Dylan Raiola, the Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback, has already received his first conference distinction after just one game in college. On Monday, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. The true freshman, Nebraska’s highest-rated commit in almost two decades, and the Huskers’ second true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback, “played really well,” according to head coach Matt Rhule.
It certainly looked like it. Raiola completed 19 of his 27 throws for 238 yards and two touchdowns in just eight possessions before leaving midway through the third quarter, leading five scoring drives against UTEP en route to a 40-7 victory on Saturday. By doing so, he became Nebraska’s first 200-yard passer since Casey Thompson on November 25, 2022.
Your Dylan Raiola Week 1 @HuskerFootball highlights 🍿#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/V8ivnsWRn2
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 2, 2024
Raiola is the first Husker to get the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award since defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. in 2022, and the first offensive player since Wan’Dale Robinson in 2019.
Raiola and the Huskers return to primetime action on Saturday, hosting the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffaloes defeated Nebraska 36-14 in Boulder last year, so the Huskers will be out for vengeance. Saturday’s kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m., with the game broadcast nationwide on NBC.
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