QB Grade: Nebraska Football's Dylan Raiola vs. Northern Iowa

The Huskers' freshman star was solid again and moved to 3-0 as a starter. But what grade does he deserve for his performance?

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

Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola looked impressive once again in a 34-3 win over FCS opponent Northern Iowa.

Raiola finished the game with 247 yards on 17-for-23 passing, with two touchdowns and the first interception of his college career. It was certainly not his best performance of the season, but it was still a respectable showing from such a young quarterback. Despite playing against an FCS team, these early reps are still valuable for Raiola.

The first drive of the game was one of the best for the Husker offense. They went 75 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead, capped off by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Raiola to fellow freshman Carter Nelson. Raiola made a few nice throws on that drive in one of the best series of the game for him. His last touchdown of the day was a beautiful touch pass over the middle to Isaiah Neyor for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola sets back to pass against Northern Iowa. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Raiola may not have had any more touchdown passes, but he did have some highlights. His best play of the day came when he escaped pressure and improvised to find Jaylen Lloyd for a 59-yard catch and run. The play was a perfect showcase of all of Raiola's skills.

However, Raiola was not perfect on the day as he ended up throwing the first interception of his college career on a deep ball to Lloyd that was taken away on a 50/50 play. It was not the worst mistake for a freshman quarterback to make. As a matter of fact, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said that was absolutely the right throw to make, but UNI's player just made the better play. The throw was on target, and he gave his receiver a chance to make a play. It will go down as an interception, but not a horrible one.

Overall, Raiola was very good once again against Northern Iowa. Some drives stalled out and did not end in seven points, but he is continuing to progress and develop every week. That is all the coaching staff needed from him in this game.

Grade: A-

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