Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) celebrates with wide receiver Dane Key after a touchdown against Cincinnati last week. Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Stryker Pregame Perspective: Passing TD Flurry Predicted for 2025 Huskers

Originally posted on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI
By Tad Stryker | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 3:23 PM ET

Cornhusker fans are not dialing back their expectations for Dylan Raiola in his sophomore year — not in the least.

Raiola started every game during his baptism by fire as a true freshman, throwing 13 touchdown passes and being intercepted 11 times. That turned out to be a notch or two below preseason expectations by Husker fans who I surveyed before the 2024 season opener against UTEP, when 60 percent of them expected NU to score more passing touchdowns than rushing touchdowns in 2024.

By season’s end, however, the Huskers had rushed for 21 TDs, easily eclipsing their passing TD total.

I decided to ask the same question to 100 Husker fans in the Haymarket (as I did last year) on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon before Nebraska hosted Akron in its home opener. The response was a little more decisive.

Perhaps influenced by Raiola’s two scoring passes in last week’s opener against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, nearly two-thirds (66 people) predicted that NU will score more passing touchdowns than rushing TDs in 2025.

On this day at least, confidence in Raiola decisively overshadowed confidence in Husker running back depth.

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

However, history is on the side of the running game. This century, only four times — in 2006 and 2007 under Bill Callahan and in 2015 and 2017 under Mike Riley — have the Huskers scored more passing TDs than rushing.

In 2008 under Bo Pelini and in 2022 under Scott Frost and interim coach Mickey Joseph, the Huskers scored equal amounts by passing and rushing.

This article first appeared on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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