.2).

“It’s like The Matrix,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “Nothing ever hits (Monangai). He’s got such elite body balance and contact balance. No one ever gets a true shot on him, it’s always a glancing blow. I think he’s really a great player.”

Nebraska limited Purdue to 50 yards on the ground last weekend en route to a 28-10 victory. The Cornhuskers are allowing 85.4 yards rushing and 12.2 points per game.

“Raiola, the quarterback, the freshman, is incredibly talented,” Schiano said. “You don’t usually see a freshman that’s kind of capable of doing the things that he’s doing right now. …

“The command that he has of their offense, I would say, is good for any level but for a freshman is unheard of. And he’s a very gifted athlete. He’s big. He’s mobile. He can throw on the move. He can throw from the pocket. There’s not much this guy can’t do, but that’s why he was such a highly recruited quarterback, right? He’s got all the tools.”

The Cornhuskers are plus-5 in turnover margin, but the Scarlet Knights have committed only two giveaways in their four games.

Nebraska has won each of the six meetings between the teams and is 2-0 against Rutgers at home.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver Jaron Tibbs (13) cannot catch a pass against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Ceyair Wright (15) during the second quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Nebraska uses second-half momentum to roll past Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dylan Raiola went 17-of-27 passing for 257 yards and a touchdown to lead Nebraska to a 28-10 win at Purdue in a Big Ten contest on Saturday at West Lafayette, Ind.

Nebraska (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) limited Purdue (1-3, 0-1) to 224 yards of total offense.

Hudson Card went 18-of-25 passing with a touchdown and an interception in defeat for Purdue, which had 13 penalties for 165 yards.

Trailing 3-0 in the third quarter, Nebraska scored four consecutive touchdowns to pull away.

Nebraska drove 70 yards in nine plays and grabbed a 7-3 lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Raiola to Jahmal Banks with 2:49 left in the third quarter.

Earlyin the fourth quarter, the Cornhuskers gambled on fourth down and it paid off, as Dante Dowdell scored from the 1-yard line with 10:34 left in the game to give Nebraska a 14-3 lead.

With 6:13 remaining, Nebraska took a 21-3 lead on a 25-yard touchdown run by Jacory Barney Jr.

John Bullock then picked off a pass from Card and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown to put Nebraska ahead 28-3 with 5:38 left.

Purdue’s only touchdown came when Card hit Leland Smith for a 15-yard score with 1:29 remaining.

After a scoreless first half, Purdue drove the field on the first possession of the second half and took a 3-0 lead on a 45-yard field goal by Spencer Porath. The kick finished off a 13-play, 55-yard drive that took 8:08 off of the clock.

Each team had opportunities to score in the first half, but couldn’t cash in. Nebraska kicker Josh Hohl missed a 42-yard field goal, and on the ensuing possession, Porath missed a 39-yard field goal for the Boilermakers.

Purdue thought it had scored a touchdown in the second quarter when Card hit Jaron Tibbs for a 51-yard touchdown pass, but the play was called back when officials ruled Card was across the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) hands the ball off to wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. (17) against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

After OT home loss, Nebraska heads out to face Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

In a way, it will be a tiebreaker of sorts when Nebraska travels to Purdue for a Saturday afternoon game.

The teams have played 12 times with each winning six, so the winner will not only gain an important Big Ten conference victory, but the lead in the series.

More important than that, each team just wants to get back in the win column after falling last week.

The Cornhuskers (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) took their first loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion, losing 31-24 at home in overtime against Illinois. Nebraska is set to play its first road game.

Meanwhile, the Boilermakers (1-2, 0-0) are seeking to find their footing at home after a pair of lopsided losses, first at home against Notre Dame then at Oregon State.

Each team relies heavily on its quarterback for production, although the two players have different levels of experience.

Nebraska features one of the country’s top freshman signal-callers, Dylan Raiola, who has completed 72.2 percent of his passes (83 of 115) for 967 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions.

“He’s everything you want,” Purdue coach Ryan Walters said of Raiola. “Big and confident. I think the confident piece sort of sticks out the most. He’s not afraid to throw the ball in tight windows. He trusts his guys to go make plays. He can throw it from every different type of platform and get it there pretty accurately.”

Purdue has a quarterback who has an experienced quarterback, senior Hudson Card, who has connected on 63.2 percent of his passes (43 of 68) for 453 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule called Card “an excellent quarterback,” but also is leery of a Purdue ground attack that produced 263 rushing yards against Oregon State. Devin Mockobee had 168 yards, while Reggie Love III had 66 yards.

“We have guys that I know can really respond,” Rhule said. “They’re going to have to because (the Boilermakers) run outside zone as well as any team we’ll face this year, and we’ll have a lot to get done.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) drops to throw against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Luke Altmyer, No. 24 Illinois pull out OT win over No. 22 Nebraska

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Luke Altmyer’s fourth touchdown pass of the night, a 4-yarder to Pat Bryant in overtime, led No. 13 Illinois to a 31-24 win over No. 22 Nebraska on Friday in Lincoln, Neb.

