Looking for a Nebraska football RAI-ola of sunshine against UTEP

Nebraska football plays at home (for the first time in 5 years) in the season opener at 2:30 and is televised on FOX. What will 2024 bring for Cornhusker fans this season? In case you've been living under a rock or super busy with all the other stuff going on this off season, Big Red has a new quarterback.

In fact, he was the No. 1 rated quarterback coming out of high school. What does that really mean? Does he bring a "Rai-ola" of sunshine following a dark decade of disappointment? It means Husker fans are in LOVE again. We have that new relationship feel, and Husker fans are in that sunshine and roses love affair phase.

Husker legacy player, Dylan Raiola has all the tools but is he "THE" one? Only time will tell. What do we want out of our new relationship? Mostly, we want them to be loyal. We don't want him "sharing" the ball with other teams.

Turnovers from last year killed the Huskers. To that end, the one consistent theme I hear from people in the know is that he regularly places the ball exactly where it's supposed to go rather than "in the general area." He's not giving it up to other people. For me, that's KEY in a significant other.

My office buddy, Cade said another key in a new relationship is that he/she fits in well with your friends. So far, so good on this front too. The O Line and Raiola seem to be clicking but the linemen just need to stay healthy.

Left Tackle Teddy Prochazka is out for the year with a torn ACL. It's definitely time for Uncle Raiola to earn his money. Senior Turner Corcoran is in that L-Tackle spot for now. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about O Line play this year because protecting the QB is priority one. It's not only chivalrous, but also critical.

The other group of new friends the QB needs to work well with is that finally full room of wide receivers. He will be lighting it up and connecting with more than one speedy guy with good hands this year. It's a good group for a gunslinger behind center. And let's not forget that senior center, Ben Scott has good experience. This is always a positive for a true freshman QB. Look to see transfers and wide receiver speedsters Isaiah Neyor, and Jahmal Banks compliment the post route threat. Huskers return Isaiah Garcia-Castneda, Alex Bullock and Jaylen Lloyd too. That's a lot of weapons on offense.

My football water cooler buddy, Maggie said another critical trait in a significant other is dedication. By all accounts, Husker true freshman Dylan Raiola shines in this category. He is one of the first to arrive and last to leave. He studies film like a solid quality Netflix and chill binge aficionado. Who doesn't love that in a date? It's easy to see why Huskers are smitten.

When I was asked about my feelings on QB1 being a true freshman, I said, "this one has a lot more maturity than the typical true freshman." Dylan Raiola has been working with more than just high school quarterback coaches to get where he is today. He knows there is a LOT riding on his padded shoulders for the Big Red faithful and seems to be saying all the right things. Sure, there may be some heartbreaks along the way, but that happens in every relationship. How he handles the fight is what we will learn most about him this season.

The first test for the Cornhuskers is UTEP (that's University of Texas at El Paso, Mom). They bring a fast-paced offense to town in QB, Scotty Walden. You can tell this guy has skills because he was able to bring 11 other players with him in the transfer portal from Austin Peay (yes, that's actually a college but the name still makes me giggle). I'm still confident that our defense will pretty much shut them down though. Defensive Coordinator Tony White seems to have the best ability to adjust things during the game and he also returns a lot of players with gametime experience. I can see someone on Husker defense getting an interception on Saturday. Yes, I called it.

UTEP has an All Conference USA pass rusher by the name of Maurice Westmoreland who will be trying to mess with our favorite guy. The Miners have a 3-3-5 defense and I am not being fooled by the 28-point spread either. I think the offense will have its growing pains (it happens in all new relationships) and the scoring is slow until 4th quarter. However, I do think our Quarterback will brighten the day with a victory.

Nebraska football tailgate recipe for UTEP gameday

Weather will be warm on Saturday with highs projected to be mid-eighties and LOTS of Raiolas of sunshine! What goes well with sun, Gameday fun and a new relationship? The cocktail I'm serving up at the pre-game festivities is Sex on the Beach (sorry, Mom). Orange juice, cranberry juice, vodka and Peach schnapps are the ingredients. Mix it up how you want! The jello shot has a tropical flavor as well. Mix 3/4 cup of coconut rum with 1 cup boiling water and 1 box of strawberry banana jello. I use Body Armour instead of water for more flavor. Stir and pour into shot cups and chill!

It's a new season. Bring on the love affair! QB1 brings hope and all relationships need some of that. Will he still be our date at Thanksgiving dinner and Black Friday? I hope so. Get out and enjoy those tailgates and getting together with friends because it's been a long off season. Be polite, wear sunscreen, cheer loudly for the Nebraska football team, hug often, and GO BIG RED!