Sources: Nebraska QB Raiola expected to face USC

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is expected to be back for the Cornhuskers’ next game, sources told ESPN, after he left Saturday’s game against UCLA in the fourth quarter with a back issue.

Sources told ESPN that scans of Raiola’s back came back clear, which means he’s on track to return for Nebraska’s game at USC on Nov. 16. The Cornhuskers have a bye this week.

Raiola left the game against the Bruins in the fourth quarter after getting hit on a quarterback run. He tried to reenter two plays later but hobbled from the huddle back to the sideline holding his back. He then fell down on the field and said later that his back “locked up on me” after getting hit “in the wrong spot.”

Nebraska is 5-4 after starting the season 5-1, and Raiola’s health will be a key factor in potentially clinching bowl eligibility down the stretch. Nebraska hasn’t played in a bowl game since the 2016 season, the longest drought of any power conference team. The Huskers finish at USC, home against Wisconsin and at Iowa.

Raiola was ESPN’s No. 11 overall recruit for the class of 2024 and the No. 1 pocket passer. He has 10 touchdown passes and eight interceptions on the season. He has played unevenly recently after a promising start; in Nebraska’s past four games, he has one touchdown and six interceptions. For the season, he has completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,921 yards.

Nebraska’s next opponent, USC (4-5, 2-5), will also be coming off a bye and is in 15th place in the 18-team Big Ten.