CT native Ragaini relishing memorable TD catch for Iowa
Nico Ragaini still hasn’t been able to respond to all of the congratulatory messages by text and on his social media accounts.
It’s been more than 48 hours since Ragaini made the biggest play of his collegiate career at Iowa: a 44-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter to help the Hawkeyes come from behind to defeat Penn State in a battle of undefeated, top-five nationally ranked Big 10 teams Saturday.
“It’s something I will never forget for sure with the game on the line at the end,” said Ragaini, an East Haven native and a former Notre Dame-West Haven standout football player.
If you haven’t seen the play yet, just Google it: Iowa quarterback Spencer Patras sold a play-action pass as most of Penn State’s defenders up front went to tackle the running back. Petras rolled left and found a wide-open Ragaini, who had cut to the middle of the field, then darted back toward the sideline.
Ragaini, a starting wide receiver, said Penn State was in its base defense and he was able to get the safety to bite on his initial cut.
“That was a heck of a route by Nico,” said Petras following the game. “It was important they didn’t blitz. When he was wide open, I just had to make the throw.”.
Ragiani outran the remaining defenders to the pylon to put the Hawkeyes ahead for good in front of a sold-out Kinnick Stadium in what was considered to be be the biggest game on campus in close to four decades.
“Obviously, Petras and Ragaini on that touchdown was really huge,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said following Saturday’s game. “You worry about that a little bit because it can get a little bit sticky. But just executed so well. And that's not an easy throw for Spencer. He did a great job. And Nico's been just so dependable for us.”
It was Ragaini’s first touchdown of the season. He has 15 receptions for 205 yards. The junior now has 80 catches for 842 yards and three touchdowns for his career.
The 23-20 win over Penn State makes Iowa the last remaining unbeaten in the Big 10 and now the No. 2 team in the country behind Georgia. But don’t expect Ragaini to make a big deal out of it.
He said the team has a 24-hour rule: the celebration following victories ends then. The team watched film on
Purdue, this Saturday’s opponent, on Sunday morning and the team was back lifting weights at 5:45 Monday morning.
“We practice like we are at the bottom (of the Big 10). We know that rankings don’t mean anything in October, just like preseason rankings don’t mean anything,” Ragaini said. “Six weeks ago nobody cared, outside of the football complex. We knew we had something special.”
Ragaini had 222 career receptions for 3,345 yards during his all-state career at Notre Dame. He couldn’t get any higher praise than from Connecticut’s all-time winningest coach immediately following the final game in high school.
“If he’s not the best player in the state, he’s in the top two. I don’t know who the other guy is,” New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli said in December of 2016.
Ragaini was the two-time Male Athlete of the Year for the New Haven Register . But it was looking like he would play Division I college lacrosse. Despite all of his success on the football field, the 6-foot, 192-pound Ragaini didn’t get a single scholarship offer from an FBS school.
Those slights still drive him today.
“I’m truly thankful Power 5 schools didn’t think I could play. I grew up with a chip on my shoulder,” Ragaini said. “That chip on your shoulder pushes you to get better and to believe in yourself.”
Ragaini, 22, spurned lacrosse, enrolled at Avon Old Farms and got the scholarship offer from Iowa, reporting just days later in January of 2018. He’s been in Iowa City ever since.
He said he has a number of teammates who were underrecruited, but have shined when given the opportunity to play for the Hawkeyes. That has helped build the program into a powerhouse.
Family and friends have attended nearly very game. His dad, Gianni, has missed just one — last year against Minnesota.
“Nico scored on a jet sweep, so you can imagine I was upset that I wasn’t there,” Gianni said.
But he was there Saturday and his uncle Paul was quoted in The Gazette. They are hoping to see Iowa build on its 12-game winning streak and remain in the national college Football conversation with more moments like Ragaini provided on Saturday.