Nebraska Football’s Dylan Raiola vs. Purdue

Nebraska and Purdue played an ugly first half of football on Saturday. There were no points scored until the Boilermakers hit a field goal with 6:42 to play in the third quarter.

Huskers’ freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola had a final stat line of 17-for-27 passing for 257 yards and one touchdown. However, Raiola did put the offense in position to kick three field goals in the first half, but all three missed, including two that were blocked.

After the Boilermakers got on the board first with a field goal, Raiola responded by leading a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that ended with a beautiful touchdown pass to Jahmal Banks.

That was what the offense needed to be able to wake up. The Huskers scored again on their next drive on 4th & Goal from the one-yard line, after another long drive gassed the Boilermaker defense. It was a great way to start the fourth quarter and was a killing blow to Purdue’s ability to win the game with the way their offense was struggling.

Raiola then led a third straight touchdown drive before a Blackshirts pick-six ended any chance the Boilermakers had in what was a fourth-quarter onslaught.

While Raiola and the offense struggled to put points on the board for much of the game, they still managed to limit turnovers and avoid drastic mistakes. That is a good sign for a freshman quarterback playing on the road for the first time. He was far from perfect but showed maturity and poise when he easily could have become frustrated and panicky. The good news for the Huskers is that he will only become more experienced and likely play better on the road in the future.

Grade: B

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