Huskers Check all the Boxes in Dylan Raiola's Debut

Husker Dan reviews Nebraska football's 40-7 win over UTEP

Nebraska's Rahmir Stewart stiff-arms UTEP's Jaden Smith after a fourth-quarter interception. / Amarillo Mullen

College football is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Almost everything on the Husker wish list was achieved in Saturday's win over the UTEP Miners.

1.)  NU won the turnover battle, going 2-1 for the game.

2.)  The Huskers didn't beat themselves.

3.)  NU starts the season 1-0.

4.)  NU beat a team it should have.

5.)  NU protected its home field with the win.

6.)  True freshman Dylan Riaola brought his A game, going 19 of 27 (70%) for 238 yards, 2 TDs and no interceptions.

7.)  And he's just a freshman.

8.)  NU had a balanced attack:  284 passing yards and 223 rushing yards for 507 total yards of offense.

9.)  Rhule cleared most of his bench in the second half, but the intensity never let up.

10.)  Huskers played five running backs and three QBs, including Northwestern (NAIA) transfer Jalyn Gramstad.

11.)  Oregon transfer Donte Dowdell fumbled, but if you're going to fumble, that was a great place to do it.  A couple of plays later, NU got a safety and after the ensuing UTEP punt, NU was back in the end zone and extended its lead from 7-7 to 16-7.

12.)  I don't believe the Huskers suffered any major injuries, so everything clicked for the Huskers.

13)  Husker tackling was excellent.  Lots of gang tackling.

14.)  The QB sack by Nash Hutmacher was a thing of beauty.

15,)  Dylan Raiola goes into the record books as the first (and only) true freshman in the modern era to start an opener for NU and get a win.

16.)  NU continued its NCAA-leading 397-game home sellout streak.

And that's that.

It's hard to imagine a better start to Matt Rhule's second year at Nebraska.  Next week it's Colorado in Lincoln.  More about that game in the next few days.

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