Bruins Breakout Big in the Beginning and Burst Huskers Bowl Bubble

On a cloudy and cool November afternoon in Memorial Stadium, the UCLA Bruins started fast and then held on to defeat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 27-20. Another one-score loss. Something with which Husker fans have become all too familiar as the team is now 2-8 in one-score games under Matt Rhule. They are also 0-8 in games that would have clinched bowl eligibility the last two seasons as the Huskers have now lost three straight games since opening the season 5-1.

A win against 2-5 UCLA seemed to be the easiest path to six wins among the four remaining games. The Huskers were a touchdown favorite against the visitors and the home-town fans were hopeful after a very competitive loss to Ohio State last week. But as has happened for decades now, you never know what you are going to get when the Huskers take the field. When it appears that they have turned the corner and exorcised some demons, they fall flat and tear your heart out once again. As my brother confided to me after the game, “Sometimes it sucks to be a Husker fan.”

The Bruins scored on their first three drives as Husker blitzes were nullified and pinpoint passing prevailed. Even though the Blackshirts held UCLA to a touchdown and two field goals, they couldn’t get off the field as UCLA converted six of its first seven third-down tries and held the ball for 13:24 of the first period while out-yarding the Huskers 148-2.

The Huskers were extremely fortunate to be down just 13-7 at intermission as they had just 20 offensive plays and were outgained 248-71. The lone first half Husker score came after a Bruin unsportsmanlike penalty continued a drive after the Huskers appeared to go three and out. Fortuitously, all three Husker scores came gifted with a UCLA personal foul. 

One hoped that the second half would begin differently, but UCLA picked off Dylan Raiola on the first snap of the second half and returned it for a touchdown. The Bruins followed that up with a 3-play 58-yard scoring drive culminating with a 48-yard completion to go up 27-7, seemingly sealing the Huskers fate. But the Husker defense allowed UCLA just 14 more plays and 52 total yards the final twenty minutes allowing the offense multiple chance to stage a comeback.

Unfortunately, counting on the Husker offense to do its part is a risky proposition. Questionable play calling is only exceeded by faulty execution. The Huskers came into the game ranked 128th out of 134 teams in red-zone scoring percentage (.719) and went just 3 for 4 in the red zone in this one. Nebraska had a first and goal at the 10-yard line with 12:24 to go and gained 5 yards up the middle on first down. What followed was two incomplete passes and a 10-yard sack on fourth down. When Matt Rhule stated in his presser that the game was “a tremendous missed opportunity” he need to look no further than to the lack of offensive creativity in that series.

After a Bruin three and out, the Huskers took over with 9:58 left. It took them 13 plays and 6:01 to go just 53 yards and score on a Dante Dowdell 1-yard run, but the offense wasted nearly 3 minutes on 8 snaps inside the 10-yard line. Then they missed the extra point as they cut the score to 27-20. Poor clock management and a lack of a sense of urgency didn’t seem to help the cause.

The Huskers got the ball back with 2:22 to go with a chance to pull off a miraculous comeback. Heinrich Haarberg was at the helm after Raiola suffered an undisclosed injury and the Huskers drove to the Bruin 34-yard line. Then Thomas Fidone caught a pass but was covered up and ineligible resulting in a penalty. The last Husker play was an interception off Jacory Barney’s knee as he lay prone on the 12-yard line. “Close but no cigar” seems synonymous with Husker football as failure down the stretch seems to be a curse that cannot be cancelled.

Going into the contest, UCLA ranked 118th nationally in turnover margin at -7, averaging 1.7 turnovers a game. Nebraska was one of the better takeaway teams in the country, averaging 1.6 per game. So, Nebraska’s offense threw two picks, and the defense failed to create a takeaway even though Bruin QB Ethan Garbers was tied for the Big Ten lead in interceptions with nine in only six games. It’s hard to win a game going -2 in turnovers especially when you lack an offensive identity. After a good start to the year, Nebraska is now even in turnover margin with 12 lost and 12 gained.

Dylan Raiola was just 3 of 10 passing in the first half for 47 yards and finished 14 of 27 passes for 177 yards with a passing touchdown and a pick-6 interception. It wasn’t a pretty performance as Big Ten defenses have figured out that dialing up the pressure results in Raiola miscues and misfires. He was sacked four times but was bailed out more than once by his receivers, with the prime example being a 40-yard reception by Jacory Barney Jr.in the second quarter to set up a Nebraska touchdown. It was the longest catch of Barney’s career, bettering a 28-yard reception against Rutgers on Oct. 5. Barney caught four passes for 78 yards in the game to increase his season receptions total to 38. Barney is just two catches shy of the Nebraska record for receptions by a true freshman, held by Wan’dale Robinson, who had 40 catches in 2019.

Heinrich Haarberg went 2 for 7 for 32 yards in relief and suffered a drop by Jahmal Banks on what would have been a 35-yard gain and had the aforementioned pick when the ball deflected off Barney.

Isaiah Neyor reemerged in this game with 4 catches for 89 yards to increase his career receiving yardage total to 1,549. He also caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, his team-leading fifth touchdown catch of the season. Receivers struggled to get open against Bruin secondary ranked 118th in passing yards allowed. Despite four catches by Thomas Fidone (for just 16 yards), the offense has failed to effectively utilize tight ends.

 Dante Dowdell led all rushers with 61 yards on 17 carries and scored on a four-yard run in the second quarter for his team-leading seventh touchdown of the season. Rahmir Johnson added 27 yards on just 3 carries and Emmett Johnson contributed 23 yards on 7 carries for a Husker rushing attack that netted 113 yards on 38 attempts.

Defensively, Safety Isaac Gifford led the team with nine tackles to increase his career total to 220, which ranks fifth all-time among Husker defensive backs. He also had a few misses which would have helped that total. Linebacker John Bullock had eight tackles, increasing his career tackles total to 105 and Safety Marques Buford Jr. had four tackles to give him 103 career tackles. Defensive lineman Ty Robinson had four tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Robinson now leads the team with 9 tackles for loss and 5 total sacks. Jeremiah Charles started as defensive back in place of an injured Malcolm Hartzog and was picked on repeatedly in his trial by fire.

The special teams were led by the efforts of punter Brian Buschini who averaged a whopping 55.7-yards on his three punts, including a 64-yard punt in the first quarter. It was the eighth punt of at least 60 yards in his Nebraska career, including his fourth this season. He also had 3 touchbacks in 4 kickoffs with the lone return for just 17 yards. John Hohl missed an extra point which would have been critical had the Huskers scored late as the point would have been for a win instead of a tie.

What a disappointing effort by the Huskers. Psychologists like me will tell you that the way to avoid disappointment is to have realistic expectations and that disappointment is largely a function of unrealistic expectations. As a lifelong Husker fan, I am finding it difficult to know what to expect at all from this squad. I am resistant to surrendering hope but am wearying of soul-crushing losses. The bye week will likely provide Husker Nation an opportunity to perseverate on the problems and many will winge and whine about the future. The road ahead will not be easy, especially in Los Angeles in two weeks, but USC just lost to Washington 26-21 to drop to 4-5 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten. A week later the last home game will be against Wisconsin who just got hammered 42-10 by an Iowa club who was playing a back-up quarterback. That sixth win is still possible. The Huskers just have to find a way to make it so. Go Big Red!!!