Dylan Raiola offered a reason for future optimism in the wake of Nebraska’s fourth-consecutive loss, 28-20 to USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum Saturday.
“We’ll be explosive next week,” he said.
Coach Matt Rhule found something positive in the overall negative, too.
He was “disappointed, but encouraged by some things I saw,” said Rhule.
Later, during his post-game remarks, Raiola said: “We’re going to roll into these next two weeks and roll into the bowl game.”
Ah yes, a bowl game. When this losing streak began, the Huskers needed one more win to be bowl eligible, something they haven’t been since 2016. Their seven-season, no-bowl streak is the longest among Power 4 teams. Vanderbilt is second, with five seasons bowl-less.
Nebraska, 5-5, needs at least one victory in its final two games to reach six, and bowl eligibility. The Huskers play Wisconsin in Lincoln Saturday and at Iowa on Black Friday to finish the regular season.
Roll? Squeak-by would be sufficient at this point.
It appeared Nebraska might squeak by at USC, or force overtime, anyway. The Huskers’ final drive began at their 25-yard line with 2:45 remaining. The drive went to the USC 14-yard line, but a false-start penalty pushed them back to the 19 with 5 seconds remaining.
A Raiola pass intended for Jahmal Banks was intercepted. Game over, even though a Trojan defender clearly grabbed and pulled Banks’ jersey.
Even if Nebraska had scored, though, it would’ve needed a 2-point conversion to tie.
“I was just trying to give Jahmal a shot,” said Raiola, who offered no complaints about the officiating.
A major Husker storyline this week was the hiring of Dana Holgorsen, now the offensive coordinator. Holgorsen called plays from the sideline and contributed to what Rhule said he was “seeing the genesis of what I know will happen” with Nebraska’s offense.
During the week, Rhule said the hiring of Holgorsen, who arrived as an analyst and then replaced Marcus Satterfield as coordinator/play caller, “was an opportunity to make an epic move.”
There was little epic about what happened before, officially, 75,304 at the Coliseum. A significant percentage were Husker fans.
The game started as if it might be epic, though. Just over 5 minutes into the first quarter, Nebraska cornerback Ceyair Wright intercepted a Jayden Maiava pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. Later, Wright blocked a Trojan field goal attempt.
Wright, a Los Angeles native, is in his first season as a Husker after three years at USC, of course.
Maiava, a sophomore transfer from UNLV, was starting for the first time at USC. He accounted for all the Trojan touchdowns, passing for three and running for the fourth. That was the capper, with 2:45 remaining. Wright’s blocked field goal kept USC’s lead at one with 12:58 remaining.
Raiola went 27-for-38 for 191 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown to Emmett Johnson, with two interceptions. Johnson led the Huskers in rushing with 55 yards on 10 carries. John Hohl accounted for Nebraska’s other points, with field goals of 29 and 30 yards, his fourth and fifth in a row.
USC had the offensive advantage, however, finishing with 441 total yards to the Huskers’ 310. Nebraska ran only 29 plays in the first half, including 11 runs for 33 yards.
Holgorsen is “trying to help us break through,” Rhule said.
According to Raiola, Husker fans could see that in the next couple of weeks.
Yes, we’ll see.
