Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola impresses at Spring Game

Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule asked for a Red-White “shootout,” and he got one.

One year after Nebraska scored 28 total points in its annual spring scrimmage, the Huskers combined for 46 points on an offensive-centric day at Memorial Stadium.

Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola impressed during his first appearance in a Nebraska uniform, tossing two touchdown passes as the White team secured a 25-21 win in Nebraska’s Red-White Spring Game.

As Nebraska’s three scholarship quarterbacks rotated between the two teams, each had their opportunities to lead long touchdown drives — and it was Raiola who seized the opportunity from the start. Raiola tossed the first touchdown of the scrimmage, a lofted 16-yard pass to wide receiver Janiran Bonner in the corner of the end zone to set off a high-scoring first half.

All four of Raiola’s first-half drives appeared likely to end in points. On the freshman’s second series, this time with the White team, Raiola fired a well-placed pass into a tight window which junior wide receiver Alex Bullock hauled in for a 22-yard gain.

The third-down conversion kept the drive going as Raiola repeatedly looked to redshirt freshman Demitrius Bell on the ensuing plays. Raiola targeted Bell on three consecutive throws, completing one before his final pass attempt deflected off Bell’s hands. Defensive back Ethan Nation collected the interception, marking the game’s first turnover.

On Raiola’s third offensive series, it took just two plays for the freshman to lead a touchdown drive. After completing a screen pass to senior wideout Isaiah Neyor, Raiola showcased his strong arm on a deep pass to Jaylen Lloyd. The sophomore wide receiver completely outran his coverage, hauling in Raiola’s long throw for an eventual 64-yard touchdown pass.

Prior to halftime, Raiola again marched the Nebraska offense down the field. The freshman flashed his ability to make different types of throws, lofting a slow rainbow pass to Bullock on the sidelines before slinging a 12-yard bullet pass to freshman Jacory Barney Jr. over the middle. NU drove into field-goal range, but sophomore Tristan Alvano’s 32-yard attempt was no good.

Nebraska’s other scholarship quarterbacks, Heinrich Haarberg and Daniel Kaelin also led touchdown drives of their own.

While Haarberg missed his first two attempts at an over-the-shoulder throw to the sidelines, he and Barney connected perfectly in stride for a 41-yard touchdown pass in which the freshman outraced his defensive coverage.

Later in the half, Haarberg fired a completion over the middle to tight end Nate Boerkircher for a 61-yard catch-and-run. A different tight end, junior Thomas Fidone, capped the drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Haarberg.

Sophomore running back Dante Dowdell scored two rushing touchdowns, the first being a 1-yard try off the backs of a long kick return from Barney. If not for a touchdown-saving tackle from Alvano in kick coverage, Barney would’ve taken the kickoff from one end zone to the other.

Dowdell also showed his speed in the open field during the second half, taking an inside handoff then bouncing to the sidelines as he accelerated for a 49-yard rushing score.

Here’s the other notable action from Saturday’s Red-White Spring Game:

Injuries: Two Husker players went down with injuries and needed to be carted off the field during the scrimmage.

Bell, who’d played an active role in the White team’s offensive success, went down the sidelines with an apparent knee issue. After receiving brief medical treatment, Bell attempted to stand back up only to fall back to the turf and receive assistance leaving the field.

Cornerback Blye Hill went down later in the first half, seemingly with a noncontact injury. The sophomore transfer was ranging toward the sideline attempting to make a tackle but quickly pulled up and dropped onto the ground in pain.

Neither player returned to the scrimmage.

Defensive personnel: It was a youthful Nebraska defense that hit the field on Saturday. Key veterans such as linebacker John Bullock, defensive back Isaac Gifford and defensive lineman Jimari Butler still wore their uniforms and stood on the sidelines — but with no shoulder pads and no helmets, they did not enter the game.

Turnovers: After Nebraska turned the ball over eight times in last year’s spring scrimmage, the Huskers committed just two turnovers this time around. Both came via interceptions, with Raiola’s deflected first-half pass quickly being followed by a Kaelin interception. His pass over the middle was snared by redshirt freshman defensive back Mason Jones.