Nebraska football players and coaches have spent the week leading up to Michigan State trying to impress on the fans that this team is different. The Huskers are coming off a loss to the Michigan Wolverines and can't afford to follow that up with a loss to Michigan State.
Dylan Raiola and his crew are angry. They didn't want a bye week. But they got it anyway. Raiola has tried to keep his teammates on track.
Dylan Raiola sets the tone for Nebraska after bye week
"From my point of view it was just making sure that guys aren't making excuses for themselves," the Nebraska quarterback said earlier this week. His tight end, a surging offensive weapon for this version of the Huskers, believes Raiola is the leader NU needs at this point in time.
"He's got a fire inside of him that he wants to ignite in us," Luke Lindenmeyer said when he met the media earlier this week. He's clearly bought into the idea that Raiola is not only a leader, but someone who leads by example and will have yet another great game against the Spartans and carry the team to victory.
As Nebraska gears up for its matchup against Michigan State, the emphasis isn't on scouting the opponent's tendencies. It's on internal execution. The junior tight end acknowledged that while Michigan State "brings the same thing" each game, there's always a chance things "could be completely different."
Things need to be different for Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska football team. This is a game they've lost over and over in the last decade. It needs to win it this time.