McMaster's Keys to the Game: Nebraska Football vs. UCLA

Matt McMaster offers his three keys for the Huskers to see success Saturday against the Bruins

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule watches his team against Ohio State Buckeyes during the first quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Matt McMaster offers his three keys for the Huskers to see success Saturday against UCLA.

Take Advantage of Turnovers 

The Bruins are one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to taking care of the ball. They average 1.7 turnovers per game and average a turnover margin of -1. 

Those marks are abysmal and a massive reason they have a 2-5 record entering this contest. 

To make matters even better for the Big Red, Nebraska is one of the better takeaway teams in the country averaging 1.6 per game. 

The key is all about taking advantage of when the Bruins cough up the ball. The Huskers had one takeaway against the Ohio State last week and turned it into 0 points. Their inability to convert that turnover into points is why they came up short in their valiant upset attempt. 

If they fail once again to turn an opponent's trash into their treasure, they’ll be on the side of being upset this week. 

Efficient Throwing 

It’s been a rough season for UCLA, but a bright spot is the Bruins' rush defense. They rank in the top 20 in opponent yards per rush and rush yards per game. 

Given Nebraska’s inconsistent run game, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the Big Red to break through this Bruin run wall. While UCLA thrives on the ground, the Bruins struggle through the air, landing in the bottom quarter of every defensive passing statistic in the nation. 

NU will need a great performance not only from quarterback Dylan Raiola but also from play caller Marcus Satterfield. 

Raiola will need to get himself into a rhythm and be comfortable with taking easy throws the defense gives him. He’ll also need to do a better job settling in the pocket on his deep throws to maximize accuracy. 

Key number one for Satterfield will be getting his young gunslinger into the groove of things. I expect Raiola to throw the ball a hefty amount, so getting him into a rhythm early with easy completions will be paramount. Then it will be a waiting game for Satterfield. I give him a ton of credit that he has called a variety of plays that have effectively gotten targets open downfield. If he’s able to pick those plays at the right time through complementary play calling, the Huskers should have no problem scoring points. 

Convert in the Red Zone 

Nebraska is awful at scoring points in the red zone. Awful is actually an understatement as the Huskers rank 130th out of 134 teams in RZ scoring percentage. 

THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM! 

You want to know why the Big Red are 5-3 and not 7-1? It’s this reason right here. They’ve missed opportunity after opportunity to capitalize on productive drives and terrific field position. 

This is not just a key to this game but a key to the rest of the season. NU needs to stop getting nervous in the red zone, cowboy up, and execute. 

Don’t be fooled by the Bruins' record! UCLA will compete against the Huskers and push them to the limit if NU allows them to. 

Nebraska needs to come out strong and assert dominance early, and it all begins with executing inside the 20 yard line.

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