Nebraska
Nebraska Football Preview: UCLA
With their backs against the wall and the crumbling reality of a successful 2024 season starting to unravel, the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team stepped up, pushing No. 4 Ohio State to the brink with a stingy defense and a hunger to create a shocker in the college football world.
Unfortunately, the Huskers’ morning matchup against the Buckeyes ended in a 21-17 loss with a game-sealing interception of freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola with 1:16 left near midfield. However, the impression was felt and Nebraska created momentum going into a four-game stretch that will come to define its season with either disappointment or playing in the postseason.
Here’s all you need to know as the Huskers battle for bowl eligibility.
How to Follow Along
• Matchup: Nebraska (5-3, 2-3 B1G) vs UCLA (2-5, 1-4 B1G)
• Line: Nebraska (-6.5), 40.5 O/U (BetMGM)
• Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
• Time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
• TV: Big Ten Network
• Broadcast Crew: Guy Haberman (PxP), Yogi Roth (Color) & Rhett Lewis (Sideline)
• Radio: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates
UCLA Scout
Head Coach: DeShaun Foster | 1st season | 2-5 UCLA Record | Former Bruin RB who’s second all-time with 44 touchdowns and third on the all-time rushing list with 3,194 yards.
2023 Record: 8-5 (4-5 Pac-12, T-7th) | One Consensus All-American | Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year | One All-Pac-12 First Team selection, Two All-Pac-12 Second Team selections, Six All-Pac-12 Honorable Mentions | 35-22 win over Boise State in LA Bowl.
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads 7-6 (2015 Foster Farms Bowl last meeting, 37-29 NU).
Fun Fact: There are plenty of connections between this Husker coaching staff and UCLA. Head coach Matt Rhule was an assistant with the Bruins in 2001 when Bruin head coach DeShaun Foster was a senior. Plus, NU defensive coordinator Tony White was teammates with Foster for three seasons from 1998 to 2000.
Key Returners: TJ Harden, RB, Jr. | Ethan Garbers, QB, R-Sr. | Keegan Jones, RB, R-Sr. | Molokai Matavao, TE, Sr. | Logan Loya, WR, R-Sr. | J. Michael Sturdivant, WR, R-Jr. | Carson Schwesinger, LB, R-Jr. | Kain Medrano, LB, R-Sr. | Oluwafemi Oladejo, LB, Sr. | Siale Taupaki, DL, R-Sr. | Spencer Holstege, OG, R-Sr. | Josh Carlin, OL, R-Sr. | Garrett DiGiorgio, OL, R-Jr.
Key Additions: Jalen Berger, RB, R-Sr. (Michigan State) | Rico Flores Jr., WR (Notre Dame) | Bryan Addison, DB, R-Sr. (Oregon) | KJ Wallace, DB, R-Sr. (Georgia Tech) | Ramon Henderson, DB, R-Sr. (Notre Dame) | Kaylin Moore, DB, Sr. (California).
Key Departures: Laiatu Latu, DE (Indianapolis Colts, No. 15 Overall) | Darius Muasau, LB (New York Giants, 6th Round) | Dante Moore, QB (Oregon) | Carson Steele, RB (Eligibility) | Kyle Ford, WR (USC) | Carsen Ryan, TE (Utah) | Kenny Churchwell III, DB (Eligibility) | Kamari Ramsey, DB (USC) | Carl Jones Jr., DL (Eligibility) | Gabriel Murphy, DL (Eligibility) | Grayson Murphy, LB (Eligibility) | Bruna Fina, OT (Duke) | Duke Clemens, C (Eligibility).
Outlook: UCLA was put into a tough position with the departure of former head coach Chip Kelly, who took his offensive mind to Columbus to become the offensive coordinator for his former quarterback Ryan Day at Ohio State. Kelly did a decent job with the Bruins, collecting at least eight wins in his final three seasons, but the vibe and connection between Kelly and the program wasn’t there. Reportedly, boosters weren’t thrilled with his approach and the embracement of NIL was lackluster.
