Topline Takeaways: Nebraska Takes Care of Business vs. Northern Iowa

Huskers get to 3-0 for the first time since 2016 as they gear up for conference play.

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

Nebraska beat Northern Iowa 34-3 on Saturday night, in what was a solid but not perfect performance against an FCS opponent. Let’s get right to the topline takeaways. 

CHEERS TO THAT

Celebrate all the Ws. Here is Nebraska’s record after three games from every season between 2017 and 2023: 1-2, 0-3, 2-1, 1-2, 2-1, 1-2, 1-2. The Huskers are now 3-0 for the first time in nearly a decade. If the last several years have taught us anything, it’s that we need to celebrate all the Ws. And this wasn’t even an ugly win! Yes, there are some things the team needs to clean up. But the Big Red took care of business against a pesky Northern Iowa team, and after running out to a big lead, never let the Panthers close enough to make it interesting. Many people have made this point, especially after the last two games, but Nebraska teams of the very recent past did not know how to close the door. This Husker team is playing winning football, they’re in the top 25, and the boys in red have everything to play for heading into conference play. Enjoy it! 

Nitpicking. At the risk of contradicting myself…this will probably come off as a bit obnoxious, but this was a good-not-great performance. And that’s OK! I’ll take a 31-point win while still feeling like the team can play even better football all day long. We’re still celebrating this W, but Common Fans will be hoping the team can tighten things up and take a step forward against Illinois on Friday night. 

The defense didn’t look quite as dominant as they had looked in the first two games. There were several missed tackles, which led to UNI getting a lot of leaky yardage. Also, it felt like the Panthers hurt themselves in key moments as much as anything. The Malcolm Hartzog interception was a fantastic, athletic play by Hartzog, but the receiver was wide open and Panther quarterback Aidan Dunne just misfired. Northern Iowa also had some untimely penalties that helped Nebraska. The Huskers took advantage of these moments which is what good teams do, but the point is, there were definitely some moments where it felt like it was coming too easy for the UNI offense, and we were lucky they hurt themselves. 

Now, back to the positive: the great thing about this season is that I never worried this would become a game. I’m to the point where I just expect good things to happen, and on Saturday, I fully trusted the defense to keep Northern Iowa out of the end zone. Furthemore, in looking at the stat sheet, things look better than I would have guessed. The Blackshirts held the Panthers to under 150 yards rushing, and under 4 yards per carry. Northern Iowa was 6 of 16 on third down conversions. The fact that we’re nitpicking when the defense gives up 307 total yards and only 3 points means things have drastically improved from where we were just a couple of years ago. 

This Offense is Fun to Watch: The Big Ten Network tweeted a stat that Dylan Raiola has a 70% completion percentage in each of his first three games. He’s the first true freshman quarterback to do that since Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota in 2012. When this offense is rolling, it’s fun to watch. And let’s face it, last year’s offense was not even close to capable of the things we’re seeing from this year’s unit. Playmakers are everywhere. Senior transfer portal wide receivers Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks continue to shine, with both recording catches on Saturday and Neyor getting into the end zone. True freshmen Jacory Barney and Carter Nelson each scored touchdowns of their own, and are already having an impact in their young careers. The running backs are taking turns making big plays that impact games. And, of course, at the center of it all is Raiola. He seems to run the offense effortlessly, making big time throws, making the right reads and decisions, and earning the trust and respect of his team. 

Yes, the offense has stalled out a bit in the 2nd half of games, especially the last two contests. I’m not convinced that’s predictive of what we’ll see for the rest of the season. It’s certainly at least in part a function of playing with big leads. The bottom line is, this offense is drastically improved from last year, and is actually capable of winning us games. 

Nebraskans Everywhere! Fan favorite and Kearney native Heinrich Haarberg (aka William Wallace as we like to call him on the Common Fan podcast) lined up in the backfield and as a wide receiver on the first drive. Later in the game, he caught a pass, took a handoff, and took a snap as quarterback. Ainsworth’s finest, the aforementioned Carter Nelson, caught two passes on the opening drive including his first touchdown as a Husker. He finished with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown, and his size and athleticism have Common Fans gleeful about his future with the program. Omaha speedster Jaylen Lloyd hauled in a 59 yard reception to set up the offense’s third touchdown. Place kicker Tristan Alvano, also from Omaha, was 2-for-2 on field goals, and has hopefully found his groove in the role for Nebraska.  

Both Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne’s best teams included major contributors from in-state players. It’s exciting to see the talent being produced at home, and it’s so great to see these homegrown Huskers have success. 

QUESTIONS GOING INTO WEEK 4

Running Back Situation. It’s been interesting to watch the running back rotation through the first three games. Dante Dowdell appears to have emerged as the lead back. He’s fast, powerful, and not afraid of contact. Emmett Johnson looked great against UTEP and Northern Iowa, but didn’t see the field as much against Colorado. Rahmir Johnson looks shifty out of the backfield and appears to be the best pass catching back, while Gabe Ervin has been used in more short yardage situations. As a group, the four backs have rushed for 428 yards and six touchdowns through three games. Will the Huskers continue with this four man rotation as we move into conference play? There appears to be a role for each back, but will one or two of them separate themselves further than what we’ve seen? 

How Do the Huskers Respond After a Short Week? The game against Illinois is on Friday night at Memorial Stadium. The Big Red will have to bounce back quickly to get ready for their conference opener. I’m still not totally sure how I feel about these Friday night conference games, but they appear to be here to stay. Nebraska will need to come in ready to play against an Illinois team on the rise; the Illini are now #24 in the AP top 25. 

FINAL THOUGHT

I mentioned this in my “Keys to Victory” article for this game: Coach Rhule said recently there are three stages to building a program: 1) eliminating losing football; 2) playing winning football; 3) playing championship football. The Huskers are playing winning football, and we have to remember it’s the first time they’ve done that in many years. It’s not going to be perfect all at once. Things may have been a bit sloppy on Saturday night, and the defense wasn’t quite as dominant as we’re used to seeing. I’ll chalk that up to a letdown after the emotionally charged win over Colorado. I expect the Blackshirts to bounce back with a better performance against Illinois, and I’m excited to see the Huskers in conference play.

If you’re still not convinced, perhaps this stat from Arbitrary Analytics will make you feel better: this is the first season since 1999 where the Huskers have allowed 20 or fewer points while scoring 100+ points through the first three games of the season. 1999, you may recall, is the last time Nebraska won a conference championship. 

As always, GBR for LIFE.

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