WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Matt Rhule thought if he stayed on the white stripe that separates the field from the sideline, he could hurl his headset to the ground without penalty. And that’s exactly what he did on Saturday in the fourth quarter, with Nebraska leading by two points, when wide receiver Jahmal Banks was pulled over for stopping a first-down run by Emmett Johnson.

“I was just crazy,” Rhule said before the Huskers left Ross-Ade Stadium with a 28-10 win over Purdue, their first road win in the Big Ten by a three-point margin in nearly five years.

He was angry at the officials who stopped Banks – and who called out tight end Thomas Fidone II – for holding out on Dylan’s first play of the second quarter, a fourth-and-three throw and a 22-yard run after the catch to the end zone Raiola had to Rahmir Johnson.

When the Huskers played here two years ago and gave up 608 yards in a loss, such setbacks might have sent them into a tailspin. The same goes for the 2019 Nebraska team, which squandered opportunities in West Lafayette and suffered one of the most confusing defeats in a disappointing final decade of football.

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Those Nebraska teams didn’t have Rhule. And they certainly didn’t have rookie Raiola. The coach-QB duo plans to drag the Huskers along — if necessary — to play the type of football Nebraska fans want.

Nebraska’s performance at Purdue this Saturday highlighted the growing effectiveness of Rhule-Raiola’s resilience and leadership. The Huskers (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) shook off the effects of a mistake-filled, scoreless first half and scored four touchdowns in the final 30 minutes.

The headset throw earned Rhule a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. In addition to the holding call, it assisted Nebraska on 2nd-and-29. Raiola connected with Emmett Johnson for 27 yards on the next play. And Jacory Barney Jr. scored on a 25-yard run two plays later to secure the win.

Rhule didn’t want the penalty. But he wanted the Huskers to see him, their second-year coach, “out there fighting for them today” after Nebraska’s overtime loss at home to Illinois a week ago.

“Someone has to start fighting for Nebraska,” Rhule said. “All right? That’s why I’m here, to fight for Nebraska.”

It brought additional fire on Saturday. Before kickoff, Rhule gathered the Huskers in a large circle and called several players into the middle in groups of two to face each other in one-on-one collisions.

“It’s all about the attitude,” said former All-America center Dominic Raiola as he watched the pregame activities from the sidelines and was clearly excited about it.

Dominic’s son also showed a certain attitude.

Dylan Raiola completed 16 of 26 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, sending balls through a Purdue defense that aimed to stay in zone coverage and let the rookie beat in his first road appearance against the Boilermakers. Raiola’s accuracy also led to six pass interference calls.

His statistics in five games: 99 of 141 passes (70.2 percent) for 1,211 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

Raiola’s performance at Purdue could go down as his most impressive with the Huskers.

As Nebraska struggled on third down in the first half, missing three field goals and incurring driving penalties, Raiola’s attempt to drive six times inside the Purdue 40 failed at one point. Still, he didn’t force any throws. He kept his composure and continued to lean on Purdue. After halftime the defense collapsed.

“We’ll just stay the course and keep grinding,” Raiola said.

Nebraska trailed 3-0 late in the third quarter. On third-and-goal from the 6, Raiola shortened the clock as time expired, switching to a silent count as the noise grew louder. He found Banks in the back of the end zone.

His presence calms the Huskers on offense. With Raiola at the helm, Nebraska has only committed three turnovers after committing 31 turnovers a year. The turnover margin is plus 5 and we are on track to be in the black for the third time since Frank Solich was fired as coach 21 years ago.

Raiola takes on the role of a leader. Of course he needs help. But the Huskers transform into his team faster than planned. Even though the expectations for the former five-star prospect are enormous, he is a year ahead of schedule.

“This week was all about us and getting back to who we were,” he said. “Last week we got hit in the mouth. And it was all about our reaction.”

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The other cornerback, Rhule, said he urged the Huskers to relieve themselves of the pressure after last week. He wants them to find joy in competition.

“Let’s just go play,” he said.

While Husker Nation fretted at halftime about the missed opportunities and collectively wondered if Nebraska would come away empty-handed like it did in 2022 and 2019, Rhule didn’t point out the mistakes.

“I told them,” he said, “‘This is exactly where this team needed to be.'”

They had to show in the second half that they could win.

“I love the fact that they didn’t bat an eyelid,” Rhule said.

Nebraska’s problems with special teams are glaring. His offensive line is a patchwork product. The run defense, which hosts undefeated Rutgers and top defender Kyle Monangai in Lincoln this week, appears to be vulnerable.

“People can spend all their time thinking about what we are not,” Rhule said. “I choose to see what we are.”

He slammed his hand on a table four times to emphasize that Nebraska has gradually improved.

“We came on the road after a devastating defeat last week,” he said. “And we found a way to win. And I couldn’t be prouder. It wasn’t the best football. We have a lot of repairs to do. But I’m proud of the heart of this team.”

Her heart, her direction, her ability to open long-closed doors in Nebraska? It all starts with the coach and the QB.

(Top photo by Dylan Raiola: Marc Lebryk / Imagn Images)