Matt Rhule says he's seeing Dylan Raiola's growth right in front of his eyes

Despite a second straight loss for the Nebraska football team, Matt Rhule made it clear that there are things to be encouraged about this week. Among the top things he sees as positives is the growth he’s seeing from quarterback Dylan Raiola.

“There's no better teacher than experience,” Rhule said about his true freshman quarterback. “I think he's getting a ton of experience. I think they threw a lot of things at him this week. Rutgers threw a lot of things at him … And I thought he adjusted it and handled it well.”

One of the biggest adjustments Rhule pointed to on Monday was that the Nebraska football quarterback is taking what’s given to him a bit more. Specifically, he’s taking off and running when that’s the best outcome. 

Nebraska football’s QB is growing in front of Matt Rhule’s eyes

"He can do it and he has the ability to scramble and look down the field but then also take advantage and run," Rhule added. "I think one of the really cool things I'm having the chance to experience with him is watching him grow each week."

The Huskers head coach recalled a play in the Indiana game in which the quarterback started to scramble, stopped, and threw the ball. Raiola said that after watching it back, he understood that he should've run it there.

Growth and maturity is going to be a big thing in the next few weeks. The Huskers are entering the home stretch of Rhule’s second season in Lincoln. They’re 5-3 on the season for the second consecutive year. In 2023, they lost all four of their final contests.

A repeat on that isn’t totally out of the question. Especially with Iowa, Wisconsin and USC being three of Nebraska football’s final four opponents. This weekend against UCLA is the most obvious chance for qualifying for a bowl game.