After leading Nebraska to a 28-21 victory over Northwestern, Dylan Raiola refused to get caught up in the euphoria. Instead of celebrating the team’s sixth win — a milestone that many programs treat as a bowl-clinching achievement — the quarterback was blunt: “Not many times you get a second chance… and this isn’t enough. We’re right in the middle of this.”
Raiola pointed out the eerie similarity to last week’s halftime score, tied 7-6, but emphasized that this time Nebraska came into the locker room with a different kind of energy.
“We knew what was going to happen coming out. We weren’t going to repeat mistakes,” he said, highlighting the team’s mental shift.
After throwing an interception, Raiola praised his teammates for trusting him and backing him up — especially Javin Wright, who responded with a crucial pick of his own. “My guys believed in me. They gave me a chance to redeem myself, and that says a lot about this group,” he said.
He also praised Emmett Johnson, not just for his 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but for his decision to go down instead of scoring on the final play to secure the win.
“That’s culture. That’s process. That’s Nebraska,” Raiola said.
Looking ahead, Raiola was clear: “I remember Coach Rhule told us last year we weren’t celebrating six wins ever again. And that’s how it is. This isn’t the end — it’s just the beginning.” He closed with a message to the fans for next week’s primetime game: “Everyone wear black. This game matters. And what we’re building here matters too.”