LINCOLN, NEB. - While Nebraska dropped their first of the year on Friday night, falling to now No. 19 Illinois 31-24 in overtime, the Husker offense proved something.

Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola spread the ball around to ten different pass catchers, but none more than wideouts Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor, showing a stronger bond between himself and his targets. That’s something Nebraska hopes to keep up in West Lafayette on Saturday, when they face a Purdue pass defense that ranks top ten in the nation.


“It was good to see them go out and execute on third down in the first half and execute shot plays, 50/50 balls, be able to push the ball down the field both deep and intermediate,” Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield said. “It’s good to see Dylan check the ball down like he did, he did a really good jib of checking the ball down to all positions.”

Raiola went 24/35 through the air for 297 yards, tossing three touchdowns. He found wide receiver Isaiah Neyor four times for 90 yards and two touchdowns and Jamal Banks eight times for 94 yards. Banks and Raiola says it takes time, but the connection between receiver and Q-B is getting better and is still imprving.

“It was amazing,” Banks said. “All the work we put in showed up and it’ll continue to show up.”

“It’s just going to keep growing every week,” Raiola said. “We had a great week one to start, so we’ll keep working, get one better every day and we’ll see where it puts us at the end of the season.”

Last season, Nebraska’s pass game ranked 129th in the FBS, averaging just 136 yards per game, a number that’s been nearly doubled through the first four games in 2024.

Raiola only has two blemishes on the year, both being interceptions wrestled away from his intended target  upon hitting the ground - once against Northern Iowa, the othersomething Marcus Satterfield says can’t happen.

“We have to fight for the ball,” Satterfield said. “There’s no other option. The ball hits you in the hands, you have to come down with the ball. That’s not being taken lightly, go get the ball.”

Isaiah Neyor’s four touchdowns for the Big Red ranks tenth nationally, meeting last years mark set by Thomas Fidone II. Purdue’s pass defense ranks ninth in the nation and third in the Big Ten.

Kick off between the Boilermakers and Huskers is set for 11:00 a.m. CT on Peacock.