UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Upset Over Nebraska

The UCLA Bruins (3-5) pulled off an incredible conference road upset on Saturday for their second-straight win. On this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, our Tom Cavanaugh breaks down how it came to be.

Nov 2, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Jay Toia (93) and linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo (2) celebrate after a sack against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (3-5) were able to earn their second straight Big Ten victory in upset fashion, taking down the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-4) by a score of 27-20. The comeback was nearly complete for the Huskers but the Bruins defense held strong in the final seconds.

The Bruins received another sensational performance from their senior quarterback Ethan Garbers, throwing for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns with zero interceptions. He did everything that was asked of him, including 56 rushing yards that led the team.

Garbers' main targets showed up in a big way as senior tight end Moliki Matavao recorded four catches for 52 yards, after a career performance in his last game. The big receiving day went to true freshman wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer who put together three catches for 88 yards and a 48-yard touchdown.

Defensively, the Bruins stepped up in a big way, especially in the second half. A red zone turnover kept it a two-score game in the fourth quarter as former walk-on, junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger, earned a sack to turn the ball over on downs. His team-leading third of the season.

The game-winning play was made by senior defensive back Kaylin Moore, who intercepted a pass from Huskers backup quarterback Heinrich Haarberg with just seconds to play as the Huskers were driving in an attempt to tie the ballgame. Victory formation would ensue and the Bruins held on.

One of the only points of improvement from this team was the amount of penalties they received, specifically after the whistle. The Bruins were flagged nine times for 62 yards, four of those penalties having been for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Two of those unsportsmanlike conduct penalties led to eventual scoring drives from the Huskers which kept them in the game. If the Bruins want to continue in their winning ways, they must eliminate the penalties that are easiest to eliminate, the extracurricular ones that can cost a team.

You can watch the episode below:

Below is a transcript of UCLA coach DeShaun Foster's postgame opening statement after the Bruins' upset victory.

Foster: "[We] came out, played a great first half; we kind of stalled out maybe a little bit in the second half. Couple penalties and stuff, but I think once we clean all of that up, that's our discipline aspect -- we have to clean that stuff up because that's what was keeping them in the game. Every time we got a penalty, they were able to get a big play after that, and then they were able to score at the end of those drives. So, I think the defense did a good job but other than that, this team is continuously showing how resilient they are as a team. They're going to continue to fight. This was a really good team, that's why they [Nebraska] were able to come back. They weren't going to quit at all, they're just going to continue to fight, and that's what coach Rhule, that's what he instills in his players. So, we're just excited to be able to get a victory in a hostile environment like this and we're going to move on to this next week."

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