Matt Rhule, Dylan Raiola Ripped By CFB Fans in Nebraska Loss to Iowa on GW Field Goal
Nov 30, 2024
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 23: Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) celebrates a touchdown before it gets overturned during the second quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium on November 23, 2024, in Lincoln, NE. (Photo by Nathanial George/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Nebraska Cornhuskers, Dylan Raiola and head coach Matt Rhule are facing criticism after losing to Iowa 13-10 on Friday via a last-second 53-yard field goal.
Despite holding a 10-0 halftime lead and limiting Iowa to just 20 total offensive yards in the first half, Nebraska was shut out in the second half as Iowa rallied for the victory.
Iowa managed only five first downs compared to Nebraska's 20 and totaled just 164 yards of offense against Nebraska's 334.
Despite the disparities, Nebraska allowed Iowa to claw back and secure the win, improving to 8-4 while the Cornhuskers dropped to 6-6 in their season finale.
Raiola completed 22-of-32 passes for 190 yards. Running back Dante Dowdell added to the total with 13 carries for 50 yards and one touchdown.
Iowa quarterback Jackson Stratton completed 8-of-15 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown, while kicker Drew Stevens contributed seven points.
Nebraska ended their season with losses in five of their last six games, finishing 13th in the Big Ten Conference.
Fans took to social media to criticize Raiola and Rhule for squandering their lead against the Hawkeyes, noting that the quarterback failed to deliver a "Mahomes-like" performance despite his efforts.
The Cornhuskers remain bowl eligible despite the loss on Saturday.
Dylan Raiola, Nebraska Beat Wisconsin; Bowl Eligible for 1st Time Since 2016
Nov 24, 2024
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - NOVEMBER 23: Dante Dowdell #23 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers scores against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
The 6-5 Nebraska Cornhuskers are bowl-bound for the first time since 2016.
Following their dominant 44-25 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers, they move to No. 10 in the Big Ten conference.
Quarterback Dylan Raiola had a stellar game as he completed 28-of-38 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown in the blowout.
The home win at Memorial Stadium was an emotional one for the Cornhuskers as they overcome a seven-year post-season drought.
The absence was the longest among Power Four conference schools and tied for the longest in all of Division I football, according to Nebraska Public Media's Aaron Bonderson.
The win also snaps a four-game losing streak for the Huskers.
Nebraska travels to Iowa City for its final game of the season against the 7-4 Hawkeyes next Friday.
Report: Dylan Raiola Expected to Play for Nebraska vs. USC Amid Back Injury
Nov 4, 2024
COLUMBUS, OHIO - OCTOBER 26: Quarterback Dylan Raiola #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers warms up before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena on October 26, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
Despite suffering a back injury in Saturday's loss to UCLA, Nebraska true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is reportedly expected to be under center for the team's next game.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, scans on Raiola's back issue "came back clear" and he's expected to be healthy enough to play when the Cornhuskers face USC on Nov. 16.
Raiola injured his back after getting hit on a quarterback scramble in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game. He tried to re-enter the game two plays later but then asked to be removed from the game. Nebraska went on to suffer a 27-20 loss to UCLA, extending its losing streak to three straight games.
"Got hit in the wrong spot," Raiola said after the loss. "I'll come in tomorrow and get checked out and probably get screened. I thought I could fight through it. I went out there and I guess it kind of locked up on me."
Raiola threw for 177 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-27 passing before exiting the game. He also threw a pick-six at the beginning of the second half, putting the Cornhuskers into a 20-7 hole. After replacing Raiola, Heinrich Haarberg completed two of his seven passes for 32 yards and a game-sealing interception with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
In nine games this season, Raiola has thrown for 1,921 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Nebraska's bye week will certainly help him get back on track before facing USC.
Despite falling to 5-4, the Cornhuskers will still have the chance to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 when it meets the Trojans in two weeks.
Dylan Raiola: 'Disrespects Football' When OSU Fans Throw Debris on Field vs. Nebraska
Oct 26, 2024
COLUMBUS, OHIO - OCTOBER 26: Quarterback Dylan Raiola #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
After a 21-17 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola said that fans disrespected football after throwing bottles onto the field at Ohio Stadium, according to ON3's Thomas Goldkamp.
"The bottles being thrown is just, I don't know, it kind of feels like it disrespects football and the nature of it," Raiola said post-game, per Goldkamp. "It happened and we had to get away from it, but nah, it was loud. It was a cool environment. But we knew that coming in."
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day became irate over a targeting call and had to be physically restrained by a staff member. Shortly after, fans began littering the field with bottles.
