Nebraska just got a little closer to bowl eligibility! Dylan Raiola and his team received the motivation to win right from the start when former NFL defensive star Ndamukong Suh walked them in through the tunnel. But it took more than the offense to earn them this close victory at Memorial Stadium. 

Matt Rhule couldn’t be more proud of the Huskers as they beat Rutgers in an intense 14-7 game. But one player in particular stood out – Punter Brian Buschini. In his post-game speech as posted on X on October 6, Rhule said of Buschini, “Really proud of Brian. He showed the heart of a lion out there.”

Despite being the attention stealer at the end of the game, Brian Buschini didn’t exactly fare well early on. His first punt was partially blocked by Rutgers’ Flip Dixon and left him facedown for a moment. But in the fourth quarter, the 6’1, 225-pound senior received the snap and took one step back. Then he pulled up and made a pass to Isaiah Neyor who converted it into a 30-yard gain. 

The Huskers punted again and this time, Buschini secured a 41-yard leaving the Scarlet Knights at their 5. The last Buschini punt covered 69 yards forcing their opponent to start their last possession with 2:28 minutes remaining, which ultimately led to a close win by Nebraska. 

Nebraska’s defense rescues Dylan Raiola

It wasn’t the best game for Dylan Raiola who completed just 13 of 27 passes for 134 yards and 0 touchdowns. After the defense carried him through the game, he later said, “Those games happen, hate to say it. We won the game, which is all that matters.” WR Janiran Bonner and RB Dante Dowdell scored on 1-yard runs as the Huskers walked away with another win to improve their record to 5-1.

Matt Rhule also gave his respect to Rutgers HC Greg Schiano for the tough competition. He said, “In many ways it was a tough day. Credit to Rutgers, credit to Greg Schiano. They did a ton of things against us. But we didn’t turn the ball over but once. We won the turnover battle. ” The defense dominated the game and sacked Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis four times while holding them to 264 total yards. Rhule needs to make some adjustments to the offensive play during their bye week. Can the offense pick up pace with the defense before another tough game against No. 23 Indiana?