Via Huskers.com
Lincoln – Dylan Raiola led Nebraska to points on each of its first six drives in the first half to build a 38-0 halftime lead on its way to a 59-7 win over visiting Houston Christian on Saturday afternoon.
Playing in front of the 405th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium, the 3-0 Huskers rolled up 554 yards of total offense, including 362 passing and 192 on the ground. Four Husker quarterbacks combined to go 23-of-29 through the air, while eight Big Red rushers averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 38 totes.
Raiola, a sophomore quarterback, continued his efficient play by completing 15-of-21 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, before freshman quarterback TJ Lateef took the reins of the Husker offense to start the second half.
Lateef continued his efficient contributions as well by leading the Big Red to touchdowns on each of his three second-half drives, completing 5-of-5 passes for 126 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown pass to Cortez Mills Jr. in the fourth quarter. Lateef added three carries for 15 yards with a seven-yard rushing touchdown on NU’s opening drive of the third quarter.
Junior running back Emmett Johnson continued his strong play with 78 yards and two touchdowns on 13 first-half carries. Kwinten Ives added a solid rushing effort with 12 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown, with most of his production coming in the third quarter.
Dane Key notched his first 100-yard receiving game as a Husker by hauling in four receptions for 104 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. All of Key’s receiving yards came in the first half, including 87 yards in the first quarter.
Mills Jr. nearly added a 100-yard receiving game of his own with three catches for 98 yards, including his 62-yard fourth-quarter touchdown catch. In all, 11 different Huskers recorded at least one reception, including three for Jacory Barney Jr. and Isaiah Mozee and two apiece for Ives, Johnson and Conor Booth.
The Blackshirts continued their impressive defensive play as well, contributing a 29-yard scoop and score from Williams Nwaneri in the second quarter after a 12-yard sack and forced fumble by defensive tackle Riley Van Poppel. The defensive touchdown put Nebraska in front with 31-0 with more than nine minutes left in the first half.
The Huskers added another forced fumble on a big hit by Derek Wacker midway through the fourth quarter that was recored by Kahmir Prescott, but Nebraska’s offense did not convert the takeaway to points despite starting inside the Houston Christian 10-yard line. Overall, 27 Husker defenders recorded at least one tackle on the afternoon, including redshirt freshman defensive back Rex Guthrie, who notched a team-high six stops and junior defensive back Andrew Marshall, who added five tackles with a team-high four solos.
Nebraska held Houston Christian to just 160 yards of total offense, including just 67 passing yards – the third consecutive week to open the season the Huskers allowed less than 100 yards through the air. NU also surrendered just 2.7 yards per carry, holding HCU to 93 yards on 35 carries despite a 45-yard touchdown run by Xai’Shan Edwards to account for Houston Christian’s only score.
The Huskers will shoot for their first 4-0 start to a season since opening 2016 with a 7-0 mark when they play host to Michigan in Nebraska’s Big Ten opener next Saturday in Lincoln. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m. with live national television coverage by CBS.
Game Summary
Nebraska 59
Houston Christian 7
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Attendance: 86,292
First Quarter (NEB, 17-0)
11:12 – Kyle Cunanan 24 FG, 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:43 – NEB 3-0
6:14 – Jacory Barney Jr. 9 pass from Dylan Raiola (Cunanan kick), 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:47 – NEB 10-0
3:14 – Dane Key 39 pass from Raiola (Cunanan kick), 3 plays, 84 yards, 0:50 – NEB 17-0
Second Quarter (NEB, 38-0)
11:34 – Emmett Johnson 2 run (Cunanan kick), 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:42 – NEB 24-0
9:38 – Williams Nwaneri 29 fumble return (Cunanan kick) – NEB 31-0
2:52 – Johnson 4 run (Cunanan kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:48 – NEB 38-0
Third Quarter (NEB, 52-7)
9:19 – TJ Lateef 6 run (Cunanan kick), 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:00 – NEB 45-0
7:34 – Xai’Shan Edwards 45 run (Charlie Weinrich kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:45 – NEB 45-7
4:01 – Kwinten Ives 4 run (Cunanan kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:33 – NEB 52-7
Fourth Quarter (NEB, 59-7)
8:14 – Cortez Mills Jr., 62 pass from Lateef (Cunanan kick), 3 plays 80 yards, 1:22 – NEB 59-7
Kickoff: 11:03 a.m. (CT)
Length of Game: 3:20
