The Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-5) took a trip to the Pacific coast to face the USC Trojans (5-5) this weekend. However, the beautiful beaches of LA transpired to be quicksand for Matt Rhule’s team. A 20-28 loss ensued, and the Huskers are really seeping deeper into the ground each passing week. This result marks their 4th loss on the spin. Front and center of this downturn has been true freshman Dylan Raiola.

Raiola began his collegiate career with pomp. Through his first 5 games, he had 9 touchdowns to go with a mere 2 picks. Great platform to build on for the Mahomes doppelganger. However, he has since turned into the 2024 version of Patrick- minus the clutch 4th quarters. 2 TDs and 8 INTs in the following 5 games later, a regression is apparent. With discourse around Raiola trending, the iconic Tom Osborne weighed in on the matter. Arguably the greatest CFB coach of all time, Osborne dropped his two cents on what gaps he sees in Rhule and his staff’s playcalling.

In an interview with Huskers’ HOFer Adam Carriker on his YouTube channel, Coach Osborne was asked what he’d do to help Raiola “get his confidence back”. He replied, “Well, I don’t want to be in a position where I’m trying to second-guess coaches. But I’d say there are some read-pass options where you get the ball out quickly. Sometimes, not so much [last] game, but previous games [there] were just pure dropbacks. No play-action. [Also] sometimes the pass rush was getting to him pretty regularly”. 

Despite the issues with the offensive system, Coach reiterated his admiration of Dylan Raiola. He even called for a change in the passing/running splits. “[Raiola] does have good throwing skills. There’s no question about his good arm, and I think he’s a pretty intelligent young guy. I know him personally and have a great deal of regard for him. But it would be, I think, somewhat helpful to diversify the offense where so much of it was not resting on his shoulders.”

The issues Coach highlighted have accumulated into a change in personnel. New OC Dana Holgorsen will be seeking an osmosis-like permeation of his wealth of experience into young Raiola. He only has a couple of games to do. However, a few weeks of learning under Holgorsen could serve the QB well going forward. Dylan is seemingly aware of the opportunity, as well as the overarching pressure to deliver.

Dylan Raiola is unwavering in his promise to the fans

The Week 12 game was certainly a learning curve for the Huskers and their QB. The game ended on the final drive after Raiola threw a pick on a bit of a Hail Mary. There has been conjecture around a blown call by the refs on that play. Regardless, this was Nebraska’s third loss in a row by a 1-score margin. That’s just brutal. A glass-half-empty perspective would mean that they’re coming short in big spots and big 3rd downs. The other notion would be that they were very close to being an 8 or 9-win team this year.

Raiola is still confident that the tide will turn. “I think we’ll make the biggest jump from this week to the next,” Raiola said. “Husker Nation’s probably having a lot of doubt and a lot of uncertainty. It’s up to them. I think we’re gonna roll into these next two games and roll into the bowl game”.

Nebraska has not made a bowl game in 8 years. The concern among the fans, which Raiola hinted at, is perhaps justified. With a figure of Tom Osborne’s ilk laying a potential pathway, Rhule would hope he can break this losing streak promptly. He is not averse to imitating legendary coaches’ styles. The Huskers’ quest for bowl eligibility will continue next weekend against Wisconsin.