Know Your Foe, Nebraska vs. Maryland: The Quarterbacks

Coming off a 38-27 win against Michigan State, Raiola had an uncharacteristically tough outing in windy conditions, completing 16-of-24 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Despite the struggles, he managed to stay poised and contributed to a victory that improved Nebraska to 4-1. Through five games in his sophomore season, Raiola has shown poise and accuracy overall, though this performance highlighted areas for improvement against physical defenses. Nebraska's success continues to hinge on his command of the offense.

Raiola will hope to bounce back and find success through the air against a stout Maryland defense, which ranks 3rd overall in PFF with a very impressive pass coverage grade of 92.1.

Dylan Raiola Big Ten Rankings (through Week 6):

Completions: 2nd (118)
Interceptions: T-3rd (2)
Touchdowns: 2nd (12)
Pass Yards/Game: 2nd (266.2)
Completion %: 2nd (74.2%)

Now Let's look at Malik Washington

Washington showed flashes of his dual-threat ability in a heartbreaking 24-20 loss to Washington, where he threw nearly 50 passes for just 219 yards (4.5 yards per attempt) while adding a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Maryland built a 20-0 lead before collapsing, and Washington's inefficiency in the second half contributed to the loss. In his freshman season, through five games, he's blended arm strength with mobility, looking very poised as a Freshman.

As a dual-threat option, Washington hasn't run often, but when he does, he's been very effective, finding the end zone three times on 11 attempts.

When looking at the overall PFF ratings for Malik Washington, he has been very efficient in his freshman campaign, with strong early games against lesser competition and some struggles against the better competition.

Malik Washington Big Ten Rankings (through Week 6):

Completions: 8th (85)
Interceptions: T-5th (3)
Touchdowns: 6th (9)
Pass Yards: 7th (1,257)
Pass Yards/Game: 8th (251.4)
Completion %: 10th (62.0%)

Nebraska's secondary ranks No. 1 in the country in pass yards allowed, surrendering just 91.8 yards per game, with a strong PFF coverage grade. Saturday's matchup will be a huge test for Washington in the pocket. But his legs could exploit gaps in the Nebraska rush defense; some opponents have found some success on the ground against the Blackshirts. The big question is, can the run defense duplicate its performance against Michigan State, or will Washington run wild against the Blackshirts?

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