Prize recruit Dylan Raiola is sharp in his debut as Nebraska overpowers UTEP 40-7

AP College Football Writer

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Dylan Raiola passed for 238 yards and two touchdowns in his college debut and Nebraska beat UTEP 40-7 Saturday for its first win in a season opener in five years.

Raiola showed poise throughout against the overmatched Miners and flashes of the flair that made him a five-star recruit and the highest-rated player to ever sign with the Cornhuskers.

“I’ve been waiting for this since I was 8 years old,” Raiola said. “I tried to take it all in — not be like tough-guy football player. You’ve got to be human and enjoy this scene. Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. The fans showed out like I knew they would.”

Both of his touchdown passes were perfectly placed. The first, for 59 yards, went to Texas transfer Isaiah Neyor, who was well covered when he caught the ball over his shoulder along the right sideline. Neyor stumbled as he pulled the ball in at the 12, regained his balance and ran into the end zone.

On his second TD pass, Raiola lofted the ball to the outside shoulder of Wake Forest transfer Jahmal Banks, who jumped to bring down the ball in the back corner of the end zone.

“It was about trust,” Banks said. “Those conversations we’ve had, those practices we’ve had. Let’s go get it. That’s what we train for, that’s what we sacrifice for, that’s what we suffer for, moments like that.”

Raiola had pledged to Ohio State and Georgia before he told Nebraska coach Matt Rhule in mid-December he wanted to play where his father, Dominic, was an All-America center in 2000.

His long-anticipated first game for the Huskers brought 86,000 to Memorial Stadium, and he undoubtedly sent the fans home happy. He played one series in the second half and was 19 of 27 for 238 yards when he turned things over to Heinrich Haarberg.

“For a first game for Dylan, a lot of great things,” Rhule said. “There’s also a lot of things to clean up as a staff, and we will.”

Neyor caught six balls for 121 yards for the Huskers’ first 100-yard receiving game since Trey Palmer had 165 at Iowa in 2022.

UTEP’s only touchdown came after it stopped Nebraska short on a fourth-and-5 in the first quarter. The Miners needed only 42 seconds to go 63 yards, with Skyler Locklear connecting with Kam Thomas for a 38-yard TD.

“I think everybody expected to win,” Miners first-year coach Scotty Walden said. “But you play a great team like Nebraska, you’ve got to execute, and we did not execute.”

The takeaway

UTEP: The Miners’ 205 total yards were their fewest since managing 131 in a loss to Texas Tech in 2019. They are now 1-60 against opponents from power conferences, their lone win against Mississippi in the 1967 Sun Bowl.

Nebraska: The Huskers did what they were supposed to do — which was an accomplishment given some of the face-plants they’ve done over seven straight losing seasons. Raiola was sharp, the new group of receivers lived up to its billing, and the team mostly shook the turnover bug that has plagued them for two years. Dante Dowdell’s fumble inside the UTEP 5 in the first half was the only one.

Offensive improvement

Nebraska’s 40 points were its most since a 56-7 win over Northwestern in 2021, and its 507 total yards were its most since gaining 575 against Georgia Southern in 2022.

Rhule joked that members of the Fox television crew at the game had called Nebraska’s offense a “disgrace” during a game they covered last year.

“We were,” he said, laughing. “I don’t take offense. I didn’t overreact. Now you’re out there and you see guys making plays, the O-line blocking and our tight end play was excellent. We’re better. We’re going to have to get a lot better moving forward.”

Up next

UTEP: hosts Southern Utah on Saturday night.

Nebraska: hosts Colorado on Saturday night.

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