Karter Longie
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read

Huskers Look to Stay Perfect as Panthers Come to Lincoln

Huskers | Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola — © Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Northern Iowa Panthers (2-0) will travel to Lincoln, Neb., for a matchup with the No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0), on Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. EST. The Panthers, coming from the Missouri Valley Conference in the FCS ranks, will look to play spoiler to a Huskers team that is rolling and enjoying their first AP Poll appearance since 2019.

What's at Stake?

Nebraska is coming off a dominating 28-10 win versus Colorado in Week 2 and will look to stay perfect as it enters Big 10 Conference play next week. Northern Iowa, ranked No. 21 in the FCS Coaches Poll, will be looking for its first victory against an FBS opponent since a 2016 win over Iowa State.

Key Players: Nebraska

Offense

Dylan Raiola: The Huskers’ true freshman quarterback will continue to be one of the most important offensive players all season long. Look for Nebraska to be more aggressive in this one and give Raiola an opportunity to work out any kinks with the offense as they prepare for conference play.

Dante Dowdell: Dowdell may have established himself as the Huskers’ true No. 1 option in the backfield in their dominating win over the Buffaloes. The sophomore running back carried the ball 17 times for 74 yards while finding the end zone twice.

Jacory Barney Jr.: The Week 2 box score did not tell the full story for the freshman wideout. He finished with 6 catches for 29 yards, along with 2 carries for 28 yards. Barney Jr. also had a few explosive plays that were called back due to penalties. It will be interesting to see how the Huskers continue to involve him in the offense.

Defense

Tommi Hill: Hill turned heads in Week 2 as he picked off Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and took it to the house to put Nebraska in front by two scores in the first quarter. Hill is the best defensive back on the team and may even find himself as a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft come April.

Jimari Butler: Another veteran of this Huskers defense, Butler had a fumble recovery along with a sack and tackle for loss in the Week 2 win. Butler is the heart and soul of this defense, seen by many in Nebraska’s “Chasing 3” series.

Key Players: Northern Iowa

Offense

Tye Edwards: Northern Iowa will hope to rely on their senior running back to carry them to victory against Nebraska. Edwards has rushed for over 300 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Panthers through two games.

Aidan Dunne: The Panthers’ junior quarterback has had himself a nice season thus far. Dunne has thrown for over 200 yards and three touchdowns and has yet to turn the ball over. He will need to be on his A-game against a very impressive Huskers defense.

Defense

Carter Hewitt: Hewitt has been impressive for the Panthers as he leads the team in sacks (1.5) and is top four in tackles (12). Hewitt and his defensive line counterparts will have to play at a high level against a more talented Huskers offensive line.

Secondary: The entirety of the Panthers' secondary needs to do what they haven’t done all season; intercept a pass. Raiola has been great for the Huskers as he has not turned the ball over this season. The Panthers’ only chance in this contest is to force turnovers, which they have struggled to do.

Trends to Watch

Nebraska is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2016, the same year they went as high as No. 7 in the AP Poll. As mentioned above, Northern Iowa’s last FBS win came in 2016. It will be looking for its 13th win of such on Saturday.