Nebraska football beats UTEP: Amie Just’s takes

Ah, football is back in Memorial Stadium.

And Nebraska, after a long offseason, is back in the win column after a statement victory over UTEP, 40-7.

Here’s what stood out to me in Nebraska’s season opener.

There is much to be written about the true freshman’s debut for Nebraska, but the way he commanded the pocket on Saturday afternoon was unlike anything we’ve seen around here for a while.

His intelligence came through at many points, including on the first drive where he took an incompletion by throwing toward Thomas Fidone’s feet rather than take a sack. He made second and third reads when his first option wasn’t there. He dialed up highlight-worthy passes to Isaiah Banks. He made some mistakes, sure, but that was always going to happen.

Raiola’s final line, before his day was done in the blowout win: 19-of-27 for 238 yards (that’s a completion percentage of 70%) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked once.

Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell directly put the Blackshirts in this position with his red zone fumble in the second quarter (more on this later). Still, Nebraska’s defense made the most of the opportunity to record Nebraska’s first defensive safety since the rainy Holiday Bowl victory in December 2009.

Credit defensive lineman Ty Robinson for coming up with the 3-yard tackle for loss on UTEP running back Jevon Jackson. What a big, momentum-changing play, for Nebraska.

Have a day, Isaiah Neyor.

Six catches on eight targets for 121 yards receiving with one acrobatic-as-heck 59-yard touchdown.

Get used to seeing the Raiola and Neyor connection. I have a feeling that’s going to be quite the duo.

The safety from Silver Creek, Mississippi, set himself up perfectly. It’s third-and-11. UTEP quarterback Cade McConnell is under pressure. With Nebraska’s Kai Wallin in pursuit, McConnell threw an ill-advised pass and Hartzog was all over it — snagging the fourth interception of his career.

Hartzog’s interception came at a great time, too — giving Nebraska’s offense the ball back with just over two minutes to play in the second quarter. And it led to a touchdown, putting Nebraska up 30-7 at halftime.

Matt Rhule lived up to the promise that all four of Nebraska’s top running backs would play on Saturday. And they sure did.

Senior Rahmir Johnson was given the start and three players had more than 50 yards rushing — Emmett Johnson led the way with 71 yards with Dowdell coming in behind with 55 yards on eight carries with a touchdown. Rahmir Johnson had the most carries with 11 and went for 50 yards.

Nebraska primarily used last year’s starter Gabe Ervin Jr. in the red zone, as he had a team-high two rushing touchdowns on Saturday on six carries for 24 yards.

Hello, Nebraska punt returns. Welcome back. We missed you.

After Nebraska had all of 48 yards all season in 2023, return man Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda had three punt returns for 25 yards — on his birthday, no less.

Nebraska’s offense exploited UTEP’s defense on Saturday — recording 12 explosive plays. (Explosive plays in this instance refer to passing plays of 15 yards or more and rushing plays of 10 yards or more.)

The 59-yard touchdown pass from Raiola to Neyor.

The 42-yard rush for Emmett Johnson to get into the red zone.

The 21-yard touchdown pass from Raiola to Jahmal Banks.

The 19-yard pass from Raiola to Banks.

The 16-yard pass from Raiola to Jacory Barney Jr. — which didn’t count because of pass interference on Thomas Fidone.

The 16-yard pass from Raiola to Neyor.

The 15-yard pass from Raiola to Neyor.

The 13-yard run from Rahmir Johnson early in the third quarter.

The 12-yard run from Dowdell that resulted in his fumble.

The 12-yard run from Dowdell midway through the first quarter.

The 11-yard run from Gabe Ervin Jr. late in the third quarter.

The 10-yard run from Dowdell midway through the first quarter.

With the offensive weapons that this team has, Nebraska needs to get big plays out of them, and they delivered in that aspect on Saturday.

Another game, another Nebraska opponent that failed to reach 100 yards rushing.

Rhule and co-offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield promised some creativity with the offense after Raiola was officially named the starter.

And while they delivered on that in the third quarter, I wish it would have worked.

Heinrich Haarberg lined up as the quarterback in the shotgun, with Raiola out wide to the left. Nebraska dialed up a quarterback keeper for the physical Haarberg, but it unfortunately didn’t gain any yardage.

Nebraska eventually scored on that drive with a 1-yard run from Ervin.

I absolutely think Nebraska will dial up more plays like that in the future, so stay tuned for that.

When Satterfield speaks about last season’s turnover woes, he sees red. During training camp, he vowed that if one of his players turns the ball over, it’s game over for them.

So when Dowdell coughed up a fumble at the 3-yard line — likely moments away from yet another touchdown for Nebraska — it wasn’t a surprise that his day was over.

In the fourth quarter, Nebraska gave the ball to Maurice Mazzccua Jr., Kwinten Ives, Kenneth Williams and Mekhi Nelson before giving it back to Dowdell.