Keys to Victory: Nebraska vs. UCLA

Huskers look to bounce back after back-to-back losses.

Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws a short pass against Ohio State Buckeyes during the third quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska welcomes UCLA to Lincoln on Saturday. The Huskers are playing to become bowl eligible for the first time in nearly a decade. The Bruins, who will be coming off a bye week, started off with a bear of a schedule that included Indiana, LSU, Oregon, and Penn State. They have seen some success more recently, with a close loss to Minnesota followed by a win over Rutgers. 

On behalf of the Common Fan podcast, here are three keys to victory for the Huskers, and two keys to victory for all the fellow Common Fans. 

NEBRASKA’S KEYS TO VICTORY

Don't Lay an Egg. I don't know how else to say this. Nebraska needs to not choke on Saturday. The Huskers are 5-3, one win away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. UCLA is 2-5. UCLA has a first year head coach. While they've shown improvement in recent games, UCLA is not the better team. Conversely, Nebraska is the team with the second year head coach whose culture is firmly established. Nebraska will be playing at home. Nebraska is favored (most betting lines currently have the Huskers favored by around seven points). THERE IS NO REASON NEBRASKA SHOULD LOSE THIS GAME. If we want to point to the tough but competitive loss at Ohio State as a turning point, a moral victory, a valuable lesson, any of those things...they need to show the same championship level effort and take care of business against UCLA.

And while I would have much preferred Nebraska had beat Illinois and/or Indiana and/or Ohio State, it will be pretty cool if the Big Red can get the bowl monkey off their back at Memorial Stadium in a conference game in November, a month that has been a struggle in recent years. The home crowd should be juiced on Saturday. 

Suffocate the Bruins. UCLA holds one distinction coming into this game. They are, in fact, the worst rushing team in the country, sitting dead last among all FBS teams from sea to shining sea. That translates to 134th nationally. The Bruins are averaging an anemic 2.54 yards per carry, and have gained a total of 452 yards on the ground so far this season. The next team on the list (you know, the 133rd ranked team) is more than 150 yards better than that! Somewhere, Johnathan Franklin is weeping. Nebraska on the other hand is 12th nationally in rushing defense, having just put on a clinic in stopping the run against one of the best teams in the country. I expect the Huskers to be able to completely shut down UCLA's run game, making the Bruins one-dimensional and making it hard to move the ball at all. This is a matchup that favors the Blackshirts. If they show up like they did against Ohio State, they could flirt with a shutout. 

More Field Goals Please. You never quite know what to expect from Nebraska's offense. While certain parts of the operation have shown promise this season, it’s been very inconsistent. Which means it would be really helpful if they can get three points when three points are there for the taking. It would be fun if this discussion was unnecessary because Nebraska was finishing drives and getting into the end zone, but that hasn’t been the case nearly often enough this season. Enter John Hohl. He came into the year as the backup kicker, and after an injury to starter Tristan Alvano, went 1 for his first 5 attempts. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he made all three attempts against Ohio State, drilling two of those from more than 45 yards out. Hallelujah! Nebraska’s special teams play has been so inconsistent, it’s hard to know if we can count on the field goal unit to make kicks reliably moving forward. But Coach Rhule had previously commented that Hohl was making kicks in practice, and he made his coach look good this past Saturday. If Nebraska is going to win one or more of its final four games, making field goals has to be part of the equation. 

COMMON FAN KEYS TO VICTORY

Homeward Bound. Nebraska will play at home for the first time since the Rutgers game on October 5. I’m sure it’s a welcome sight for the boys in red, after back to back road losses to two of the nation’s best teams in Ohio State and Indiana. This UCLA game is critical to the Huskers’ chances of making a bowl game and having a successful season. Memorial Stadium has been electric all season long, and I expect it to be on fire on Saturday afternoon. You’ve had a couple weeks off, Common Fans. If the yard work and the home improvement projects aren’t completed by now, they’ll just have to wait. Let’s get down to the old stadium early, bring your best tailgating game, and get ready to get loud. 

Tailgate Time. Speaking of tailgates, the Common Fan Podcast is hosting one on Saturday. If you’re a regular listener to the podcast, or a regular reader, or just a fellow Husker-football-obsessed Common Fan, stop by and say hello. We’ll be in Lot 10, on W Street between 14th and 16th. We’d love to meet you and share in some Husker cheer before the Big Red takes down UCLA and we’re dancing in the streets to celebrate finally getting back to a bowl game.

As always, GBR for LIFE. 

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MORE: Analytics Preview: Nebraska Football vs. UCLA

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