Matt Rhule reveals expectations for Dylan Raiola vs. Iowa: 'This is why he came to Nebraska'

Friday night, Dylan Raiola will get his first taste of playing in the Nebraska vs. Iowa rivalry. The freshman took the field after the Hawkeyes went 3-and-out, and Matt Rhule thinks he’ll rise to the occasion in the Heroes Trophy game.

Rhule spoke about his expectations for Raiola, who’s in the midst of a solid freshman season at Nebraska. He had some lofty praise for the former five-star recruit, and didn’t sound concerned at all about how he’ll handle the hostile environment at Kinnick Stadium.

In fact, rivalry games like the annual Black Friday matchup are part of what made Nebraska stand out to Raiola, Rhule said. Now, it’s about executing.

“I just want him to be him,” Rhule told NBC’s Zora Stephenson. “He’s one of the best players in the country. He’s come a long, long way. This is a great crowd. Congratulations to Iowa. Great crowd, great environment. This is Big Ten football.

“But this is why he came to Nebraska – play in games like this. Just want him to go out there and trust his teammates, trust the play call and just be himself.”

Dylan Raiola entered Week 14 with 2,405 passing yards and 12 touchdowns through his freshman season with Nebraska. But Friday night marks the third game for Raiola with Dana Holgorsen as his offensive coordinator and play-caller. Since the switch, he’s taken off, including a 293-yard performance with a touchdown in last week’s win over Wisconsin. Nebraska put up 44 points in that game.

Against Iowa, though, the Huskers are facing one of the Big Ten’s toughest defenses. But they’ll also have to stop running back Kaleb Johnson, who leads the conference with 135.6 rushing yards per game entering the final week of the regular season.

Rhule said Nebraska will have to stay disciplined against the Iowa rushing attack. Not only will the offensive line present a challenge, but Johnson isn’t easy to bring down.

“I think the biggest thing is tackling,” Rhule said. “You can put all the bodies down there you want, but Kaleb Johnson does such a great job running the football. They have guys who get off, they’re great blockers, running their outside zone. So we’re have to get off blocks and we’re gonna have to tackle.”