Nebraska football defeats Northern Iowa: Game recap

The freshman quarterback determinedly stared into the crowd, then jumped into the air as he let out a guttural yell.

While the spotlight around Nebraska’s Week 3 matchup was hardly the same as it was a week prior, playing under the lights at Memorial Stadium still represented a big occasion.

Northern Iowa handled the moment well but ultimately couldn’t withstand a four-quarter test from the Nebraska football team. Raiola powered the winning effort by throwing two touchdown passes as he led No. 23 Nebraska to a 34-3 victory over Northern Iowa on Saturday night.

With the win, Nebraska has now started the season 3-0 and finished its nonconference slate undefeated for the first time since 2016.

Raiola’s focus and intensity showed from the get-go as he led the Nebraska offense on three consecutive touchdown drives. The first, an eight-play march down the field which took just over three minutes, included some tough running from sophomore Dante Dowdell before the Huskers began to lean on their passing offense.

Raiola found wide receiver Carter Nelson for a big gain on a screen pass and went right back to the Ainsworth native on the next play, a 24-yard catch-and-run which represented the first touchdown grab for the freshman wideout in a Nebraska uniform.

Another Husker freshman, Jacory Barney Jr., would also score his first touchdown later in the half on a 10-yard rush. Barney’s touchdown was set up by a 59-yard connection from Raiola to sophomore wide receiver Jaylen Lloyd, the longest gain of the day for either team.

Raiola completed five passes of 15 or more yards during the first half, including two to his usual big-play target, Isaiah Neyor. The senior wide receiver hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass, adding to a first half where Raiola totaled over 200 yards in the air.

Nebraska’s pass-happy attack was a stark contrast to a Northern Iowa (2-1) offense that needed to keep the ball on the ground. Quarterback Aidan Dunne did well to get the ball out quickly, neutralizing NU’s aggressive pass rush, during a long opening drive that showcased the Panthers’ formula for the game.

As Northern Iowa huddled between plays, converting two third downs and a fourth-down try, it ticked over 10 minutes off the game clock on a 16-play drive that ended in a field goal. Senior cornerback Marques Buford made sure the Panthers would be limited to a kick when he came up with a key third-down pass deflection, while defensive lineman Ty Robinson added another later in the half.

Nebraska scored touchdowns on its first three possessions of the half, turning the ball over on downs in its only first-half mishap.

Even with an 18-point halftime lead in its favor, starting the third quarter fast was still imperative for Nebraska. It was Northern Iowa which came out with an initial second-half surge, though, as it marched down the field to the edge of the Nebraska red zone.

As Dunne dropped back and looked to hit his wide receiver for a touchdown, his pass attempt into the end zone fell just beyond the diving hands of junior Malcolm Hartzog. He wouldn’t miss on the next play, though, a Dunne pass that sailed over his receiver’s head into Hartzog’s waiting arms for the Husker cornerback’s second interception of the season.

It was soon back to work for Raiola who finished the game 17-of-23 passing for 247 yards alongside two touchdowns and one interception.

Just as in its two prior wins, the Nebraska offense did most of its damage in the first half before slowing down in the second. Kicker Tristan Alvano made a pair of short field goals during the third quarter, pushing Nebraska’s lead to 27-3.

As a result of a 15-yard quarterback keeper in the first half, Raiola also led Nebraska in rushing for much of the game until midway through the third quarter. Dowdell reclaimed the honor after breaking off a 38-yard run which helped him finish as NU’s leading rusher with 55 yards gained on six attempts.

Raiola, who threw a fourth-quarter interception, was replaced by backup quarterback Heinrich Haarberg with nine minutes remaining in the game.

From there, Nebraska put the finishing touches on a win which will propel it into Big Ten Conference play as a Top 25 team with an undefeated record.