To bridge that gap to boosters and fans, the UCLA administration hired one of their own in running backs coach DeShaun Foster, who is one of the school’s top tailbacks in history and brings a more youthful energy to the program. The first-year coach sought experience in his coaching staff and did so in hiring Eric Bieniemy as the OC and Associate Head Coach. Bieniemy made his name known with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs as its offensive coordinator.
And despite Foster’s background, the Bruins have leaned into the passing game behind returning starter Ethan Garbers, who’s passed for 1,484 yards this season, but that’s with more interceptions (9) than touchdowns (8). The passing game is 60th in the country with 237.6 yards per game, which is respectable, but everything else falls short. UCLA is last in the Big Ten and 133rd in the country with 64.6 rushing yards per game, and that’s not even mentioning that the Blackshirts are one of the top rushing defenses in the nation, allowing only 98 yards per game which ranks 12th in the country.
Returning back TJ Harden rushed for over 800 yards last season while sharing the backfield with future NFL running back Carson Steele, but the junior only has 180 yards on 62 carries this season with only one score. Although, he’s been effective in the passing game with a team-leading 26 receptions and 238 yards. Second-year Oregon transfer tight end Moliki Matavao has been Garbers’ safety blanket with a team-high 251 yards on 20 receptions.
Redshirt junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger is the leader of the Bruins defense with 72 tackles on the season, which is 32 more than second-place Kain Medrano with 40. Schwesinger’s tackle tally is third-highest in the conference while also contributing 6.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. UCLA has sorely missed the contributions of NFL first-round draft pick Laiatu Latu who recorded more sacks (13.0) last season than the Bruins have right now (10.0) as a team. That figure is last in the league while UCLA is 16th in the conference in interceptions with four.
Sitting at 2-5, it’s hard to envision the Bruins knocking off a Husker team hungry and desperate to earn its first bowl berth since 2016. Ultimately, the team who has better production passing the ball should come out on top, and that should favor Nebraska and Dylan Raiola, despite the downturn in performance since entering conference play. Malcolm Hartzog being ruled out for Saturday and Tommi Hill still being gimpy hurts NU, but one of the key storylines this season has been the emergence of depth in the secondary and that will be tested this week. There’s a good reason why Nebraska is the favorite. If the Huskers don’t psych themselves out, and play like they did against No. 4 Ohio State last week, Nebraska will enjoy the postseason for the first time in eight seasons.
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The stage is set for Utah and Nebraska to go toe-to-toe in the 2025 Las Vegas Bowl.
The Utes (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) and Cornhuskers (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) are set to kick off from Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 31 at 1:30 p.m. MT. Fans not making the trip to Las Vegas will be able to tune in via ESPN.
With several bowl game opt-outs and a significant head coaching change headlining the major storylines, here’s what to watch for when Utah and Nebraska take the field on New Year’s Eve.
Morgan Scalley Takes The Wheel
Kyle Whittingham’s expedited takeover in Ann Arbor, Michigan, puts Utah’s longtime defensive coordinator, Morgan Scalley, at the helm of the Utes for the first time as the head coach.
Scalley was previously in charge of the Utah defense for 10 seasons, helping reaffirm the same principles Whittingham established when he was the team’s defensive coordinator; relentless, smart, tough and not prone to giving up a lot of points.
Since 2019, the Utes have held opponents to 15 points or fewer in 36 games, including seven times during the 2025 regular season. Scalley’s defense in 2025 ranked No. 5 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing efficiency defense, No. 15 in interceptions (14) and No. 16 in scoring defense, allowing just 18.7 points per game. Utah was No. 2 in the Big 12 in passing yards, allowing 177.5 per game.
