Huskers stay unbeaten as Blackshirts stump Northern Iowa
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska football team moved to 3-0 Saturday night, routing the Northern Iowa Panthers 34-3 at Memorial Stadium.
Quarterback Dylan Raiola was dealing, hitting 17 out of his 23 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns.
Ten different Nebraska receivers caught the ball with freshman Carter Nelson leading the charge.
Nelson had four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Lloyd had one catch for 59 yards. Even Heinrich Haarberg had a catch for 8 yards.
Dante Dowdell led the Huskers on the ground with six carries for 55 yards. Emmett Johnson ran for 50 yards and a touchdown.
The Blackshirts held UNI to 301 total yards and 162 yards through the air.
Nebraska only came up with one turnover thanks to a Malcolm Hartzog interception in the third quarter.
Nebraska will be back in action on Friday as they open up Big Ten play against Illinois at Memorial Stadium.
That game will be Nebraska’s 400th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium.
First Quarter
The Huskers started fast for the third week in a row.
Dylan Raiola capped off a eight-play, 75-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Carter Nelson to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead.
Northern Iowa responded with a 10 plus minute drive that they capped off with a field goal, making the score 7-3.
Nebraska is currently driving to end the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Nebraska capitalized on their second drive on the game.
Another dart from Raiola ended in an 18-yard touchdown to Isiah Neyor, giving the Huskers a 14-3 advantage.
The Huskers stayed hot through the air throughout the second quarter.
A 59-yard bomb from Raiola to Jaylen Lloyd set up a 10-yard rushing touchdown from Jacory Barney Jr. to give the Huskers a 21-3 lead midway through the quarter.
Raiola finished the first half completing 13 of his 16 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.
Nelson leads the team in receiving with 39 yards on two catches and a touchdown. Neyor racked up 35 yards and a score.
Dante Dowdell has been the lead back with four carries for 13 yards.
The Blackshirts have held the Panthers to just 87 yards passing, but have given up 71 yards on the ground.
Third Quarter
The Blackshirts took the first half personally and came out in the third quarter with something to prove.
They held the panthers to just 45 third quarter yards and got an interception from Malcolm Hartzog Jr.
The Huskers boosted their lead with a 31-yard field goal from Tristan Alvano, giving Nebraska a 24-3 lead.
Alvano’s right foot came through again, this time on a 21-yard field goal to give the Huskers a 27-3 lead.
Fourth Quarter
Raiola threw his first interception as a Husker on a controversial call where the defender ripped the ball out of Lloyd’s hands.
Emmett Johnson put the nail in the coffin with a 36-yard touchdown rush to give Nebraska a 34-3 lead.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The Nebraska football team wraps up their non-conference schedule Saturday night as they take on Northern Iowa at 6:30 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.
This is the first ever meeting between the two schools, and only the 15th time Nebraska has matched up against an FCS opponent.
Nebraska comes into the game with a 2-0 record for the first since 2016 after routing Colorado 28-10 last Saturday.
The win launched Nebraska into the national rankings at No. 23 in the AP Poll and No. 24 in the Coaches Poll.
Northern Iowa Need-to-Knows
The Panthers also come into tonight’s game with a 2-0 record following a 17-10 win over St. Thomas last Saturday. They opened their season with a win over Valparaiso on Aug. 31.
Through those two games, UNI averaged 299 yards on the ground while holding their opponents to just 79 rushing yards per game.
UNI racks up 406 yards and 26 points per game and is led by 6-foot-4, 230 pound running back Tye Edwards.
Edwards ranks third in the FCS with 157 yards rushing per game while averaging 10 yards per carry.
Overall, the Panthers want to control the line of scrimmage on offense and defense.
Rhule said in a press conference earlier this week that UNI is a Big Ten team that’s playing at the FCS level.
If Nebraska can jump out to an early lead and make UNI throw the football, it could get ugly fast for the Panthers.
The Panthers rank No. 21 in the FCS coaches poll.
This Week’s Numbers
3: A win on Saturday would give Nebraska a perfect 3-0 record in non-conference play. Nebraska last went undefeated in non-league action in 2016. Since 2000, Nebraska has gone undefeated in non-conference play eight times.
14: The Blackshirts have held its opponents to 14 or fewer points in six consecutive home games. Under Matt Rhule, Nebraska has held eight of nine opponents at Memorial Stadium to 14 points or less.
15: A win on Saturday would give the Huskers a 15-0 all-time record against FCS opponents. The last time Nebraska played an FCS foe was in 2022 when they beat North Dakota 38-17.
23: Nebraska is ranked No. 23 in this week’s AP Poll. This marks the first time Nebraska has been ranked since week one of the 2019 season.
Score Predictions
Nate Johnson: Nebraska wins, 35-13
Jake Homan: Nebraska wins, 37-6
Mark Fischer: Nebraska wins, 38-3