Ohio State is called for targeting on this play
Nebraska's offense stays on the field, trailing 21-17 with 3:14 to go in the 4th pic.twitter.com/D5mNZVskr9
The freshman quarterback threw a late-game interception while down by four points with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter, sealing the win for the Buckeyes.
Ryan Day is not happy with the targeting call as Ohio State fans begin to toss water bottles onto the field calling for a reversal. pic.twitter.com/nzim8SmG62
Railoa finished Saturday's game 21-for-32 passing with 152 yards, one interception and one fumble.
The Cornhuskers will look to bounce back next Saturday against the 2-5 UCLA Bruins at home.
2026 QB Dayton Raiola, Brother of Dylan, Commits to Matt Rhule, Nebraska
Sep 23, 2024
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 27: A Nebraska Cornhuskers football helmet sits on a case during the Big Ten Conference Media Days on July 27, 2023 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is keeping in the family with his latest recruiting addition.
Per Hunter Shelton of On3.com, class of 2026 quarterback Dayton Raiola, the younger brother of Cornhuskers freshman starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, has committed to Nebraska. The high school junior is not ranked in 247Sports' composite but also had offers from Appalachian State and Charlotte.
Dayton's commitment to Nebraska continues the long legacy of the Raiolas at the school. His father, Dominic, was an All-American center and won the inaugural Rimington Trophy in 2000 for the Cornhuskers. His uncle, Donovan, is currently the team's offensive line coach.
Dayton is now Rhule's first commit in the 2026 class. The Buford (Ga.) quarterback took several trips to Nebraska during his recruitment.
"Felt great to be back on campus again!" Dayton told On3.com following his visit in July. "Every time I go there the motto doesn't change from anybody especially the coaches! Got to spend some good time with Isaiah Mozee too and he was awesome to be around. It was a fun little trip, did a scavenger hunt but also got to talk some ball. Overall it was an amazing time back being with blood family and extended family coaches, players, etc. Also it was fun being told what to do by my sister since she's the general manager of recruiting there."
Dayton will be hoping to have the same impact as his older brother, as Dylan has led the Cornhuskers to a 3-1 start to the 2024 season. The true freshman has completed 72.2 percent of his passes for 967 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Nebraska will look to earn its first Big Ten victory of the year when it faces Purdue on Saturday.
Nebraska's Matt Rhule Falls to 2-20 All-Time vs. Top 25 Teams After Loss vs. Illinois
Sep 21, 2024
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - AUGUST 31: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks the sidelines against the UTEP Miners during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Matt Rhule's shortcomings against ranked teams continued Friday night, as his 22nd-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers fell to the No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini 31-24 in overtime.
With that loss, Rhule-coached teams are now just 2-20 all-time against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, per Shane Shoemaker of Athlon Sports. Rhule has also lost 14 consecutive games to ranked opponents.
While several of Rhule's ranked losses came during his time at Temple and Baylor, Nebraska is in the midst of a long run of futility against ranked opponents as well, having lost 25 straight games to Top 25 teams dating back to 2016, according to ESPN.
The only power conference school that has a longer active losing streak against Top 25 teams is Rutgers, which has lost 40 in a row.
After six consecutive losing seasons under Mike Riley and Scott Frost, Rhule took over as Nebraska's head coach last year. While Nebraska still finished below .500, its 5-7 record was its best mark since 2019.
Despite his issues beating ranked teams, Rhule has a reputation of quickly turning around collegiate programs, which is likely why Nebraska targeted him.
At Temple, the Owls went 2-10 and 6-6 over his first two seasons at the helm before improving to 10-4 in 2015 and 10-3 in 2016.
Then, Rhule helped Baylor improve by leaps and bounds over the course of three seasons, going 1-11 in 2017, 7-6 in 2018 and 11-3 in 2019.
That led to Rhule landing an NFL head coaching job with the Carolina Panthers, but he was unable to achieve similar success, going just 11-27 in parts of three seasons before getting fired during the 2022 campaign.
Rhule is now back where he excels in the college ranks, and prior to Friday's loss, all signs pointed toward the Huskers perhaps being back in the mix as a contender in the Big Ten.
That may still ultimately be the case, but now Nebraska must dig itself out of an 0-1 hole in terms of conference record, which won't be easy in a stacked Big Ten featuring Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Penn State, Michigan and several other big-time schools.
Friday's game was a missed opportunity for the Huskers in many ways, as they had a 17-10 lead at halftime and a 24-17 lead during the fourth quarter. They also missed a 39-yard field goal with 2:59 remaining in regulation that would have given them the lead.
Despite the obvious disappointment involved with losing their conference opener at home, there is still plenty of reason for optimism for the rest of this season and beyond for the Cornhuskers.