Illinois (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) started overtime with a 21-yard run by Kaden Feagin. Altmyer then connected with Bryant into the right corner of the end zone.

Nebraska (3-1, 0-1) began its overtime drive with a false-start penalty, and matters only grew worse for the Cornhuskers. Dylan Raiola took two sacks, completed a pass, then was sacked on fourth-and-29 to end the game.

Altmyer completed 21 of 27 passes for 215 yards. Bryant caught two touchdown passes among his five catches for 74 yards. Tanner Arkin and offensive lineman Brandon Henderson each had a red-zone TD reception, and Feagin led the Fighting Illini with 69 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Raiola wound up 23 of 35 for 284 yards with three touchdowns passes and one interception. Isaiah Neyor had four receptions for 90 yards and two scores, and Jahmal Banks hauled in seven passes for 81 yards. Dante Dowdell ran 20 times for 72 yards.

Both teams had chances to break a tie late in the fourth quarter.

The Cornhuskers’ Ceyair Wright forced a fumble while sacking Altmyer with 8:24 remaining, and teammate Mikai Gbayor recovered at the Nebraska 38. The ensuing drive ended when Nebraska kicker John Hohl missed wide right on a 39-yard field-goal attempt.

The Fighting Illini were aided by a key play in the second quarter that was first called a Cornhuskers touchdown on the field. After a review, Torrie Cox Jr. had his arm between Neyor and the ball and stripped the ball away in the end zone, keeping possession with the lone interception for either team on the night.

Nebraska senior defensive back Tommi Hill left the game in the first half because of an apparent head injury.

It was a historic game for Nebraska despite the loss, as it was the school’s NCAA-record 400th straight sellout.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) hands the ball off to running back Dante Dowdell (23) for a touchdown run against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Resurgent No. 22 Nebraska, No. 24 Illinois clash in Big Ten opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For the first time since October 2011, No. 22 Nebraska and No. 24 Illinois find themselves listed in the same Associated Press Top 25 poll. They’ll meet in a Big Ten opener Friday night in Lincoln, Neb., to decide which team gets to stay there.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) are off to their best start since 2016 — their most recent bowl season — while the Illini are 3-0 for the first time since 2011.

After cruising through their respective non-conference schedules, both teams will get a much better picture of their might while they clash in front of Nebraska’s 400th consecutive home sellout.

“To have two big teams ranked on a Friday night game is a little bit unusual,” said Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who has his program in the polls for just the second time in the last 13 years. “It doesn’t happen all the time. To see it play out and be a part of it is awesome. Give a lot of credit to their team and what they’ve accomplished to this point. I told our guys to continue to keep our focus, our mentality, and see where it can go.”

The Huskers have three blowouts under their belt — they led at halftime against UTEP, Colorado and Northern Iowa by a combined score of 79-10 — but head coach Matt Rhule hasn’t been overly impressed yet.

“I think any time you don’t punt in the game, you feel pretty good,” Rhule said. “So I felt pretty good about what we did Saturday offensively (against Northern Iowa). But that was all preseason to me. Now the season starts. We’ll find out where we are. This will be such a different challenge playing against these guys.”

The Illini enter Friday’s game tied for second nationally in turnover margin (+8) and tied for fifth in turnovers forced (9). Defensive back Xavier Scott is one of four FBS players with at least 3 interceptions through three games, and he has forced four turnovers overall.

But Scott and company haven’t faced a passer like Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola. Even on the rare occasions when the pass rush has forced him to improvise, the five-star freshman has appeared unflappable while completing 73.8 percent of his passes for 670 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception.

“He brings a different element immediately,” Bielema said. “He’s a very talented young man that’s got a great deep ball throw. They maximize him pretty well. There’s some things you can literally see him get better on every series — just very impressive to see.”

Rhule seems eager to find out how Raiola will handle an Illinois group that ranks 12th nationally in pass efficiency defense (an 87.98 rating versus Raiola’s 162.22).

“They’ve altered a lot of what they’re doing,” said Rhule, noting how Illinois second-year defensive coordinator Aaron Henry has been using more disguises this season. “They’ll show man and play Cover 2. They’ll show man and play zone. With a young quarterback, he’s got to recognize because they don’t show it to you. He’s got to recognize zone on the snap. And they’re taking the ball away at a high level.”

On the flip side, Bielema wants to see his rushing attack be more reliable. The Illini’s quartet of backs have been satisfactory (153.3 yards per game), but Illinois hasn’t faced anything like the Huskers’ defense, which surrenders just 2.5 yards per carry and 70.3 rushing yards per game.

“If we’re going to win in the Big Ten, we’re going to have to run the ball in certain situations,” Bielema said. “I think the greatest definition of a team is a team that can run the ball effectively when they want to run it against good competition.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) passes against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

No. 23 Nebraska gets off to quick start, rolls past Northern Iowa

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns to guide No. 23 Nebraska to a 34-3 victory over Northern Iowa Saturday night in Lincoln, Neb.

