HC Matt Rhule is living the life right now. He probably didn’t think that his boys would manage to clutch the first game of the season with a massive 40-7 win. Much of the thanks should go to his QB, Dylan Raiola. That dude with the No.15 jersey was a sight for sore eyes during the Cornhuskers opener against the Miners. Raiola locked in, and it didn’t even feel like this was his first game as a true freshman. His domination started in the 2nd quarter after catching a 38-yard pass from Skyler Locklear.

So, it didn’t come as a surprise that one of the GOATs in the world of CFB was quick to praise Raiola for his plays. Former Crimson Tide HC Nick Saban, on September 7th, had had some praise for the Cornhuskers QB. “Nebraska QB showed confidence in the game. He didn’t play like a freshman. It’s amazing how mature these guys are,” Saban mentioned. You have to give the guy some credit. He managed to grab a PFF grade of 79.5 in week 1. This is, quite literally, the highest grade that any freshman quarterback has achieved. The last time something like this happened was back in 2018. Raiola got around 238 passing yards during the game and landed 2 TDs. This is a big deal for Rhule as well because, for the first time in 5 years, the Cornhuskers have managed to grab a season opener win.

Saban wasn’t the only one who spotted Raiola’s greatness. Patrick Mahomes, back on September 1st, posted on X celebrating Raiola’s touchdown. “Lil cuzzo!! 💪🏽🎯” Mahomes had written on his post. This is a big shout-out for Raiola because he is somewhat of a Mahomes doppelgänger. Starting from the hair to the jersey number, Raiola makes sure people know that he is a Mahomes fan. Not only that, the young QB also closely follows the way Mahomes plays and tries to mirror that. While it’s all sunshine and rainbows for Rhule and Raiola right now, their biggest challenge is waiting for them around the corner.

Can Dylan Raiola prove himself against the Buffs?

Former Lions player Desmond Howard raised a good point today on September 7th on ESPN First Take. “You look at Riola, he’s a young guy, he’s a newbie,” Howard had mentioned. Keep in mind that a few hours later, today, Raiola would be going up against one of the best QBs in CFB. Shedeur Sanders has the experience and the talent and we saw how he dominated against NDSU.

While it is true that Rhule can still exploit the average O-line the Buffs have, the chemistry between Shedeur and Travis Hunter would be something that can easily turn the tides of the game. If Raiola turns it over too many times, the Cornhuskers are done for. Shedeur is not the same guy he was last season. He takes solid plays and will make sure Hunter gets an easy pass to score a TD. Regardless, we still gotta wait and watch how all of this pans out.