Dylan Raiola QB Grade: Nebraska vs. Akron

Originally posted on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI
By Tanner Johnson | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 10:17 AM ET

Nebraska opened its home slate on Saturday night in a non-conference matchup with Akron.

It turned into a historic evening inside Memorial Stadium, as the Huskers dismantled the Zips 68–0 in front of a raucous crowd. It was Nebraska’s biggest scoring output in more than a decade, and the performance was fueled by a brilliant night from sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola.

So how did Raiola look in the Huskers’ blowout win?

A Statement Game

From the opening drive, Raiola was locked in. He completed his first nine passes in a row, extending a Nebraska record with 20 consecutive completions dating back to the opener. His command of the offense was obvious—quick reads, decisive throws, and the ability to stretch the field whenever he wanted.

Dylan Raiola at the podium. School-record 20 consecutive completions across two games.

He completed 77% of his passes for 364 yards and 4 TDs. No turnovers. pic.twitter.com/BLFHbT9uky
— Steve Marik (@Steve_Marik) September 7, 2025

All four of Raiola's touchdowns were to different receivers as he spread the wealth around to several of his favorite weapons. Emmett Johnson added to his great day on the ground with a short touchdown catch, and Quinn Clark had a great catch on a beautifully led throw by Raiola for a score. Luke Lindenmeyer and Dane Key caught the other two touchdowns on Raiola's career night.

By halftime, the game was effectively over—and Raiola was the main reason why.

FIRST CAREER TD

Quinn Clark reels in the Dylan Raiola pass for his first @HuskerFootball score.

: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/Sgkz3mdUVC
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 7, 2025

Efficiency and Explosiveness

Raiola spread the ball all over the field, finishing 24-of-31 passing for 364 yards, 4 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. That’s a staggering 77.4% completion rate and 11.7 yards per attempt, both elite marks for a college quarterback.

The sophomore showed patience when needed but wasn’t afraid to attack downfield. His accuracy on deep shots stood out, and he displayed improved pocket presence compared to his freshman year.

Nebraska’s offense as a whole piled up 728 total yards, its most since 2014. Raiola was the engine, showing poise and efficiency that turned the game into a rout before Akron could adjust.

Final Thoughts

Of course, Akron was badly overmatched, and the competition will stiffen in the weeks ahead. But even so, Raiola did exactly what elite quarterbacks are supposed to do in these situations: dominate from start to finish.

His decision-making looked sharp, his connection with a revamped receiver group continues to grow, and his confidence is clearly rising. All of the supposed improvements that Nebraska fans had been hearing about in the off-season were on full display.

It seems like the offense evolving under Dana Holgorsen might be the extra boost that Raiola needed to reach his full potential. He could not have done much more in this game than he already did.