That is largely due to the presence of freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is completing 72.2 percent of his passes and has thrown for 967 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions through his first four collegiate games.
He looks every bit as good as advertised, and if he continues to develop, then Rhule and the Huskers should win their fair share of games against ranked opponents in the coming years.
Dylan Raiola, Nebraska Disappoint CFB Fans in OT with Loss vs. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Sep 21, 2024
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - SEPTEMBER 20: Dylan Raiola #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers drops back to pass against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium on September 20, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
A battle between two exciting quarterbacks saw Luke Altmyer's Illinois come out on top against Dylan Raiola's Nebraska in overtime on Friday.
Fans couldn't have asked for a much more exciting contest as the two teams stayed neck and neck throughout the game. Nebraska and Illinois traded fourth-quarter touchdowns and the Huskers later had the chance to take the lead on a field goal, but missed to keep the score locked at 24.
In overtime, the Fighting Illini practically walked into the endzone. It took just two plays for Illinois to score and put the pressure on Nebraska.
The Huskers had quite the opposite experience in their overtime drive as Illinois' offensive line had their way with Raiola, backing him up to make it 3rd and 42. Raiola ultimately couldn't overcome the massive setback and Nebraska picked up its first loss of the season.
Besides a sloppy showing in overtime, it was an impressive performance from the true freshman Raiola, who had 284 passing yards with three touchdowns. Still, fans were disappointed about the poor effort in overtime.
Altmyer is off to the best start of his career after three years of mediocrity, and the hot start continued on Friday. He had 204 passing yards with four touchdowns, completing 21 of his 27 passes as he led the Illini to the big win in overtime.
While Raiola was the storyline coming into the game, Altmyer showed fans that he's looking to end his career with a bang.
Like a hot knife through butter for Illinois. My goodness, that was easy. Luke Altmyer: 21/27 with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Illinois improved to 4-0 with the win, picking up its first Big Ten win and second ranked win of the season. The Fighting Illini will have another huge test next week as they take on Penn State.
The Huskers drop to 3-1 on the year but still have plenty of games to make up for the loss. Nebraska will continue Big Ten play next week with a matchup with Purdue.
Video: Nebraska's Matt Rhule Talks Patrick Mahomes-Dylan Raiola Comparisons
Sep 17, 2024
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - SEPTEMBER 14: Dylan Raiola #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers passes against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule says he has been comparing freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola to Patrick Mahomes long before Raiola went viral for his resemblance to the Kansas City Chiefs star.
"When I got here, I went and watched [Raiola] throw in high school, and I texted our recruiting guy," Rhule said on Tuesday's episode of The Rich Eisen Show (1:00 mark of the video below.) "And he said, 'How's he look?' And I said, 'He's Mahomes.'
"And not just the facial, and the mannerisms. His arm, his ability to make throws off platform, just everything. That was my first instinct. So now it's kind of funny, to see everyone— I can't look at Instagram without seeing someone putting them side by side. But the great thing is he's a winner, just like Patrick is."
Raiola has helped Nebraska start the season with three straight wins while going 59-of-80 for 670 yards, five touchdowns and an interception.
The freshman quarterback has played up his resemblance to Mahomes by doing everything from dressing like the Chiefs star and imitating his pregame ritual to completing sidearm passes during games.
Mahomes, who recently told reporters it's "cool" to see Raiola emulate him, gave the freshman a shoutout after he threw a 59-yard touchdown pass against UTEP in his college debut.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with all of our players having high expectations and speaking belief into them," Rhule said. "I believe that Dylan has the chance to be one of the best players on the planet at some point.
"The key is, whether it's him, whether it's his family, whether it's our players, whether it's me— we just all have to make sure he continues to work at it, and all of our players continue to work at it."
Nebraska has won by at least 18 points in all three of Raiola's starts so far. Rhule noted that Raiola will develop further as he faces more adversity, something likely coming up later this season with upcoming contests against No. 3 Ohio State and No. 11 USC.
"So far, he's had all good days," Rhule said. "And the one thing I've said to him is, I've watched guys in the NFL, I've watched guys go off to the NFL, and at some point you're going to be defined by your bad days, and how you respond to those days."
Rhule added: "I think the great thing about Dylan is, because he stays so humble and grounded, he's always gonna know who he is, and if he does have a bad day, he'll bounce back."
Raiola is slated to get his fourth start for the Cornhuskers when No. 22 takes on No. 24 Illinois at home on Friday night.
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Jokes Dylan Raiola's Tributes Tell Him He's 'a Little Old'
Sep 11, 2024
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - SEPTEMBER 7: Dylan Raiola #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers warms up before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Memorial Stadium on September 7, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes says it makes him feel "a little old" to watch lookalike Nebraska signal caller Dylan Raiola emulate his style before NCAA games.
