Bruins’ big breakout early and Huskers Cup bubble

On an overcast and cool November day at Memorial Stadium, the UCLA Bruins got off to a fast start and then held on to defeat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 27-20. Another one-point defeat. Husker fans are all too familiar with this by now, as the team is now 2-8 in one-score games under Matt Rhule. They are also 0–8 in games that would qualify for the bowl the last two seasons, as the Huskers have now lost three straight games since opening the season 5–1.

A 2-5 win over UCLA seemed like the easiest path to six wins among four games remaining. The Huskers were the favorites going into the visiting game and had hometown fans hopeful after a very tough loss to Ohio State last week. But as has been the case for decades, you never know what you’re going to get when the Huskers take the field. When it turns out they’ve turned the corner and exorcised some demons, they fall and rip your heart out again. As my brother admitted to me after the game, “Sometimes being a Husker fan sucks.”

The Bruins scored on their first three drives as the Husker’s blitz was negated and accurate passing dominated. Although the Blackshirts held UCLA to a touchdown and two field goals, they were unable to get off the field as UCLA converted six of its first seven third down attempts and held the ball for 13:24 of first period while out of bounds. Huskers 148-2.

The Huskers were extremely fortunate to only be down 13–7 at halftime, as they only had 20 offensive plays and lost 248–71. The Huskers’ only goal of the first half came after the Bruin committed an unsportsmanlike penalty, moving on after the Huskers appeared to have three-and-out and out of the game. As luck would have it, all three Husker goals were called UCLA personal fouls.

You would have hoped the second half would have started differently, but UCLA picked off Dylan Raiola on its first snap of the second half and returned it for a touchdown. The Bruins followed this up with a three-play, 58-yard scoring drive that culminated 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 yards in the final twenty minutes, giving the offense few chances to come back.

Unfortunately, relying on the Husker offense to make a difference is risky. A questionable game decision can only be exceeded if executed incorrectly. The Huskers entered the game ranked 128th out of 134 teams in red zone scoring percentage (.719), and they went just 3 of 4 in the red zone in this game. Nebraska scored first at the 10-yard line with 12:24 left and went 5 yards up the middle on first down. That was followed by two incomplete passes and a 10-yard sack on fourth down. When Matt Rhule said in his press release that the game was a “huge missed opportunity,” he didn’t have to look any further than the series’ lack of offensive creativity.

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

The Huskers got the ball back with 2:22 left, giving themselves a chance to stage a miraculous comeback. Heinrich Haarberg took over after Raiola suffered an undisclosed injury and the Huskers drove to the Bruin 34-yard line. Thomas Fidone then caught a pass but was covered and disqualified, resulting in a penalty. The Husker’s final play was an interception from Jacorey Barney while he was lying face down on the 12-yard line. “Close but no cigar” seems synonymous with Husker football, as losing a game seems like a curse that cannot be undone.

Entering the contest, UCLA ranked 118th in the country in turnover differential at -7, averaging 1.7 turnovers per game. Nebraska was one of the top scoring teams in the country, averaging 1.6 points per game. So Nebraska’s offense produced two picks and the defense failed to make a pick, although Bruin QB Ethan Garbers tied for the Big Ten lead in interceptions with nine in just six games. It’s hard to win a game with -2 turnovers, especially if you don’t have the offensive personality. After a strong start to the year, Nebraska has now tied the margins with 12 lost and 12 gained.

Dylan Raiola completed just 3 of 10 passes in the first half for 47 yards and completed 14 of 27 passes for 177 yards with a touchdown pass and a pick-6 interception. It wasn’t a great performance as the Big Ten defense realized that increased pressure was leading to Raiola’s mistakes and misfires. He was sacked four times, but was bailed out by receivers on numerous occasions, with a prime example being Jacorey Barney Jr.’s 40-yard catch in the second quarter that set up a Nebraska touchdown. It was the longest catch of Barney’s career, with a 28-yard catch against Rutgers on October 5. Barney caught four passes for 78 yards in the game, raising his season total to 38. Barney is just two catches short of Nebraska. The record for receptions by a true freshman is held by Wan’Dale Robinson, who had 40 catches in 2019.

Heinrich Haarberg went 2 of 7 for 32 yards as a replacement and took a fall from Jamal Banks on what would have been a 35-yard gain and got the aforementioned pick when the ball bounced off Barney.

Isaiah Neyor appeared again in this game, making 4 catches for 89 yards, increasing his career receiving yards total to 1,549. He also caught an 8-yard pass in the third quarter, his team-high 5th touchdown catch of the season. Receivers struggled to get open against a Bruin secondary that ranked 118th in passing yards allowed. Despite Thomas Fidone’s four catches (for just 16 yards), the offense was unable to utilize the tight ends effectively.

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 in a Husker rushing attack that produced 113 yards on 38 attempts.

On defense, defensive end Isaac Gifford led the team with nine tackles, raising his career total to 220, which ranks fifth all-time among Husker defensive backs. He also had a few misses that would have helped this result. Linebacker John Bullock made eight tackles, raising his career total to 105, and safety Marquis Buford Jr. had four tackles, giving 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 sacks. Jeremiah Charles started as defense attorney in place of the injured Malcolm Hartzog and was repeatedly attacked in court with fire.

The special teams were led by the efforts of punter Brian Buschini, who averaged a whopping 55.7 yards on three punts, including 64 yards in the first quarter. It was the eighth punt of at least 60 yards in his Nebraska career, including the fourth this season. He also had 3 touchbacks on 4 kickoffs with the only return being for just 17 yards. John Hall missed the extra point, which would have been crucial if the Huskers had scored late, as the point would have been for a win rather than 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 longtime Husker fan, it’s hard for me to know what to expect from this team. I resist giving up hope, but I am tired of heartbreaking losses. The bye week will likely provide an opportunity for Husker Nation to persevere through problems, with many complaining and whining about the future. The road ahead won’t be easy, especially in Los Angeles in two weeks, but USC just lost to Washington 26-21, dropping to 4-5 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten. A week later, the last home game will be against Wisconsin, which just lost 42-10 to Iowa’s backup quarterback. That sixth victory is still possible. The Huskers just need to find a way to do it. Go Big Red!!!