Raiola helps Nebraska pull away from Purdue in the 2nd half, 28-10

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Dylan Raiola threw for 257 yards and a touchdown to lead Nebraska to a 28-10 victory over Purdue in a Big Ten Conference contest Saturday afternoon.

After playing a scoreless first half and trailing 3-0 late in the third quarter, the Cornhuskers scored 28 unanswered points and kept Purdue out of the end zone until the Boilermakers scored in the final 2 minutes.

“They didn’t flinch,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “To come off the heartbreak of last week when nothing went right (in overtime home loss to Illinois). Glad it ended up 28-10, but it was a game we had to fight for. Guys had to make plays. We had tough calls go against us in the first half and the guys were telling me to keep my composure.”

Nebraska (4-1, 1-1) took the lead at 7-3 on Raiola’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Jahmal Banks with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter.

“Once we got it going, we couldn't be stopped,” Raiola said.

The Cornhuskers pushed the lead to 14-3 on a fourth-down, 1-yard touchdown by Dante Dowdell with 10:34 left in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska added a 25-yard TD run by Jacory Barney Jr. and John Bullock’s 29-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Purdue (1-3, 0-1) took a 3-0 lead on Spencer Porath’s 45-yard field goal with 6:42 left in third quarter — the Boilermakers’ first field goal of the season.

Each team squandered scoring opportunities in the scoreless first half. Purdue blocked field goals of 44 and 32 yards by Nebraska. The Cornhuskers also missed a 42-yard field goal and the Boilermakers missed a 39-yard field goal. Each team had a touchdown called back for offensive pass interference.

“Everything that could go wrong did in the first half, ” Rhule said.

Purdue quarterback Hudson Card was 18 of 25 passing for 174 yards, including 15-yard touchdown to Leland Smith with 1:29 left.

“Extremely disappointing and frustrating,” Purdue coach Ryan Walters said. “We do the only thing I know how to do, we go to work and continue to make adjustments. I thought from a defensive perspective, we tweaked a few things and we make some adjustments that I felt helped us.”

The Cornhuskers limited the Boilermakers to 50 rushing yards.

“This gives us that much more confidence in ourselves," Bullock said. “Just knowing we are still a good team, we just have to play like it. It was a big step up from last week,”

The Takeaway

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers finally got the running game in gear in the second half, finishing with 161 yards. Nebraska had its share of miscues with two blocked fields and 11 penalties, for 94 yards including an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule. Rhule said he threw his headset, but thought he was OK where he threw it on the sideline.

Purdue: The Boilermakers, who lost their third consecutive game, were hampered by 13 penalties for 165 yards, including six flags for pass interference. “I thought a couple (pass interference calls) were blatant and a couple that were judgement calls,” Purdue coach Ryan Walters said. “I’ll look at tape and see where we can improve on that one. The one drives you crazy is the pre- and post-snap penalties, stepping over the receiver (for taunting) is stupid. It can’t happen..”

Defensive firepower

Nebraska senior linebacker John Bullock finally got his first touchdown with 29-yard interception return.

“The last time in a game I had the ball in my hands was probably high school,” Bullock said. “To have the ball in my hands was incredible. I hope I can have more of, but that was more the coaches than me. They told me to play that route in cover 2 and I took it to the house. After that, I just went numb. I didn't know what to feel."

Up Next

Nebraska: Hosts Rutgers next Saturday

Purdue: At Wisconsin next Saturday.

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Mark Ambrogi, The Associated Press