Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Confirmed: Nebraska, Dylan Raiola & Matt Rhule are Embarrassingly Overrated

Nebraska extends its losing streak to four games and missing a bowl game is a real possibility

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By Rock Westfall

An inconvenient truth was revealed on Saturday. The Nebraska Cornhuskers lost 28-20 to the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a game that was closer than it should have been.

The talent disparity was alarming and did not take long to show. If USC head coach Lincoln Riley had not been as incompetent at managing his superior roster, the game would have been a lot less close, and USC would have had more wins this season.

Nebraska was found to be slower and with fewer elite athletes and playmakers than USC. The plodding Nebraska offense managed only 13 points (the defense contributed a pick-six) and was outgained 441-310.

Meanwhile, the Blackshirts’ defense was incapable of controlling USC and was on its heels most of the afternoon. Only the poorly coached Trojans could stop themselves with undisciplined selfish penalties or self-induced mistakes.

After feasting on cupcakes in the early portion of the schedule, Nebraska has been exposed as a Big Ten bottom feeder. They have been outclassed by Indiana, UCLA, and USC while catching Ohio State napping in a close call loss for a four-game losing streak that has put their bowl prospects in peril.

Nebraska needs to win this week at home against Wisconsin or in the regular season finale at Iowa to qualify for a bowl game.

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A five-and-out catastrophe to blow the season is a distinct possibility. 

New Nebraska OC Dana Holgorsen Made Little Difference

Husker Nation hoped Dana Holgorsen would add a spark after taking over as offensive coordinator from demoted Marcus Satterfield. While the offense seemed to have more logic in its playcalling, the results were ultimately not much different from Satterfield’s.

The Huskers rushed for 119 yards on 25 attempts but could not reliably gain yards at a consistent clip. In comparison, USC’s offense has vastly superior linemen and running backs, gaining 182 yards on 32 attempts. The speed difference between the USC and Nebraska backs was jolting.

Additionally, Nebraska receivers did not pose the same deep threat capability that USC flashed. Yes, USC made big plays off of lucky caroms that added further cruelty to Nebraska fans. And there was a blatantly ignored pass interference by USC that would have given Nebraska one more shot to tie the game at the end.

But at some point, great players make great plays. Nebraska could have turned those caroms into incomplete passes or interceptions. Instead, USC had opportunistic players who capitalized because they were more talented than their Nebraska opponents, who were incapable of finishing on either side of the line. 

Nebraska isn’t good enough to successfully play past strange lotto luck plays or bad officiating. That is on the Big Red and nobody else.

Husker Nation continues to demand more of a commitment to the run. But it’s been confirmed to be a pipe dream. Perhaps Satterfield is owed an apology. Like Satt, Holgorsen had to abandon the run in favor of the pass because Nebraska simply can’t run effectively, as has been the case all season.

The Raiola Regression  

Ever since Dylan Raiola missed a wide-open TD pass in the fourth quarter in a 31-24 home loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini, which would have clinched the game, he has not been the same. Additionally, Raiola has found most Big Ten defenses much more difficult to crack than what was the case against UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa, or putrid Purdue earlier in the season.

Raiola has lost confidence and has become too hesitant. He does not have a good supporting cast and was poorly managed before Holgorsen arrived. In the long term, Holgorsen can help the 5-star phenom who was flipped from Georgia, but only better players can truly save his career.

Raiola has no consistent game-breakers to throw to or an effective running game to keep defenses honest. Against USC, Raiola averaged only 5.0 yards per pass attempt because of his poor supporting cast and the necessity of having to use the pass as the run.

However, Raiola also missed open receivers, including in the red zone, which is indicative of his lack of confidence and playing scared, with too much focus on avoiding mistakes.

There is also legitimate speculation that Raiola is not playing at 100%. He was a game-time decision for the USC game. But Rhule and his staff are uncomfortable with benching Raiola in favor of Heinrich Haarberg, who is occasionally utilized with a package that takes advantage of his running ability.

Perhaps Haarberg should be converted into a running back, or that special package should be used more often. His 13-yard run was one of the most eye-catching offensive plays of the day and revealed his speed and athleticism that is going to waste.

What was most dispiriting was that USC sophomore QB Jayden Maiava made his first career start against Nebraska and was more productive than Raiola, thanks to a better-supporting cast and some play-calling creativity by Riley.  

It was quite a tell.  

Alarming Comparisons Expose the Truth 

After its win over Colorado, Nebraska was getting plenty of national media love and respect from such powerful personalities as Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, and Joel Klatt. 

The Colorado fandom is correct in stating that Nebraska would want no part of the Buffs in a rematch. Deion Sanders has engineered a remarkable in-season improvement, while Matt Rhule has overseen an alarming regression.

Some among the Nebraska faithful whine that the Huskers need to improve significantly on NIL and the transfer portal. While true, Nebraska still ranks 24th or better in most NIL team rankings, comparable to or ahead of such Big Ten teams as Iowa, Minnesota, Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois, and Indiana. Except for Maryland, all those teams are bowl-bound.

Nebraska’s 2025 recruiting class currently ranks inside the Top 20 and was 24th last year. Additionally, Rhule managed a 29th-ranked class after taking over a few weeks before the 2023 cycle. Those classes were in the middle of the Big Ten rankings, not the bottom, where Nebraska is rapidly falling towards.    

The Cornhuskers have some talent—certainly enough to win the six wins needed for a bowl game, yet is struggling to get there. Specifically, an emphasis on speed and playmakers is mandatory for 2025.

Additionally, Nebraska has the finest facilities and best fans in college football and wants for nothing. Everything is first class except the on-field results.  

While sounding like full-blown Nebraska Elitists, it is absurd for Rutgers, Minnesota, Rutgers, and Indiana to be heading to bowl games while Nebraska may not. That is unequivocally unacceptable, yet that is the current Nebraska reality.

Husker Nation is reaching the breaking point. Attending home games is expensive enough, let alone traveling to Los Angeles for a proverbial knife to the gut. The Coliseum roars were louder for Nebraska than for the home team, as is often the case for Nebraska road games. But that may eventually be coming to an end.

This upcoming Saturday is the Senior Day home finale. A 5-1 start has turned into a potential disaster. Apathy may finally arrive, especially if Nebraska loses to the struggling Wisconsin Badgers.

An increasing number of Nebraska fans are saying that they can’t take it anymore and that Husker football is no longer worth the time or heartache.

Nebraska must go bowling in 2024. A five-and-out might prove fatal for the program.

Yet, while failure is not an option, it is an increasingly distinct possibility. 

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