It’s safe to assume the transition to Scalley — a Salt Lake City native who’s been on the Utes’ sidelines in some capacity since 2007 — will be seamless for the most part, and that Utah’s defense will continue to be stout as it faces a Nebraska offense that’s being led by a true freshman making his fourth career start. How the Utes as a whole come out of the gate and their intensity and focus on both sides of the ball after the abrupt head coaching switch, will be worth monitoring, though.
Utah’s Bowl Game Opt-Outs
From the sidelines to the field itself, Utah will be without several key figures for its postseason game.
The offensive line, especially, won’t look the same, as both Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu have opted out of the Las Vegas Bowl while declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’ll be interesting to monitor how the Utes — who averaged the second-most rushing yards per game (269.8) in the Football Bowl Subdivision in the regular season — function without their two best offensive linemen bookending their front line against a Cornhuskers defense that allowed the third-highest yards per carry average in the Big Ten (4.8).
According to reports, Keith Olsen and Zereoue Williams will fill in for Fano and Lomu along the offensive line. Olsen, a 6-foot-6 junior, started at right tackle for the Kansas game and has allowed one pressure and one hurry in 64 pass blocking opportunities this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Williams, a 6-foot-8 Arizona native, played in all 12 regular season, mainly at left tackle, and recorded 79 total snaps, including 59 on run plays.
As for the other side of the ball, Utah will be down without its main edge rushers in John Henry Daley and Logan Fano. Daley’s absence has been felt since his season-ending injury against Kansas State in November; Logan, meanwhile, recently announced with his brother that he’ll be entering the 2026 NFL Draft.
Utah’s Offensive Play-Calling
First-year offensive coordinator Jason Beck has orchestrated the Utes offense to the tune of 41.1 points per game — the third time since 1930 that Utah averaged over 40 points per game — and 478.6 total yards of offense per game, ranking No. 6 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He’s been creative, too; from wildcat packages, flea flickers, defensive players lined up at skill positions and designed run plays for both the starting and backup quarterback.
A standalone postseason game to cap off the 2025 campaign will give Beck more opportunities to show what he’s got up his sleeves as a play-caller. And given his name has been attached to the list of assistants Whittingham will reportedly target to join him at Michigan, it’ll be interesting to see how Beck approaches what could be his final game as the Utes’ offensive coordinator.
Not to mention, Utah won’t have its top two tackles leading the way in the run game. If the Utes can’t move the ball with the same consistency they had in the regular season, it’ll be worth monitoring how Beck adjusts.
Will Ryan Davis Play?
Utah’s top receiver wasn’t involved during the home finale against Kansas State and was ruled out for the Kansas game in the days leading up to kickoff. It’s unclear what sort of ailment Davis has been dealing with, though he’d certainly like to be on the field for what will likely be the final college football game of his career.
Davis, a New Mexico transfer who began his career at UAB in 2019, led Utah with 659 receiving yards on 57 receptions, hauling in four touchdowns across 11 regular season appearances.
Nebraska Without Emmett Johnson
The Cornhuskers were middle of the pack in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging 144.7 yards per game during the regular season, due in large part to Emmett Johnson’s success on the ground. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior from Minnesota was named the Big Ten Running Back of the Year after totaling 1,451 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 46 catches for 370 yards and three more touchdowns. His 1,821 scrimmage yards ranked No. 2 in the country.
The Utes won’t have to worry about trying to slow down Nebraska’s dynamic tailback, though, given he’s already declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Utah struggled defending the run down the stretch of the regular season, giving up 275.3 rushing yards per game and yielded 7.1 yards per carry in November, including 472 yards on the ground to Kansas State on Nov. 22.
MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS
The Las Vegas Bowl offers a spotlight for Nebraska players looking to further cement themselves with the current coaching staff or showcase their abilities for future ones, potentially in the transfer portal.
That makes the New Year’s Eve bowl game an important one for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the Huskers having a chance to end the season on a strong note after back-to-back ugly losses to Penn State and Iowa to close the regular season.
