A yellow flag isn’t going to cut it.
Football fans are demanding for Maryland’s Cam Rice to face harsher penalties after he issued a “dirty” hit on injured Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola during the Cornhuskers’ 34-31 win on Saturday afternoon at SECU Stadium.
In the second quarter, facing 2nd-and-5 on the 45-yard line, Raiola got swarmed by the Terrapins’ pass rush and tossed an errant pass downfield that resulted in an interception and a brutal hit to his knee in the process.
The sophomore field general struggled to his feet and began hobbling to the sidelines — then got floored again on a late hit from the Maryland lineman.
Rice was immediately charged for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the footage has since gone viral on social media, where livid fans are advocating for further punishment.
“Maryland defensive lineman Cam Rice should lose his scholarship for this meaningless unsportsmanlike stunt,” one fan wrote on X.
“His coach needs to cut him,” added another. “Let the coach decide the definition of cut in this situation.”
“If you target a limping QB, you’re not playing tough-you’re playing dirty,” said one more fan. “Suspension shouldn’t be optional.”
Raiola remained in the game, persevering through a shaky outing to deliver when his team needed him most.
The signal-caller completed 20 of his 29 pass attempts for 260 yards, outweighing three interceptions with four touchdowns.
He tipped the scale back in his favor when he located wideout Dane Key on a go-ahead, three-yard TD connection with 1:08 to go in the fourth quarter, catapulting the Cornhuskers to an impressive 5-1 record.
While Raiola left unscathed, Rice’s late hit underscored a growing issue of quarterback safety — and the importance of protecting vulnerable field generals.
Also on Saturday, Penn State QB Drew Allar was ruled out for the remainder of the year after suffering an injury in the team’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern.
With no more eligibility left, the senior’s college career was terminated on the spot.
