Getting to the six win mark has been a thorn in the side of Nebraska football for going on eight years. There have been six opportunities over that stretch of time to secure a bowl game, and the Huskers have managed to go 0/6 in such games. Can the Huskers snap that streak against the Bruins?
Nebraska will host UCLA on Saturday afternoon in what is probably the most winnable game left on the schedule. In their inaugural season with the Big Ten, the Bruins are currently sitting with a 2-5 record under the guide of first year head coach DeShaun Foster.
The Huskers will come in as 6.5 point favorites. In their game against Ohio State the week before, the Huskers showed major improvements across the board— running the ball, kicking, and a re-energized Blackshirts defense. The one area where there was some to be left desired was the passing game.
In the month of October, freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola threw 0 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. It was almost the polar opposite to his 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions start in September. UCLA has had a porous secondary so far this season, and a boost in confidence for the young quarterback against a lackluster Bruins defense could pay massive dividends for his overall development.
It will be interesting to see if Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield stays true to his play calling, or if he adjusts to the criticism. The overuse of screen passes has been the main concern across the Nebraska fan base, but apart from that, the route combinations have also been a point of scrutiny. Dylan Raiola has shown his ability in the short passing game, but it seems to be something the Nebraska offense has gone away from. While Raiola has had his struggles, it’s not all on him. If nobody’s open, he’s not in a position to succeed. That’s not to say it’s all on Satterfield, either. Football is a team game, and everyone needs to be taking care of their own assignment.
Getting to a bowl game in head coach Matt Rhule’s second year would already be an accomplishment on its own, but to do it with three games still left to be played could be the kind of turning point that this program needs.
Score Prediction: 31-14, Nebraska goes bowling.
