Dylan Raiola’s offense against the Michigan State Spartans kept the audience on edge. After a great start, a 14-0 lead, Matt Rhule’s offense seemed to stretch that dominance for the rest of the 45 minutes. However, the Spartans bounced back, cutting off the lead, as they racked up 21 points in the next two quarters. Eventually, Raiola edged them out in the last fifteen minutes, but those positive wins cannot cut through the criticism for the sluggish offense that emerged between those plays, and now, Tim Brando is forced to do damage control.

The last four drives of the first quarter, Matt Rhule’s offense barely picked up six yards in total, while the Spartans’ defense chipped in five sacks, three of which were back-to-back, with defensive back Jalen Thompson chipping in four tackles. Raiola held the ball too long, giving Michigan State plenty of opportunities to attack. Naturally, this reflected on Raiola’s resume. But Fox Sport’s Tim Brando has come to his defense.

“(Raiola)Still holding the ball too long,” was found to be a common sentiment among the fans. However, Brando has commented on this development. “Hey Huskers fans, when your O-line is having issues blocking edge rushers. Holgorsen’s (Offensive coordinator) gotta commit more guys in protection, and that means fewer options to throw the ball to, hence it takes a while for just two guys to get open! 🤷‍♂️It happens.”

To protect the QB and secure his pocket stability, the offensive coordinator went for max protection. A necessary step following last year’s 28 sacks over 13 games. And the 2025 season’s clash against Michigan left no doubts about it. Michigan’s defense was tough to breach, resulting in seven sacks and 36 quarterback pressures. That’s why in this game after the offense went flat, Raiola responded to the sluggishness with an aggressive play in the last quarter. “I’m sure Dana, and @CoachMattRhule are happy seeing the 2nd half adjustments pay off in the 4th quarter,” added Brando.

After a 21-21 tie between both teams, Raiola went full throttle in the last 15 minutes. Those fleeting minutes were paramount in deciding the victors. And aggressive play was what saved the day at Memorial Stadium. On the very first play of a new drive, Raiola had a screen pass to Nyziah Hunter go for 59-yards and a touchdown. The QB seized the opportunity and went for it. “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.” Emmett Johnson ran another 11 yards to earn another TD. But amidst the chaos, which saw the Huskers offense slacken, capping off with a QB interception, Matt Rhule gave a stern warning.

Matt Rhule sent a strong message to Raiola

The third quarter became one of the most chaotic and anticipated chunks of the matchup. The Spartans racked up 14 points, and Dylan Raiola’s offense struggled to get going. On the second possession in the second half, Raiola threw a costly interception on his first throw, which led to a Spartan touchdown drive.

At this point, Rhule had to intervene. “He came over to me in the middle of the game and, ” the QB recalled, “Was like, ‘This is me and you,’ “Raiola said. “And you know that struck me…but I told him…I got blood in my eyes like like I’m going to we’re going to win this football game.” And he did. A field goal and back-to-back touchdowns led the Cornhuskers to gain the upper hand.

“My whole point was just get to the fourth quarter with the wind at our back,” Matt Rhule said post-game. “And we’re just going to go win the fourth quarter.” Dylan completed 16-of-24 passing attempts for 194 yards along with one TD pass. Coming up next, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will face off against Maryland at Byrd Stadium.