Here's what Greg Schiano says about Nebraska as Rutgers football looks to stay undefeated
PISCATAWAY – Rutgers football has won its first four games of the season and if that winning streak is going to extend to five, the Scarlet Knights are going to have to pass a tough test on the road.
Greg Schiano’s team will play Nebraska on Saturday (4 p.m., FS1) at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska with a chance to beat the Cornhuskers for the first time in seven tries.
Nebraska is 4-1 after beating UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa and Purdue. The Cornhuskers’ loss came in overtime against No. 24 Illinois.
“Matt Rhule, excellent coach, known Matt for a long, long time, and he does a great job,” Schiano said Monday. “He's certainly got that thing going into the right direction, and now it's being seen in the record.”
Rutgers, meanwhile, is coming off a 21-18 victory over Washington in its Big Ten opener.
Here’s more of what Schiano said about the Cornhuskers on Monday:
Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola will present a challenge for Rutgers football’s defense
It’s not often that a true freshman gets a starting job in the Big Ten, but Dylan Raiola has gotten that chance with the Cornhuskers and he’s done well overall through five games.
So far he’s 100-of-142 passing (70.4 percent) for 1,224 yards and nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Raiola, who was a five-star recruit and the No. 21 overall prospect in the nation for the 2024 class according to the 247Sports Composite, has played with the poise of a more experienced player.
Schiano called Raiola “incredibly talented.”
“You don't usually see a freshman that's kind of capable of doing the things that he's doing right now,” Schiano said.
Raiola, a Georgia native, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska last December.
“The command that he has of their offense, I would say, is good for any level but for a freshman is unheard of,” Schiano said. “And he's a very gifted athlete. He's big. He's mobile. He can throw on the move. He can throw from the pocket. There's not much this guy can't do but that's why he was such a highly recruited quarterback, right. He's got all the tools.”
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Nebraska’s receivers stand out
Raiola has a good group of weapons to throw to – they’ll be a test for Rutgers’ secondary.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Isaiah Neyor has caught 17 passes for 291 with four touchdowns, while 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver Jahmal Banks has 20 catches for 252 yards and two scores. Schiano also mentioned Janiran Bonner, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound wideout.
“Each one is bigger than the next,” Schiano said. “I mean, they are gigantic. Very physical group. They have drawn a lot of (defensive pass interferences), as you can imagine, because of their size and kind of the way they move DBs around.”
Schiano said 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end Thomas Fidone II, who has 11 catches for 112 yards, is one of the “better (tight ends) we’ll see this year.”
“And then the offensive line is big and physical,” Schiano said. “Offensively, they are definitely going to be a huge challenge.”
Nebraska’s defense solid through five games, also has a NJ connection
The Cornhuskers have been solid on the other side of the ball, too. Schiano called the defensive line “stout” and “physical.”
Nebraska has allowed 12.2 points per game, good for third in the Big Ten. It’s allowing 144.6 rushing yards per game (seventh in the conference), though its pass defense has been more vulnerable, yielding 188.8 yards per game, which ranks 12th in the Big Ten.
Schiano is also familiar with one of Nebraska’s linebackers – Irvington product Mikai Gbayor, who’s second on the Cornhuskers with 26 tackles (2½ for loss). Rutgers recruited Gbayor before he committed to Nebraska as part of the 2021 recruiting class.
“I think their defense is one of the better ones in America, and they certainly understand what their defensive coordinator wants them to do,” Schiano said. “(Defensive coordinator) Tony (White) is a heck of a coach, and I think that it's a well-coached team.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football: Greg Schiano previews Nebraska Oct. 5 game
