It’s one of the most highly anticipated football seasons at Nebraska in years as the Cornhuskers open at home against UTEP on Aug. 31, and it will also be the NU debut of mega-touted recruit Dylan Raiola after the true freshman won the team’s QB competition.

The Huskers are heavy favorites on the NCAAF odds.

UTEP Miners +970

UTEP of Conference USA is not a very good football program right now with just one winning season since 2015. The Miners finished 3-9 last year and fired coach Dana Dimel. He went 20-49 with the Miners, including a New Mexico Bowl appearance in 2021. The 61-year-old Dimel, who coached Wyoming and Houston earlier in his career, came to UTEP as Sean Kugler’s replacement after a lengthy run as Kansas State’s offensive coordinator under Bill Snyder.

Scotty Walden

Dimel was replaced by former Austin Peay coach Walden, the program’s 27th all-time football coach. Last year, the 34-year-old led the Governors to a 9-3 record, a perfect 6-0 mark in the United Athletic Conference, and a no. 13 FCS national ranking. It marked the first undefeated conference season in school history. He was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award for FCS National Coach of the Year. Austin Peay has won four conference titles since 1977 – with two coming under Walden’s watch. He was the only coach to lead Austin Peay to two conference championships.

Walden is considered an offensive coach with the 2023 Austin Peay squad ranking fourth nationally in passing efficiency (162.17), ninth in scoring offense (34.1 ppg), 11th in passing completion percentage (.667), 13th in passing offense (274.1 ypg) and 15th in total offense (426.8 ypg). The Governors set school records for scoring offense, total offense and passing offense. Walden maintains a promise at UTEP that the offense will snap the ball every 12 seconds. In the fast-paced spring game, the “Blue Blaze” — Walden’s term for the offense — totaled 537 yards and flexed the speed of play calls.

QB Battle

There has been a complete roster overall with UTEP, with nearly 50 new players. That includes former Austin Peay QB Skyler Locklear, who is battling Cade McConnell for the starting job. McConnell was UTEP’s leading passer last season, throwing for 1,437 yards and six touchdowns. He began the season as fourth string, but eventually got a chance due to injuries.

Walden also lured another Austin Peay star, running back, Jevon Jackson, to El Paso. He rushed for 1,373 yards on 252 carries and scored 10 touchdowns last season, his first as a full-time starter, and caught 11 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. He played four games, redshirted his true freshman year of 2021 and rushed for 542 yards in 2022 to lead all ASUN freshmen. Jackson joins a backfield that must replace its leading rushers, Torrance Burgess Jr. and Deion Hankins, who entered the transfer portal. Jackson was named a 2023 FCS Football Central Second Team All-America.

Trey Goodman

Yet another Austin Peay star followed Walden in wideout Goodman. He tallied 721 yards on 34 receptions in 2023. He led the Governors in receiving touchdowns (seven) and yards per reception (21.3 avg.) while earning All-UAC first team honors.

Maurice Westmoreland

The defense will be led by senior Westmoreland. He was named All-Conference USA first team in 2023, leading UTEP and ranking second in CUSA with 7.5 sacks (64 yards). He also ranked fifth on the team with 37 tackles (24 solo) and added 10.5 tackles for loss (75 yards), three breakups, four hurries and a forced fumble. Westmoreland was fourth in CUSA with 10.5 TFLs. Linebacker Tyrice Knight is gone after leading the team with 140 tackles, and now it’s up to Tulsa transfer Dorian Hopkins to hold up on the inside.

Nebraska Cornhuskers -7692

Matt Rhule did a terrific job at Nebraska in his first season last year – don’t mind the 5-7 record, as the Huskers were competitive in essentially every game they lost. But Rhule’s biggest win so far at the school was winning the recruiting war for mega-prospect QB Dylan Raiola, a Top 10 overall recruit. He originally committed to Georgia but flipped to the Huskers last December to become the highest-ranked high school recruit to pick the Cornhuskers since ESPN began tracking rankings in 2006.

Raiola said a lifetime of being intertwined with Nebraska football played into his decision. His father, Dominic, was an All-America offensive lineman there, and his uncle Donovan is the school’s offensive line coach. Nebraska had inconsistent quarterback play last year, with the country’s No. 126 passing offense and No. 120 scoring offense. The Cornhuskers had top-20 finishes in scoring defense, rush defense and total defense.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Raiola threw for nearly 8,500 yards and 88 touchdowns during his high school career and played his senior year at Buford (Georgia) High School before enrolling early with the Huskers. In his spring game debut in April, Raiola threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-22 passing.

#1 QB Dylan Raiola

To no surprise, Raiola was named the Week 1 starter by Rhule on Wednesday, beating out junior Heinrich Haarberg and fellow true freshman Daniel Kaelin. In his spring game debut in April, Raiola threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-22 passing.

Rhule also did well in the transfer portal, including landing former Texas wideout Isaiah Neyor. Neyor, a 6-foot-3 and 215-pounder and a sixth-year senior, provides the Huskers with a needed big body and experience at a pass-catching spot. Nebraska’s returning group of wide receivers includes only two scholarship players who are not in their first or second seasons, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda and Alex Bullock. Neyor caught 44 passes for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021 at Wyoming. His 19.95 yards per catch ranked sixth in the FBS. He transferred to Texas and suffered a torn ACL during preseason camp in 2022 before playing in just one game in the past two seasons.

Thomas Fidone III

The Huskers also return one of the Big Ten’s better tight ends in Fidone III. After being limited by injuries in his first two seasons, Fidone tallied 25 catches for 260 yards and four touchdowns in 2023, as his 25 catches ranked second on the team. Fidone led the Husker receiving corps with four TDs and had three-or-more catches five times – with four of those coming in Big Ten play. His four touchdown grabs were the most by a Husker tight end since 2010. The NU offensive line has experience, including tackle Bryce Benhardt, who has a school-record-tying 41 career starts.

Tony White

Another off season win for Rhule was the retention of defensive coordinator White, reportedly a candidate for UCLA’s head-coaching job in February. White’s stated goal is to be the No. 1 defense nationally. Three of the top four tacklers return. Rover Isaac Gifford led the team with 86 tackles, 6.5 of them for a loss, and eight pass breakups. Linebacker Javin Wright was tied for second with 51 tackles. Linebacker John Bullock was credited with 50.

Nebraska fielded the Power Five’s ninth-best defense in terms of EPA allowed per play in 2023 and brought back nine of the 13 defenders who played at least 300 snaps. They also strengthened the defense with transfers such as edge defender Stefon Thompson and cornerback Blye Hill.

This will be the first-ever meeting between UTEP and Nebraska. No doubt the Huskers win but covering is a matter of not looking ahead to Week 2 and a big matchup with former Big 12 rival Colorado.

UTEP at Nebraska NCAA Football Info

Dylan Raiola will start at quarterback for the Huskers vs. UTEP#GBR x #WhatsNExt! pic.twitter.com/iNVFEOjSvf

— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) August 21, 2024

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