The Boilermakers face a team that enjoys utilizing the forward pass for the first time on Saturday.
Offense
Offensive Line
LT
69 Turner Corcoran – 6’6”, 310 – Sr.
LG
51 Justin Evans – 6’1”, 315 – So.
C
66 Ben Scott – 6’5”, 310 – Sr.
RG
Henry Lutovsky – 6’6”, 320 – Jr.
RT
Bryce Benhart – 6’9”, 315 – Sr.
Key Points
- RG Henry Lutovsky took over the starting position at right guard after Nebraska’s second game, sending former starter, Michah Mazzccua to the bench.
- RT Bryce Benhart was honorable mention All-Big 10 in 2023 and hold the record for most starts by an offensive lineman at Nebraska (45).
- LT Turner Corcoran has 35 starts under his belt at left tackle.
- C Ben Scott was honorable mention All-Big 10 in 2023 after transferring from Arizona State where he started 28 games over 3 seasons.
Overall
This is a veteran Nebraska offensive line. You won’t find a more experienced pair of tackles in the nation. They need to be good because freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola tends to hold onto the ball longer than most quarterbacks. They’re 56th in the nation in sacks allowed (1.5 per game).
The run game for the Huskers has been less than impressive, which is a positive for the Boilermakers because they haven’t shown any inclination to slow down the run, much less stop it, over the last two games.
This line has experience, but it’s not particularly dominant. I’ll be interested to see if Purdue can get some pressure on the quarterback on Saturday.
Receivers
Boundary WR
4 Jahmal Banks – 6’4”, 220 – Sr.
Slot WR
16 Janiran Bonner – 6’2”, 220 – So.
Field WR
18 Isaiah Neyor – 6’4”, 220 – Sr.
1st Off the Bench
17 Jacory Barney Jr. – 6’0”, 170 – Fr.
Stats / Key Points
Reception Leader: Isaiah Neyor – 16
Yards Leader: Isaiah Neyor – 227
Touchdown Leader: Isaiah Neyor – 4
- Banks is senior transfer from Wake Forrest where he was Honorable Mention All-ACC in 2022.
- Bonner started his career at tight end, moved to fullback, and then moved to wide receiver in the strangest early career arc I’ve seen.
- Neyor and Banks are the go-to receivers, and they’re both giant.
- Freshman Jacory Barney leads the slot receivers with 14 receptions for 93 yards. They like to use his quickness on option routes to move the chains.
Overall
Neyor and Banks are a physically imposing pair of receivers. This is the perfect game for Nyland Green to make his debut (although any other game before now would have been fine as well). If he’s healthy enough to go the distance, he’ll match up well with Neyor. All-in-all Purdue matches up well, at least on paper, with this receiving group.
This is the first team on the schedule that wants to throw the ball. It will be interesting to see how the Boilermaker secondary matches up.
Tight End
24 Thomas Fidone II – 6’6”, 255 – Jr.
Stats / Key Points
2024 Stats
Receptions: 8
Yards: 73
- Fidone was considered the top tight end in the 2021 recruiting class.
- Knee injuries have slowed his development at Nebraska
- Set his career high in receiving yards against Illinois last week (46)
Overall
Everyone in the nation wanted Fidone in 2021. He looked like a can’t miss prospect with his combination of size and athletic ability. He blocked like a tackle and caught the ball like a wide receiver in high school.
That’s yet to show up for Nebraska, mainly due to injury, but he’s still a solid receiving threat over the middle. Purdue will need to play close attention to him on 3rd down, where he can sit down in zones and use his frame to box out defensive backs. He’s another guy that Purdue will need to gang tackle, because one guy typically doesn’t get him on the ground.
Running Back
23 Dante Dowdell – 6’2”, 225 – So
1st Off the Bench
14 Rahmir Johnson – 5’10”, 200 – Sr.
Stats / Key Points
Dowdell 2024 Stats
Attempts: 51
Yards: 256
Avg: 5 YPC
TD: 3
- Dowdell spent his freshman season at Oregon in 2023 where he was a little used backup.
- Dowdell leads the team in carries.
- Johnson leads the team in running back receptions (12).
- Nebraska averages 34 rushing attempts a game.
- Illinois held Dowdell to 72 yards on 20 carries.
Overall
Dowdell scares me, but every running back scares me when they face Purdue. He’s a monster at 6’2”, 225 and runs like a big back. Against Oregon State, the Boilermakers had to contend with two short, stocky backs that got low and drove for extra yards. On Saturday they’ll be facing a guy that wants to run defenders over.
When Johnson comes into the game, look for screens, wheel routes and screen passes. Nebraska has a tell on offense. When Johnson is in the backfield, the chances for a pass skyrocket. Purdue will have to keep a close eye on him because the Boilermakers like to lose backs in coverage and Nebraska will make them pay.
This isn’t the best set of backs Purdue will face, but they’re more than capable of getting the job down and compliment the rest of the offense well.
Quarterback
15 Dylan Raiola – 6’3”, 230 – Fr
Stats / Key Points
Raiola 2024 Stats
Attempts: 115
Completions: 83
Completion %: 72.2
Yards: 967
Yards/Game: 242
TDs: 8
INTs: 2
- 5* quarterback in the 2024 class
- Father is legendary Nebraska offensive lineman Dominic Raiola.
- Raiola attended 3 different high schools and was committed to both Gerogia and Nebraska. He played his senior year at Georgia powerhouse Buford, in anticipation of playing for Georgia in 2024 (he then decommitted and ended up at Nebraska).
Overall
Raiola is one of those kids built in a football lab. He’s had the best of everything from the moment he stepped onto the field. He’s essentially been a professional athlete since high school.
His talent is undeniable, but I’m interested to see how he bounces back from the Illinois loss. Kirkland Brand Patrick Maholmes played well, throwing for 297 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception, but he also took 8 sacks in the process. He put up stats, but he didn’t put up the win.
Purdue’s best chance in this game is getting pressure on Raiola and hoping that he coughs it up either off a strip sack or a pick. The Boilermaker defense, in theory, should specialized in confusing young quarterbacks. Hopefully he has a tough time finding Thieneman when he’s making his reads.
He might be able to beat Purdue with his arm, but I’ll take my chances. At least he’s not going to beat the Boilermakers with his legs!
The Big Picture
Can Purdue make this game challenging for the freshman quarterback?
If they can, they’re in the game. If they can’t, he’s going to throw for 500 yards and Ryan Walters and company will be extremely frustrated in the post-game press conference. In theory, this offense is a better for Purdue than Notre Dame and Oregon State. The Cornhuskers would rather throw the ball with their high prices quarterback than have him turn around and hand the ball to the running back.
This is supposedly what Ryan Walters does best. His defense is unique, and sometimes freshmen panic when they see something that doesn’t make sense on the field. The Boilermakers have yet to force a turnover this season. It’s hard to win games like that. Nebraska should at least put it in the air and give the defense a chance to make something happen.
If I were the Cornhuskers, I would run the ball until Purdue proved they could stop it. Then I’d run it 10 more times just to make sure. I don’t think you’ll get that from this Nebraska team. They want to develop their quarterback, and Purdue, on paper, looks like the perfect opportunity to let him win the game.
It’s up to the defense to prevent that from happening. They should get to play to their pass rushing strength for the first time on Saturday. Hopefully we’ve been watching a good pass defense try and defend the run the last 2 weeks and the Boilermakers show up angry on Saturday.
One can always dream.