Dylan Raiola embarked on his own journey at Nebraska on Saturday. While his family ties run deep within the Cornhusker program, it was Raiola’s time to leave his own mark, and the emotions of the moment settled in ahead of kickoff.

After leading Nebraska to a season-opening win over UTEP, Raiola was asked about battling his emotions ahead of the game. The young quarterback admitted in his postgame interview it began hitting him on the drive to the stadium, but he reflected on being grateful for those who helped in his journey.

“It started on the bus drive over here. It got heavy on me. Just so thankful and grateful for everything my parents have sacrificed and everybody that’s been a part of this journey,” described Raiola. “I’m just very fortunate.”

As for his performance, Raiola said he began settling into the moment around the third drive of the game after Nebraska’s script and adrenaline wore off. By that point, the ground game was finding its groove and made his life easier.

“About the third drive,” Raiola listed for when he settled into the flow. “The first and second was a lot of adrenaline and our script. Other than that, we settled in and our running game took over and did a great job with that.”

Raiola finished his debut 19-for-27 throwing the ball for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns. He showed an ability to push the ball downfield and with Nebraska’s receivers and also to make throws outside of the pocket when things break down.

It’s everything fans were hoping for in a start from a true freshman QB. Now, he has a chance to elevate the offense even further as the season progresses.