This week, the 5-3 Cornhuskers have a chance to take a big step forward in year two of Matt Rhule’s Husker rebuild.

A win over UCLA 2-5 will mean NU will be bowl eligible for the first time in eight long years.

You can bet the Bruins will do everything they can to not be the team to end Nebraska’s eight-year drought. You can bet everyone in the UCLA football organization knows what’s at stake on Saturday.

Some Husker fans (and you know who you are) are thinking that Saturday’s matchup against 2-5 UCLA means the Huskers will have an easy day.

On the contrary.

UCLA’s track record can be a bit misleading. Here are some things to consider before this Saturday’s 2:30 pm CDT kickoff in Lincoln:

Schedule: Three of UCLA’s losses have been to ranked teams: #1 Oregon, #2 Penn State and #13 Indiana.

Record: NU (5-3, 2-3)). UCLA (2-5, 1-4)
Last year’s record NU (5-3) UCLA (8-5)

Coaches: NU (Matt Rhule 2nd year) UCLA (DeShaun Foster 1st)

Odds: NU is a 6.5-point favorite heading into the game

Statistical classifications (according to cfbstats.com). Notable Husker Advantages Shown In bold.

Offense
NU Score 95 UCLA 127
Rush 102 134 (last)
Pass 63 60
Total Offense: 93,125

Defense
Score: 18 99
Haste: 12 13
Pass: 44 119
Total Defense: 16 70

T/O margin: 52,122
PPG scored: 24.0 17.4
PPG allowed 18.1 29.0

Ups and downs of UCLA ’24 this year
Common opponents shown in bold.
1.) Beat @Hawaii (16-13) and Rutgers (35-32)
NU beat Rutgers (14-7)
2.) Lost to LSU (17-34), Oregon (13-34), Penn State (11-27) and Minnesota (17-21) and Indiana (13-42) NU lost to IU (56-7)

Like Nebraska, the Bruins are a team in the midst of a rebuild. As you can imagine, both teams have shown growing pains at times this season.

Saturday’s game will be about two programs trying to right their respective ships. They are both desperate to win, any kind of victory.

My opinion is that if the Husker team that played Ohio State last week shows up this week against UCLA, NU should be in a position to get its sixth win of the year. We all know the magnitude of such a victory.

Matt Rhule’s Temple and Baylor teams won at least six games in his sophomore year. Can Rhule do the same for Nebraska?

Let’s hope the “real” Huskers show up ready to play this Saturday. If they do, Nebraska fans will have good reason to dance in the streets on Saturday night.

This week’s special greeting
We must salute two loyal Husker fans, Olivia and Doc Joel. You can go to the top of the class!

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