Dylan Raiola knows all about the Nebraska vs. Colorado series, thanks to his dad, Dominic, and his own playing days in Lincoln.

This weekend, the former Big 12 rivals will meet again in just their fourth matchup since Nebraska left the Big 12 after 2010. Despite the overall dominance in the series by Nebraska (49-21-2 overall), the Buffs have won all 3 nonconference matchups since 2018.

When speaking with the media on Tuesday, Raiola was asked about any message his dad had for him, and the biggest thing Dylan knows is that his dad never lost to Colorado.

“Well, my dad said he never lost to them,” said Raiola with a smile. “This week, he told me ‘Just so you know, I never lost to them.'”

Dominic Raiola was in the Nebraska program from 1997-2000, capping a streak of 9 straight wins by Nebraska in the series across 1992-2000.

The younger Raiola went on to say he knows things run deep in the rivalry, but the Cornhuskers are focusing on their own tasks right now. He also expects “one of the best atmospheres in college football” on Saturday.

“But the rivalry runs deep but you’ve got to stay focused on the task at hand. You can’t get caught up in everything else,” Raiola explained. “We’ve just got to worry about playing football and doing our brand of football.”

As for the bad blood among fans, Raiola said it’s not something “engrained” in him personally but something he understands:

“It wasn’t engrained in me, but it was something I knew of. Respect every opponent, respect the rivalry and everyone who played before us, but we’re just trying to go out there and do our job and come out with a win at the end of the day,” said Raiola.

After going 1-0 in his first career start, the competition will be ramped up for Raiola and the rest of the Huskers in Week 2. We’ll see how he fares in the high stakes and bright lights of a showdown against Deion Sanders and Colorado.