“I thought he was excellent,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said of Raiola, who connected on 17 of his 23 attempts.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to win their first game as a ranked team since 2019. Dante Dowdell rushed six times for 55 yards as Nebraska finished with 423 total yards to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2016.

For Northern Iowa (2-1), which entered the night ranked 21st in the FCS poll, quarterback Aidan Dunne completed 13 of 25 passes for 117 yards and rushed for a team-high 49 yards before getting knocked out of the game with 10 minutes to go.

The Panthers dominated time of possession (38:07), but their drives repeatedly came up short due to a combination of penalties (nine for 95 yards) and Nebraska’s bend-but-don’t-break defense.

The Cornhuskers produced a touchdown on its initial possession for the third week in a row. Raiola capped the Huskers’ 75-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman Carter Nelson, who made the catch over the middle at the 15-yard line and sprinted into the end zone.

Northern Iowa responded with a 10-minute, 8-second drive that bogged down in the red zone. Caden Palmer converted a 31-yard field goal to pull the Panthers within 7-3 at the 1:32 mark of the first quarter.

Raiola orchestrated another 75-yard scoring drive on Nebraska’s next possession. Faced with third-and-9, he found Isaiah Neyor open over the middle for an 18-yard score that gave the Huskers a 14-3 lead with 13:04 to go in the first half.

Nebraska shook it up on its third drive by zipping 80 yards in just four plays for another score. Raiola’s 59-yard strike to Jaylen Lloyd set up Jacory Barney Jr.’s 10-yard end-around that pushed the lead to 21-3 with 6:51 left.

Northern Iowa cranked up its running game for a lengthy drive to start the second half, but Dunne overthrew an open receiver on play-action and Nebraska safety Malcolm Hartzog Jr. picked it off.

That turnover led to Tristan Alvano’s 31-yard field goal at 6:17 of the third to extend Nebraska’s margin to 24-3. Alvano booted a 21-yarder near the end of the third quarter, then Emmett Johnson closed the scoring by bouncing outside and outracing UNI’s secondary for a 36-yard score with 4:31 to play.

Northern Iowa forced Raiola’s first career interception early in the fourth quarter when defensive back Fletcher Marshall Jr. wrenched the ball from Lloyd as they leaped for a deep pass.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) rolls out to pass against the UTEP Miners during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

No. 23 Nebraska out to continue rise vs. Northern Iowa

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For the first time in five years and seven days, Nebraska will take the field Saturday night with an Associated Press Top 25 number next to its name.

The Cornhuskers jumped into the AP poll at No. 23 thanks to last week’s dominant effort against Colorado — and they’ll try to build on that versus a Northern Iowa squad that’s off to its first 2-0 start in 11 years.

Second-year coach Matt Rhule has Nebraska off to its first 2-0 start since 2016, which doubles as the most recent year that the Huskers posted a winning record and played in a bowl game.

“It’s where we should probably be, but it’s not where we want to be, right?” Rhule said. “My (three) kids are excited, so happy for them. My players are probably excited, but we’ve got bigger plans than that.

“We come here to have high expectations. You come here to play in big games. You come here to play in front of that crowd, you know? We expect to be ranked, but whatever it is — 23rd, 24th — that’s not where we want to end up. So go 1-0 each week and see what happens.”

So far, what has happened is a pair of blowouts in front of 86,000-plus at Memorial Stadium — a 40-7 defeat of UTEP, followed by the 28-10 win over Colorado last Saturday. Nebraska’s offense, led by freshman Dylan Raiola, has been balanced and nearly mistake-free. Raiola has hit on 73.7 percent of his 57 throws for 423 yards, three touchdowns and no picks.

“What you see on offense is speed,” said Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley, whose program is facing Nebraska for the first time in his 23-plus years at the helm. “You see that speed that maybe they haven’t had before. It’s not just regular speed, it’s different speed.”

Meanwhile, the Huskers’ defense has racked up eight sacks and four turnovers while allowing just 8.5 points and 232.5 yards per game. Both of the latter stats rank among the top 25 in the nation. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson leads the Huskers with two sacks and three tackles for loss.

“The thing I’m watching about Nebraska right now is the attitude of their team, how they’re playing, versus maybe a couple of years ago,” Farley said. “Everybody knows you got tradition. Hell, we got tradition. You watch the defense and the defense is tough, strong and fast. That’s a hard combination. That’s why they only gave up 16 (rushing) yards last week. I think they’re fifth in rushing defense across the country.”

That’s not good news for a Northern Iowa squad that stacked up 597 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in their first two games against FCS foes Valparaiso and St. Thomas. Senior Tye Edwards has 310 yards rushing.

“Every run he’s running hard,” Farley said. “Whether it’s a 1-yard gain or a 20-yard gain, that guy is hitting the hole the way he’s supposed to, he’s seeing the field good. His intensity of play is probably what’s making him have the success he’s having right now.”

–Field Level Media