WHAT IS IN RISK?
Nebraska aims to qualify for the bowl, which would be a significant achievement as second-year coach Matt Rhule works to revive a team that hasn’t participated in a postseason game since 2016.
Following an open date, UCLA, led by first-year coach DeShaun Foster, will aim for their second consecutive Big Ten road victory.
ESSENTIAL MATCHUP
Nebraska front seven against. UCLA offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bruins are the seventh-lowest ranked team in the country for pass protection and have given up 20 sacks, which is second in the Big Ten.
With 23 sacks, the Cornhuskers are tied for second place in the Big Ten behind Indiana’s 24. Their pass rush is ranked 14th.
PARTICIPANTS TO VIEW
Compared to 182 yards passing with one touchdown and six interceptions at home, quarterback Ethan Garbers has been significantly more effective on the road, averaging 312 yards passing with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
In the Bruins’ 35-32 victory over Rutgers, he threw for 383 yards and four touchdowns. His accuracy rate of 84% (32 of 38) was the fifth-highest by a UCLA quarterback since 1980.
PK After missing four of his first five field goals as Tristan Alvano’s replacement due to injury, John Hohl has recovered his confidence.
Seven points or less have decided three of the previous five games. In the 21-17 defeat at Ohio State, Hohl made three of three connections from 39, 54, and 47 yards out.
DATA AND FACTS
The 2013 Bruins’ final trip to Lincoln was unforgettable. Six days after UCLA receiver Nick Pasquale was murdered in a car accident, they overcame a 21-3 deficit to win 41-21.
Deadspin published a 2-year-old audio recording of then-Nebraska coach Bo Pelini’s obscene tirade against Husker fans and local media directed at the team’s radio announcer and an athletic department employee two days following the game.
In its victory over Rutgers, UCLA set season highs in points (35), touchdowns (five), and total offence (478 yards). … Carson Schwesinger, a linebacker for UCLA, is the first Bruin to record ten or more tackles in five consecutive games since Eric Kendricks in 2014.
