LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska is floundering into its idle week after a 27-20 loss on Saturday at Memorial Stadium against UCLA. And the Huskers, at 5-4 and 2-4 in the Big Ten, again are riding a streak of losses in the final month of the regular season after moving within one win of bowl eligibility.
Coach Matt Rhule’s team was beaten in stunning fashion for the second time in three weeks. This defeat happened not against undefeated upstart Indiana, but against UCLA, which came to Lincoln with three-point wins this year against Hawaii and Rutgers. And that’s it.
The Bruins built a 20-point lead early in the second half and held on for their second Big Ten win.
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola was injured with 5:48 to play while trying to reach the end zone on a keeper. He attempted to return minutes later, but Raiola fell to the ground in pain before leaving for good.
Backup Heinrich Haarberg got Nebraska within seven points, but the Huskers’ hopes of a comeback ended when he was intercepted on a throw to Jacory Barney at the UCLA 13-yard in the final seconds.
Meanwhile, UCLA’s Ethan Garbers torched Nebraska for the better part of two and a half quarters. The senior set the tone by leading the Bruins to six conversions on their first seven third-down chances. He finished with 219 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Garbers galloped for a 57-yard gain. He threw for a 48-yard touchdown. He did whatever he chose for about 35 minutes. It was enough against a surprisingly vulnerable Nebraska defense.
And the offense for the Huskers played worse until the rally fell short.
Here are some initial takeaways:
1. It’s the least of Nebraska’s worries now, but the road to bowl eligibility is looking narrow. Nebraska already owns the longest bowl drought among Power 4 programs at seven years.
The Huskers finished 0-4 in November last season after clawing to five wins. This year, they started 5-1 before the 56-7 loss at Indiana. Hope for a rebound emerged after a 21-17 loss against powerful Ohio State. But Saturday squashed the momentum gained in Columbus.
Nebraska travels to USC in two weeks and finishes against Wisconsin and Iowa. Where’s the win in that stretch? If the Huskers close with six consecutive defeats and go into the offseason at 0-10 under Rhule in games to reach bowl eligibility, it rates as a massive step back for this program.
Final. pic.twitter.com/xFqWNvARQS
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) November 2, 2024
2. Rhule won’t speak ill of his offensive coordinator, Marcus Satterfield. They coached together at Temple for three seasons and at Baylor for two, then with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and since Rhule arrived ahead of last season in Lincoln. The Nebraska head coach is nothing if not loyal.
But something is not clicking. Nebraska entered this season with a five-star freshman at quarterback and what looked like a vastly improved receiving corps. Raiola is struggling after nine games to find rhythm with his pass catchers.
Raiola hit 3 of 10 passes before halftime for 47 yards. He threw a pick six on the first play of the third quarter. Raiola looks hesitant with his reads. He’s missing more open receivers than early in the season. The Huskers’ only notable gain in the first half on Saturday came on a heave downfield to Barney.
They continue to dial up tight end Thomas Fidone on throws behind the line of scrimmage. Fidone is a weapon downfield, but his limited lateral movement makes him a liability on short throws.
The Huskers turned it over twice on downs against UCLA, including a failed attempt in the fourth quarter after it gained a first-and-goal at the 10 with some momentum while down 27-14.
3. And still, the offensive issues run deeper.
Big Ten defenses have figured out Nebraska’s plan. UCLA teed off against Raiola on Saturday, much like Indiana and Rutgers did. The young QB is susceptible to pressure. Expect Nebraska’s remaining November foes to dial up the intensity.
Satterfield’s system, at this level of inefficiency, has lost most of its imaginativeness. It’s predictable. And it’s bound to get Raiola hurt — and continue to stymie progress under Rhule.
4. Rhule prefers Nebraska to play better in the fourth quarter than in the first. His Huskers perhaps need to hear a different message. They’re not trying to play poorly out of the tunnel, of course, but it’s happening. Just about every week.
Against UCLA, the Huskers allowed an eight-minute march for a field goal to start, then an 85-yard touchdown drive. Nebraska failed to get a first down on each of its five drives before halftime, with the exception of its second possession when a taunting penalty on UCLA linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo extended the opportunity. Nebraska turned that gift from the Bruins into points. But it accomplished nothing else on offense in the first 30 minutes.
It cashed in nothing against Purdue five weeks ago in the first half. Nebraska was demolished in every aspect at Indiana and put the ball on the turf at Ohio State on the opening kickoff and its first offensive play.
So what’s going on? The scripts are not working. The game planning is faulty. The week ahead will be another test of Rhule’s patience.
(Photo of Dante Dowdell: by Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)
