It was in the third quarter as the clock read 12:04 inside Memorial Stadium. Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola took a sack that sent an eerie silence across the stadium. His leg got caught under the defender, bending in a way no one ever wants to see. Just like that, the spark went out. Trainers had to help him off the field. “From a medical perspective, they were like, ‘He can’t run,’” Matt Rhule said. “The trainers didn’t want him to go out there. I know he’s had a history with that ankle, and he was in a lot of pain on the field.” The QB didn’t return. But here’s where things take a turn.

On November 1, HurrdatSports dropped a video on X showing a new angle of Dylan Raiola after the injury. The caption read, “Dylan Raiola exits the field under his own power. The starting QB exited the game after an injury early in the third quarter.” Maybe he was hobbling and looked uncomfortable. But he was on his feet, both of them. For a fanbase desperate for hope, that clip was gold. It hinted at what every Nebraska fan wants to believe that maybe his comeback could happen sooner than expected.

And Dylan Raiola needs to come back. Because the night that was supposed to be a celebration, Nebraska’s first-ever “Blackout” game, turned into a bittersweet reminder of how fragile momentum can be. The Huskers started hot. Their first drive was seventy-five yards of pure rhythm, capped off by a 14-yard dart from the QB to Dane Key. The defense fed off the energy, holding No. 23 USC to just six points in the first half. When Emmett Johnson powered into the end zone for a 10-yard score before halftime, Nebraska went into the locker room up 14–6, and the crowd was already dreaming about headlines.

But then came the injury. And with Dylan Raiola gone, the offense sputtered like an engine missing its key. Freshman TJ Lateef came in and did what he could, completing 5-of-7 passes for 7 yards, safe, careful, but not enough. Nebraska managed just three points the rest of the night, while USC’s run game gashed them for 202 yards.

Matt Rhule stood by his decision. “You can’t put a kid out there who can’t defend himself,” he said postgame. “I told him, ‘I love you too much to have you play when you’re hurt like this.’” It’s a beautiful thing when grit meets compassion. And in that mix, you see why players want to run through walls for him. The HC’s decision was firm, but it marked a turning point that mirrored the night’s slow unraveling on the field. 

Blackout Night turns dim for Dylan Raiola and co.

Nebraska couldn’t capitalize on their first “Blackout” since 2020, falling 21–17 to the Trojans in front of another sold-out crowd. USC QB Jayden Maiava didn’t light up the air. He just completed 9-of-23 for 135 yards but the Trojans’ ground game made up for it in chunks. Five runs of 10-plus yards broke the Huskers’ back.

“Anytime we give up 200 rushing yards, we’re not going to be happy,” Matt Rhule said. “We lost the game so we’ll have to get better.” With the loss, Nebraska drops to 6–3, likely out of playoff contention. But with Dylan Raiola’s latest footage showing him walking again, the story isn’t over. It’s just paused like a game waiting for its hero to return. Next stop is UCLA. And all eyes will be on No. 15, the kid who might just rewrite Nebraska’s story once he’s back on both feet.