Huskers Roll in Raiola’s Debut – University of Nebraska

Lincoln – True freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola moved Nebraska’s offense consistently down the field for touchdowns and the Blackshirt defense flexed its muscles as the Husker football team rolled to a 40-7 victory over UTEP in front of more than 86,000 fans in the season opener at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Nebraska notched its first win in a season opener since a 35-21 win over South Alabama to kick off 2019, and the 33-point victory margin was the Big Red’s biggest since a 43-10 win over Fresno State to open 2016.

Raiola finished 19-of-27 for 238 yards and two touchdown passes on the afternoon, while leading a Husker offense that rolled up 507 total yards, including 284 passing and 223 rushing. Isaiah Neyor was Raiola’s favorite target, hauling in six catches for 121 yards including a 59-yard touchdown, while Jahmal Banks added four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown of his own. In all, 11 different Husker receivers hauled in at least one catch.

Emmett Johnson led three Husker backs who each totaled 50 or more yards. Johnson finished with 71 yards on eight carries, while Dante Dowdell added 55 yards on eight carries, including Nebraska’s first touchdown. Rahmir Johnson pitched in 50 yards on 11 carries. Gabe Ervin Jr. also contributed in a big way to the Husker ground game with 24 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. Overall, 11 Huskers recorded at least one carry.

Heinrich Haarberg also saw extensive action at quarterback behind Raiola, going a perfect 5-for-5 passing for 35 yards while adding two rushes for eight yards. Jalyn Gramstad also saw his first action at quarterback for the Huskers in the fourth quarter.

Raiola and the Husker offense set the tone by taking the opening kickoff and marching 72 yards in 12 plays capped by Dowdell’s five-yard touchdown run with 9:00 left in the first quarter.

The Blackshirts forced a three-and-out on their first appearance on the field in 2024, but a few minutes later UTEP answered with a 38-yard touchdown strike from Skyler Locklear to Kam Thomas to tie the score at 7-7 with 2:24 left in the opening period.

Raiola was prepared to respond two drives later, moving the Husker offense inside the UTEP 5, but a forced fumble by the Miners’ Landon Hullaby and recovered by Dorian Hopkins snuffed out the scoring opportunity. However, UTEP took over at its own 3, and two plays later, Blackshirt defensive tackle Ty Robinson exploded off the end of the line and splashed running back Jevon Jackson…