Dylan Raiola’s much-touted second season ended prematurely. A brutal, broken right fibula injury has knocked him out for the year. The star QB helplessly watches from afar and might be more pained by being away from the gridiron than he is because of the injury.

Nebraska has a big game this weekend, as they travel to Happy Valley to play Penn State. Husker fans wanted nothing more than their star QB leading the front for this important clash. But having undergone surgery to repair a broken fibula, he has no choice but to sit back. “It’s killing him,” OC Dana Holgersen said of Raiola’s feelings on his absence at a recent presser. The 20-year-old had played in every game for Nebraska since he joined the program, until he went down against USC.

He was the fourth-best QB in the nation when it came to passing stats. Despite Nebraska having lost three times this season, Raiola wanted to come back for the UCLA game. “He said ‘I can move around, but I can’t run,’ and I didn’t think it was the respectable thing to do to put a guy out there who can’t run,” HC Matt Rhule said in a presser after the game. Dylan Raiola had stepped up majorly this season. Up until the opener, Nebraska looked like a team worthy of being on the lookout for, simply because of the QB’s development as a leader.

Him lamenting about being unable to deliver at such an important stage is proof of his dedication to Husker Nation. Matt Rhule said at a presser on Monday that Raiola still has to rely on the scooter to get by, not able to walk yet. This year’s Nebraska-PSU clash stands different compared to the previous editions. Rhule comes home to Happy Valley after being the top candidate to replace James Franklin. And, now that the Huskers have lost Dylan Raiola, and the Lions have snapped their losing streak, Penn State has emerged as the predicted winners.

ESPN analytics predict PSU a whopping 70% favorite to beat Nebraska.  It’s an important stage for Nebraska to perform at, but Raiola was still ready to go. “This was a game that I was really looking forward to. People come here to play in games like these,” Holgersen quoted Raiola further. The Nebraska star has never been away from football like this before, which is why he is desperate to contribute in some form.

But Raiola can’t do anything but be a sport through this tough ordeal. Rhule, however, has a plan in place for this new situation at quarterback.

Matt Rhule assigns a new task to injured Dylan Raiola

Dylan Raiola is still on the minds of the Nebraska staff as he goes through the recovery period for his surgery. Matt Rhule shared a strong and supportive message for him, which shows his value to the program. “You can’t be the competitor he is and not have some tough days,” Rhule said at a Monday availability. “At the same time, it’s an unbelievable opportunity for him to see football from another standpoint.”

It’s a tough time for the QB, who clearly wants nothing more than to be part of the team. But Rhule suggested that he take to journaling, he told the press. “My hope is that he’ll make this into the best thing that ever happened to him,” the HC said. Rhule pushed him to “just own it and go through it,” and ask himself what he has learned after being away. “If he does that … he’ll be right back where he wants to be,” he added. Raiola, without a doubt, would have walked into this challenge headfirst if he could.

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All of Nebraska’s hopes now hang on to TJ Lateef’s success, who has a steep climb to make on Saturday. The Nittany Lions’ defense seems to have found a spark again. Will a brand new Nebraska QB be able to outsmart the Jim Knowles defense?