The Nebraska Cornhuskers concluded their 2024 season in impressive fashion Saturday, beating the Boston College Eagles 20-15 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York. Playing in their first bowl game since 2016, the Huskers secured their first winning record since that same season and won a bowl game for the first time since 2015. In Matt Rhule's second season as head coach, Nebraska finished 7-6, providing fans with plenty of reason for optimism in 2025 and beyond.
The biggest factor in Nebraska's progression will likely be quarterback Dylan Raiola, who finished with 224 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 22-of-30 passing in Saturday's victory. Raiola had plenty of ups and downs during his true freshman season, but 247Sports ' No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class made history Saturday, surpassing Adrian Martinez for the most passing yards in a season by a freshman in Nebraska football history: In addition to surpassing the previous record of 2,617 yards, Raiola threw 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions on the year.
Although Raiola clearly has to make some improvements in his game to reach the next level, plenty of fans expressed their belief Saturday on social media that Raiola has the chance to be a special player in the future: Raiola showed some maturity and veteran leadership in Saturday's contest, which could bode well for next season. On the opening drive of the game, he was intercepted by Boston College defensive back KP Pric.
