UCLA's Gameplan For Huskers QB Proved Effective

UCLA found a way to contain Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola in its upset win on Saturday.

Nov 2, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) celebrates after a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Going into Saturday's matchup, UCLA knew it was going to have to limit Nebraska's up-and-coming freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.

In order to do so, the Bruins couldn't let him find consistency. With any quarterback, once they find a groove, it's difficult to combat. UCLA coach DeShaun Foster's group made sure that wouldn't be the case.

"It was just more of just, we didn't want him to stay on rhythm," Foster said after the game. "We wanted to make sure we could break his rhythm a little bit. He's a really good quarterback, he can make plans with his arms, he extends plays with his legs, and they had a really good O-line, running backs were running hard. But we just wanted to continue to get out there and not let him stay in a rhythm and get comfortable."

Going into the matchup, the Bruins knew the threat they were up against with Raiola, who could make plays both in the air and on his feet. It was clear they prepared well for the challenge he presented.

Unfortunately for Raiola and the Huskers, the freshman would leave Saturday's game with an apparent lower-body injury in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg would take over, and even then, the Bruins continued to be disruptive, especially on the most crucial play of the game when they forced a game-sealing interception.

The best quarterback on the field on Saturday was UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers, who finished the contest with 219 passing yards and two touchdowns, going 17-of-25 on passes. His play was a huge reason UCLA was able to pull off the 27-20 upset victory on the road.

"Ethan's a top-tier quarterback if we could just keep him up," Foster said. "And that's one thing that our O-line has been doing, they've been protecting him well, running backs been picking up protection, tight ends actually blocking and doing well in pass protection. So, as long as we can keep him upright, Ethan can contend with any other quarterback that's out there."

Garbers is now seventh in the Big Ten in passing yards per game with 243.3. He's gone back-to-back games without throwing an interception after throwing seven in his first six games.

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