Blog

The Saturday Bowl late show features a pair of teams that you have to wonder if they even want to play. Nebraska ishere despite a 5-7 record. The Cornhuskers were on the wrong end of several games in their first year under Mike Riley and could very well be 9-3. UCLA was destined for better things than their 8-4 record but the team was ravaged withinjuries throughout the year and the Bruins find themselves with a short trip North. Weather for the 9:15 PM kickoff onESPN is expected to be perfect but the turf at Levi Stadium is always a concern regardless of the event. 

While the Husker offense was not bad checking in at No.29 passing and No.34 overall, Nebraska was rife with turnovers with the quarterbacks combining for 21 interceptions. Three-year starter Tommy Armstrong is responsible for 16 of thoseand in fact has 36 picks vs. 52 touchdowns in his career. Terrell Newby gets the bulk of the carries (743 yards, 5 TDs)and Armstrong is a factor as well (324, 6 TDs) especially in the red zone. Jordan Westerkamp is the top wide out (63,874) but Brandon Reilly is the deep threat averaging just under 20 ypc. on 37 grabs. The Black Shirt defense was anythingbut this year with the secondary getting shredded for better than 288 ypg., good for 118th in FBS. 

UCLA opened the year with highly touted Josh Rosen at quarterback. The Bruins opened with four straight wins and Rosenwas getting Heisman buzz early but injuries and losses mounted the rest of the way. Rosen didn’t have a bad year (60%, 3359, 20/8) but was constantly under pressure in mid-season and didn’t make the plays he did early as the offensive line was riddledwith injuries. The talented Paul Perkins (1275, 5.7, 13 TDs) carries the mail. Jordan Payton (75, 1068) and Thomas Duarte (49, 820, 10 TDs) are Rosen’s go to guys on the edges. The UCLA stop unit was one of the better outfits in the pass happy Pac 12 but a season ending injury to ILB Miles Jack was critical as the Bruins finished No.88 in the country against the run. 

As previously mentioned, the Huskers are here due to the fact that they are a name brand program and there were not enoughschools Bowl eligible. Nebraska was 1-5 decided by five points or less but lets not forget that the one win came in the upset of Michigan State. The Huskers were 3-5 vs. Bowl teams this year and Riley was a surprising 6-2 in Bowls with some very mediocre Oregon State teams. The teams are not strangers as Mora beat better Nebraska teams in a home and home in 2012-2013 when Bo Pelini was the coach. UCLA is here based on getting pummeled by USC in their rivalry game to close the season. The Bruinsmight have some motivation with their OC hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs. In the end it could come down to QB play,Armstrong throwing nine INTs in his last three games, Rosen just two in his last three but critical giveaways in the meltdown to the
Trojans.