Nebraska’s win over Michigan State honestly tells a story that’s divided into two wild halves. The Huskers raced to a 14-0 lead early. But most of the middle game looked like Michigan State might steal the show. And then by late in the third quarter, the Spartans had ripped off 21 straight points, taking a 21-14 lead and putting every Nebraska fan on edge. But then Dylan Raiola happened. Sure, he commemorated the game with a slow start, by getting hassled and sacked behind a still-shaky offensive line. But Raiola soon found his footing, and aggressive play was the saving grace against the Spartans.

Raiola hit Nyziah Hunter on a 59-yard screen pass for a back-breaking touchdown. The moment that swung the game and extended the lead to 31-21. Raiola’s take? “I wasn’t going to let it slip away,” he said during the post-game presser. “It’s something you train for the whole offseason. You wait for a moment like that. So you’ve got to jump on it when you get it.”

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule seemed especially impressed with Raiola’s aggression. It’s almost like he wanted to see him fired up. “I want Dylan angry,” Rhule said during the post-game presser. “In the moment, locked in, but I want a fired-up, blood in his eyes, Dylan. Because that’s the best Dylan that there is, and the guys will fight for him. I was really proud of Dylan today. Early on there, I was kind of like, hey, hang in there, hang in there. He just kept getting angrier and angrier and finally exploded.” The initial drive saw the light of day with less than eight minutes in. But after that fast start, Nebraska’s offense went missing in action.

In the last four drives of the first half, the Huskers only picked up six yards total. Meanwhile, Michigan State’s D-line went off with five sacks, and DB Jalen Thompson led the secondary with four tackles. The O-line was basically a revolving door, and Raiola held onto the ball too long, giving the Spartans plenty of chances to attack. The passing game looked out of sync, as receivers just couldn’t get open. Guys like Nyziah Hunter and Jacory Barney were locked up most of the time and couldn’t find any rhythm. When Raiola finally had some room to throw, things still went sideways.

Hunter, usually reliable, dropped an easy third-down pass that killed a drive in the second quarter. Barney missed on a deep ball near midfield that could’ve flipped the game. Then came Raiola’s interception, it’s the one you just want to forget. And that’s when Matt Rhule decided to have the coach talk with Raiola. “He came over to me in the middle of the game and was like, ‘This is me and you,’ “Raiola said. “And you know that struck me.” Raiola recalled, “but I told him…I got blood in my eyes like like I’m going to we’re going to win this football game.” At that moment, the bloodbath started, and Raiola rightly stepped up when it mattered most.

Facing third down, he broke loose for a scramble, then rifled a pass 45 yards to Jacory Barney Jr., sparking a 75-yard drive capped by an Emmett Johnson TD run to tie things up. And after the fourth quarter, the offense sincerely found the rhythm, rotating between tempo and play-action. Raiola finished the day with an efficient 16-for-24 with 194 passing yards, a touchdown, with just one costly interception.

Dylan Raiola’s growing confidence with Nebraska’s locker room shift

The Huskers’ 2025 season has seen major locker room shift drama. And guess what? Dylan Raiola is just at the heart of it. Last year, Raiola was the golden boy freshman with all the pressure but none of the polish. He threw 13 touchdowns but 11 picks. Nebraska plodded through an underwhelming year, leaving fans and insiders wondering when their next true leader would step up and make his voice heard.

And now, entering the season with 4 games in, with a tragic loss against Michigan, things are taking a sharp turn. Nebraska’s bye week provided a pause, and according to tight end Luke Lindenmeyer, that break was when everything started shifting. Lindenmeyer publicly shared that Raiola “took charge” during the time off. The sophomore quarterback started speaking up in the locker room, making his opinions heard.

He showed a fire that the rest of the Huskers had been waiting for. This change most probably hit Raiola after the Michigan loss. It’s where the defense was gashed and the O-line gave up seven sacks. But Raiola didn’t play the blame game. Instead, he took full responsibility. “Point it at me. I’ll take it,” he said. Raiola has a clean resume so far. How? He is the third-best QB in the nation with a completion percentage of 75.6%.

His 1,137 yards and 11 touchdowns to just one interception through four games are gaudy. The only thing that was missing was his leadership, and guess what? Raiola’s confidence and composure have steadied the Huskers in crunch time.