Lincoln – True freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola moved Nebraska’s offense consistently down the field for touchdowns and the Blackshirt defense flexed its muscles as the Husker football team rolled to a 40-7 victory over UTEP in front of more than 86,000 fans in the season opener at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Nebraska notched its first win in a season opener since a 35-21 win over South Alabama to kick off 2019, and the 33-point victory margin was the Big Red’s biggest since a 43-10 win over Fresno State to open 2016.
Raiola finished 19-of-27 for 238 yards and two touchdown passes on the afternoon, while leading a Husker offense that rolled up 507 total yards, including 284 passing and 223 rushing. Isaiah Neyor was Raiola’s favorite target, hauling in six catches for 121 yards including a 59-yard touchdown, while Jahmal Banks added four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown of his own. In all, 11 different Husker receivers hauled in at least one catch.
Emmett Johnson led three Husker backs who each totaled 50 or more yards. Johnson finished with 71 yards on eight carries, while Dante Dowdell added 55 yards on eight carries, including Nebraska’s first touchdown. Rahmir Johnson pitched in 50 yards on 11 carries. Gabe Ervin Jr. also contributed in a big way to the Husker ground game with 24 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. Overall, 11 Huskers recorded at least one carry.
Heinrich Haarberg also saw extensive action at quarterback behind Raiola, going a perfect 5-for-5 passing for 35 yards while adding two rushes for eight yards. Jalyn Gramstad also saw his first action at quarterback for the Huskers in the fourth quarter.
Raiola and the Husker offense set the tone by taking the opening kickoff and marching 72 yards in 12 plays capped by Dowdell’s five-yard touchdown run with 9:00 left in the first quarter.
The Blackshirts forced a three-and-out on their first appearance on the field in 2024, but a few minutes later UTEP answered with a 38-yard touchdown strike from Skyler Locklear to Kam Thomas to tie the score at 7-7 with 2:24 left in the opening period.
Raiola was prepared to respond two drives later, moving the Husker offense inside the UTEP 5, but a forced fumble by the Miners’ Landon Hullaby and recovered by Dorian Hopkins snuffed out the scoring opportunity. However, UTEP took over at its own 3, and two plays later, Blackshirt defensive tackle Ty Robinson exploded off the end of the line and splashed running back Jevon Jackson in the end zone for a safety to give Nebraska a 9-7 lead with 10:29 left in the second quarter.
From that moment, it was all Huskers. Just 25 seconds later, Raiola connected with Neyor on an impressive 59-yard touchdown strike to extend Nebraska’s lead to 16-7. Neyor starred throughout the first half, hauling in five receptions for 107 yards. It was the fourth career 100-yard game for the Texas transfer, and his first as a Husker.
The Blackshirts produced another quick stop, and Raiola and the offense went back to work, moving 63 yards in eight plays capped by Ervin’s three-yard touchdown blast to put Nebraska up 23-7 with 5:34 left in the half.
Raiola and the Big Red offense wasn’t finished. An interception by Malcolm Hartzog Jr. gave the Huskers the ball back with 2:05 left, and Raiola hooked up on a 21-yard pass that resulted in a spectacular touchdown reception by Banks with two seconds left to send Nebraska to halftime with a 30-7 lead.
Raiola finished his first half as the Husker quarterback 15-of-22 for 192 yards and two scores. Most importantly, he led the offense to touchdowns on 4-of-7 drives.
The Huskers amassed 339 yards on 48 first-half plays, while UTEP managed 114 yards on 21 plays against the Blackshirts. Four Nebraska running backs shared a first-half running load the totaled 147 yards on 25 carries, led by 55 yards from Dowdell. Emmett Johnson added 54 yards on just three carries, including a career-long 42-yard run. Rahmir Johnson added 37 yards on 10 totes, while Ervin contribted three carries for seven yards.
The Blackshirts shut down UTEP’s opening drive of the second half, and Raiola continued to keep the Big Red moving. He marched Nebraska 73 yards on 11 plays capped by Ervin’s second touchdown run of the game – this time from one yard out – put the Huskers up 37-7 with 5:34 left in the third. That was Raiola’s last drive of the game, as he gave way to Haarberg on the next drive.
Haarberg’s drive was impressive, as the junior moved the Huskers 87 yards in 17 plays covering 9:26 capped by Tristan Alvano‘s first field goal of the season to give Nebraska a 40-7 lead with 9:22 left.
Nebraska returns to home action next Saturday when the Huskers play host to Colorado. Kick-off with the Buffaloes is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) with live national television coverage by NBC.
