Husker Dan Ponders If Nebraska Football Will Get Bowl Eligible Against UCLA

Will Nebraska become bowl eligible Saturday?

Oct 19, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) looks to pass during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

This week, the 5-3 Cornhuskers have a chance to take a huge step forward in Year Two of Matt Rhule's Husker rebuild.

A win over 2-5 UCLA will mean NU will be bowl eligible for the first time in eight very long years.

You can bet the farm the Bruins are going to do everything possible not to be the team that ends Nebraska's eight year bowl drought.  You can bet everyone in the UCLA football organization knows what's at stake Saturday,

Some Husker fans (and you know who you are) are thinking Saturday's showdown with 2-5 UCLA means the Huskers are going to have an easy day.

Au contraire.

UCLA's record might be a bit deceiving.  Here are some things to consider before the 2:30 pm CDT kickoff this Saturday in Lincoln:

Schedule:  Three of UCLA's losses have been to ranked teams:  #1 Oregon, #2 Penn State and #13 Indiana.

Record:  NU (5-3, 2-3)). UCLA  (2-5, 1-4)
Last Year's Record NU (5-3)  UCLA (8-5)

Coaches:   NU (Matt Rhule 2nd year)  UCLA (DeShaun Foster 1st)

Odds:  NU is a 6.5 point favorite going into the game

Statistical Rankings (as per cfbstats.com).  Noteworthy Husker advantages shown in bold.

Offense
Scoring            NU 95    UCLA 127
Rush                 102        134 (last)
Pass                  63           60 
Total Offense:    93          125

Defense
Scoring:               18        99
Rush:                    12        13
Pass:                    44        119
Total Defense:     16         70

T/O Margin:           52       122
PPG scored:           24.0     17.4
PPG allowed         18.1     29.0

UCLA '24 Highs and Lows This Year
Common opponents shown in bold.
1.)  Beat @Hawaii (16-13) and Rutgers (35-32)  
NU beat Rutgers (14-7)
2.)  Lost to LSU (17-34), Oregon (13-34), Penn State (11-27) and Minnesota (17-21) and Indiana (13-42) NU lost to IU (56-7)

Like Nebraska, the Bruins are a team in the midst of a rebuild.  As you can imagine, both teams have shown growing pains at times this season.

Saturday's game will be about two programs trying to right their respective ships.  Both are desperate for a win-any kind of a win.  

My take is that if the Husker team that played Ohio State last week shows up this week vs UCLA, NU should be in a position to get its sixth win of the year.  We all know the magnitude of such a win.

Matt Rhule's Temple and Baylor teams won at least six games in his second year.  Can Rhule do the same for Nebraska?

Let's hope the "real" Huskers show up ready to play this Saturday.  If they do, Nebraska fans will have good reason to be dancing in the streets come Saturday night.

This Week's Special Shoutout 
Two loyal Husker fans Olivia and Doc Joel need to be saluted.  They get to go to the head of the class!

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