Nebraska Football's Defense is Helping Dylan Raiola Win While He Develops

The Huskers' true freshman quarterback is being allowed to grow and make mistakes, and his team is still winning.

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 / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

14 points are not usually enough to win a college football game, especially not against an undefeated team.

But that is how many points Nebraska needed to beat Rutgers on Saturday. In fact, eight points could have won them the game since the Huskers’ defense held the Scarlet Knights’ offense to just seven. That is the lowest point total for Rutgers this season and is the first time the Scarlet Knights have been held under 20 points.

14 is also the lowest point total for Nebraska this year, with the previous low for the year being 24 in the Huskers’ only loss against Illinois. It was obviously a slow day for the Huskers’ offense and especially for Raiola. He finished with 134 yards with one interception and no passing touchdowns. He was also inefficient, only completing 13 of his 27 passes. So how was Nebraska able to win the game?

They won because the Blackshirts stood tall and would not let Rutgers’ offense keep pace with their own. They made life difficult for Rutgers’ quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. His numbers were much worse than Raiola’s. He completed just 15/37 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown and had two interceptions. A 40% completion percentage by your starting quarterback almost guarantees a loss against any opponent. Unlike Raiola, Kaliakmanis is a senior and has plenty of experience, but the Huskers’ defense made him look like it was his first-ever road game.

Raiola was not great by any statistical standard, but he was still able to lead his team to victory. Every young quarterback is going to have growing pains and poor performances, but that usually means that their team is going to lose. However, the way this Nebraska team is built is set up perfectly for Raiola to learn on the fly. He is being allowed to make mistakes while not having to pay the price for them. That is a valuable experience for a young quarterback.

Sometimes, your true freshman quarterback is going to play like a true freshman. Nebraska’s defense makes it possible for the Huskers to win even when that happens.

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