Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has shown many flashes this season in Lincoln. At the same time, he’s shown vulnerability. But that’s typical for a freshman quarterback who is entering his second true road test in his college career.
Regarding his strengths, Big Ten Network analyst and former Michigan Wolverine Jake Butt explained a potential way Raiola could exploit the Hoosier defense on Saturday.
“He’s great versus zone {coverage}, has struggled versus man {coverage},” Butt said. “What does Indiana do? Play a lot of zone coverage. So I’m curious to see how that plays out and if Indiana tweaks their game plan at all.”
👀 @JBooty88 highlights how Dylan Raiola carves up zone coverage, and he's eager to see how the @HuskerFootball QB performs against Indiana.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 17, 2024
Full episode of Butt & @AdamBreneman81 ➡️ https://t.co/leABF918Cx #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/azuRXg1y7e
Raiola has an impressive 92% passing grade versus zone coverage this season, ranking in the top five among FBS quarterbacks. He’s thrown for a total of 1,398 passing yards combined with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
Despite giving up 28 and 24 points to Maryland and Northwestern in back-to-back weeks, Indiana’s defense still ranks No. 6 among FBS teams, giving up an average of 255.7 total yards per game. D’Angelo Ponds and Amare Ferrell will need to come up with some big plays in the secondary against Nebraska receivers who match up well in size.