Know Your Foe, Nebraska vs. Maryland: The Quarterbacks

Nebraska takes on the Maryland Terapins on Saturday, and it's time to compare the quarterbacks in the game.

Dylan Raiola and Malik Washington were both highly-touted recruits coming out of high school, with Raiola a five-star from the 2024 class and Washington a consensus four-star from the 2025 class, ranked as the second-best player in Maryland and fifth-ranked QB nationally. Washington, a dual-threat signal-caller, stepped in as a true freshman and has shown promise early in his collegiate career.

Let's start with Nebraska: Dylan Raiola

Coming off a 38-27 win against Michigan State, Raiola had an uncharacteristically tough outing in windy conditions, completing 16-of-24 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Despite the struggles, he managed to stay poised and contributed to a victory that improved Nebraska to 4-1. Through five games in his sophomore season, Raiola has shown poise and accuracy overall, though this performance highlighted areas for improvement against physical defenses. Nebraska's success continues to hinge on his command of the offense.

CMP / ATT	YDS	TD	INT	CMP%
118 / 159	1331	12	2	74.2

Raiola will hope to bounce back and find success through the air against a stout Maryland defense, which ranks 3rd overall in PFF with a very impressive pass coverage grade of 92.1.

OFF	PASS	RUN
71.1	68.1	69.1

Dylan Raiola Big Ten Rankings (through Week 6):

Completions: 2nd (118)
Interceptions: T-3rd (2)
Touchdowns: 2nd (12)
Pass Yards/Game: 2nd (266.2)
Completion %: 2nd (74.2%)

Know your Foe:

Let's look at the QB position and compare Dylan Raiola and Malik Washington.

Dylan Raiola - Sophomore
118/159- 1331 YDS - 12 TD 2 INT - 74.2% CMP%

Malik Washington - Freshman
110/183 - 1257 YDS - 9 TD 2 INT - 60.1% CMP%
Rushing: 11 CAR 22 YDS 2.0 AVG 3 TD#GBR… pic.twitter.com/aSFcrVSSxn
— No Block💥No Rockᴺᴮᴺᴿ (@NBNRPodcast) October 9, 2025

Now Let's look at Malik Washington

Washington showed flashes of his dual-threat ability in a heartbreaking 24-20 loss to Washington, where he threw nearly 50 passes for just 219 yards (4.5 yards per attempt) while adding a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Maryland built a 20-0 lead before collapsing, and Washington's inefficiency in the second half contributed to the loss. In his freshman season, through five games, he's blended arm strength with mobility, looking very poised as a Freshman.

CMP / ATT	YDS	TD	INT	CMP%
110 / 183	1257	9	2	60.1

As a dual-threat option, Washington hasn't run often, but when he does, he's been very effective, finding the end zone three times on 11 attempts.

ATT	YDS	TD
11	22	3

When looking at the overall PFF ratings for Malik Washington, he has been very efficient in his freshman campaign, with strong early games against lesser competition and some struggles against the better competition.

OFF	PASS	RUN
81.8	80.2	64.2

Malik Washington Big Ten Rankings (through Week 6):

Completions: 8th (85)
Interceptions: T-5th (3)
Touchdowns: 6th (9)
Pass Yards: 7th (1,257)
Pass Yards/Game: 8th (251.4)
Completion %: 10th (62.0%)

Nebraska's secondary ranks No. 1 in the country in pass yards allowed, surrendering just 91.8 yards per game, with a strong PFF coverage grade. Saturday's matchup will be a huge test for Washington in the pocket. But his legs could exploit gaps in the Nebraska rush defense; some opponents have found some success on the ground against the Blackshirts. The big question is, can the run defense duplicate its performance against Michigan State, or will Washington run wild against the Blackshirts?

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