"It's cool, honestly," Mahomes said on Wednesday (h/t KCTV 5's Jared Koller.) "I was that guy. I grew up watching players. I remember, when I would grow up, I loved Alex Rodriguez, played shortstop, and would try to make plays just like him, and do stuff like that. It helped me become the athlete that I am. It's just telling me I'm getting a little old, that's the biggest thing. You have these guys that are coming up, and doing some of the sidearm stuff, and everything like that.
"But I know Dylan, I train with him in the offseason. Great kid, he's a great football player. I think he's going to make his own stamp on the game, and I think you've seen that early in his career."
Patrick Mahomes on #Huskers QB Dylan Raiola: "It's cool, honestly. I was that guy, grew up watching players. I loved A-Rod, played SS, would try to make plays just like him. It helped me become the athlete that I am. It's just telling me I'm getting a little old." #ChiefsKingdompic.twitter.com/0Fi9lMRzv3
The Cornhuskers are off to a 2-0 start this season as Raiola has gone 42-of-57 for 423 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Raiola was named Big Ten freshman of the week after throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns in his Aug. 31 college debut against UTEP.
"I think he wants it to be about his team, and that's the right way to play the quarterback position, is that it's not about you, it's about going out there and having success as a team," Mahomes said. "They've done that so far this year... I think he just kind of wants to push this aside and play football, push that aside and play football games, and I think that's the right way to play the position."
This is not the first time Mahomes has praised Raiola's success this season. The Chiefs quarterback shared a clip of Raiola's 59-yard touchdown pass against UTEP with the caption "Lil cuzzo."
Raiola shared Mahomes' post on his Instagram story with the caption "Learned behavior."
The Huskers quarterback spent the summer before his college offseason training in Kansas City with Mahomes' trainer, Bobby Stroupe, Sam McKewon reported for Husker Extra.
"I just want to be around greatness," Raiola said about the opportunity to practice with Mahomes, per McKewon. "Obviously he's going down as one of the greats already. But just trying to take it all in and elevate my game as much as I can."
Raiola may be emulating Mahomes' offseason routine, dress and sidearm passing abilities, but he recently told reporters his No. 15 jersey is not an homage to the Chiefs quarterback but rather a nod to former Florida star quarterback Tim Tebow.
He and Nebraska are back in action on Saturday against Northern Iowa, while Mahomes and the similarly undefeated Chiefs head into Week 2 to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Video: Nebraska Trolls Deion Sanders' Son Shedeur, Colorado After Blowout Win
Sep 9, 2024
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - SEPTEMBER 07: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes passes against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium on September 7, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Nebraska football enjoyed a dominant 28-10 win on Saturday over visiting Colorado, a team featuring head coach (and Pro Football Hall of Famer) Deion Sanders as well as his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Two days later, the Cornhuskers dropped this video, with linebacker Mikai Gbayor's Colorado gameweek comments warning teams who think they were going to roll over Nebraska serving as the backbone.
Nebraska rolled out to a 28-0 halftime lead, which included a Tommi Hill pick-six on a Sanders pass, en route to victory.
Gbayor's comments were made Tuesday, in response to a question about the team's plan for physicality against Colorado (h/t Mitch Sherman of The Athletic).
Nebraska LB Mikai Gbayor did not default to coachspeak today in his four-minute interview. Most of it was filled with confident talk like this — when he was asked about the Huskers’ plan to play with physicality against Colorado. pic.twitter.com/Dsbc4WPsIj
The Cornhuskers certainly did just that, leveling six sacks and 10 quarterback hits as Sanders felt oncoming pressure all night. Gbayor had six tackles, although he was ejected after a targeting penalty on Sanders in the fourth quarter. Nebraska also limited the Cornhuskers to 16 net rushing yards.
Gbayor certainly talked his talk before walking his walk Saturday, notably telling reporters that Sanders wasn't in Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola's league.
“You can’t compare Dylan and Shedeur Sanders, Don’t do that..Dylan is a different man”
Reporter : “How is Dylan different ?”
“Just Dylan is a Dog, Just know that..You’ll see on Saturday”
Raiola certainly had more time to operate than Sanders, but he did well with it, completing 23-of-30 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown.
After the game, Nebraska made more references to Sanders. Raiola hit Sanders' celebration pose, and the team even played his song, "Perfect Timing," in the locker room.
Dylan Raiola hit the Shedeur watch celly after Nebraska's win vs. Colorado 👀⌚️
The Cornhuskers are now 2-0 after first beating UTEP 40-7 in Week 1. Up next is a home game against Division I-FCS Northern Iowa on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
