After a heart-wrenching overtime loss to Illinois, the Huskers are heading into West Lafayette to take on Purdue, and I’ve got a good feeling about this one. Sure, we let one slip against Illinois, but Nebraska’s overall trajectory is positive, and this upcoming game offers a perfect opportunity to get back on track.
Let’s start with the fact that this is our first road game of the season. There’s something about getting away from home that can really focus a team—especially after an emotional game. Coach Matt Rhule has these guys playing with heart, and despite the tough loss, there are plenty of reasons for optimism. Purdue is sitting at 1-2, coming off losses to Notre Dame and Oregon State. They’ve struggled to stop the pass. This could be the perfect opportunity for our talented offense to make some noise.
Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has been everything we hoped for and more. Coming off a career-high 297 passing yards against Illinois, Raiola is showing why he’s one of the top young talents in college football. It’s hard not to be excited about his growth. The connection he’s forming with wideouts Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks has been electric. Neyor already has four touchdowns in four games, including two last week. These are the kind of weapons that can cause nightmares for Purdue’s defense.
And let’s not forget about our Blackshirt defense. Yes, Illinois managed to win in OT, but our defense has been stout all season long. Holding opponents to an average of just 287.5 yards per game, we’ve already proven we can dominate in the trenches. Purdue’s strength has been their ground game, averaging 183 rushing yards per game, but we’ve held three of our first four opponents to under 100 yards rushing. The Boilermakers will have to earn every yard.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: this is a crucial bounce-back game. The Big Ten is always a grind, and Purdue isn’t a team to overlook. But with the kind of firepower we’ve seen in flashes—especially through the air—I expect Nebraska and Dylan to take control early and force Purdue to play catch-up. History’s on our side too, as we took down Purdue 31-14 last year, and we’re 6-5 against them since joining the Big Ten.
As always, the key will be turnovers and discipline. We can’t afford to shoot ourselves in the foot with penalties and giveaways. But if we play clean football and stick to our strengths, I see us walking out of Ross-Ade Stadium with a solid win.
So, Husker fans, don’t let that Illinois loss weigh too heavy. The season is young, the talent is there, and this game against Purdue could be exactly what we need to build momentum for the rest of the Big Ten grind.