A lot of focus will be on Nebraska’s offense, as the Huskers have plenty of questions about how TJ Lateef plays with more lead time, how they replace All-American running back Emmett Johnson and what offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen can cook up after an up-and-down season. But some of the most interesting players for the bowl game are on the defensive side, including freshman linebacker Dawson Merritt.
2025 stats
- Eight tackles
- One tackle for loss
What to know
It isn’t a new feeling for Nebraska fans to be excited about seeing a true freshman linebacker get more opportunities in a bowl game. Just a year ago, Vincent Shavers was in the same spot Merritt is now and turned in a strong performance during the Pinstripe Bowl. Merritt has had plenty of time to get healthy and to learn more of what Rob Dvoracek wants. Could that put him in a position to play more in Las Vegas?
What’s at stake
Merritt could go a long way in helping fans and coaches feel better about a linebacker room that wasn’t Nebraska’s biggest problem, but was far from the level of play the Huskers received in Matt Rhule’s first two seasons.
Merritt has shown himself to be an intriguing player who has flashed when he’s been in games, but clearly also needs more time and more reps to fully become the player he was recruited to be after the Huskers flipped him from Alabama last fall.
Merritt’s bowl game and expected ascension make for an interesting picture at linebacker. The Huskers have to see what the portal holds, both in terms of linebackers leaving and the need to add veterans for depth, as players like Merritt, Christian Jones and others continue to grow and develop.
Spotlight series
- Opportunity Knocks for TJ Lateef in Las Vegas Bowl
- Nyziah Hunter’s Chance to Reassert Himself As Top Receiver
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Something that might have been overlooked in the aftermath of Nebraska’s devastating, 40-16 loss to Iowa in the season finale was that starting quarterback TJ Lateef suffered a hamstring injury.
As if the Huskers hadn’t endured enough problems, now their starting quarterback was hurt. His availability for the bowl game was unknown.
The Huskers (7-5) now are in Las Vegas preparing for their bowl game against Utah (10-2) on New Year’s Eve. And Nebraska coach Matt Rhule reported some rare good news on Saturday afternoon when he declared Lateef ready to go against the Utes.
“I think TJ is going to play great,” Rhule said about his true freshman at a press availability for the Las Vegas Bowl. “It’s been good for Jalyn [Gramstad] and Marcos [Davila] to get a bunch of reps early. TJ took a bunch of reps that didn’t require him moving.
“There’s something really cool about when you’re the starter and you’re not getting reps because of an injury, which you don’t love, but just the paying attention to the things you have to notice.
“It really accelerates your development and your learning. I think he’s learned from that. I think he looks good out there at practice so I’m excited for him to play.”
Getting Lateef ready
With the quarterback being the most important player on the field, the Huskers don’t want to be hamstrung — so to speak — heading into a meeting with No. 15 Utah.
Rhule said the Huskers have been careful in getting Lateef up to full speed.
“Yesterday, he had a couple of rep caps on him [at practice],” Rhule said. “Hey, we’re not going to take more than 300 [reps]. Then today he just took every rep.
“We’ve been cautious with him because obviously we have a game, we want to get him to the game.
“He looks fast, he looks like he can run the football. The entire offense is up with him. We’ll run him, we’ll move him around and we’ll play.”
Lateef started three games after sophomore Dylan Raiola suffered a broken fibula against USC on Nov. 1.
When healthy, Lateef can be a dual-threat quarterback. He has the ability, speed and inclination to tuck the ball away and run. He completed 59-of-95 passes (62.1 percent) for 722 yards, with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also gained 98 yards on 27 carries with four touchdowns. He scored the Huskers’ only touchdown in a 37-10 loss at Penn State on an 11-yard run in the third quarter.
Lateef’s leadership skills
Rhule was asked about Lateef’s leadership skills, as he has stepped into Raiola’s big shoes.
“Just being himself, just being one of the guys,” Rhule said. “At the end of the day you’re always looking for a quarterback who has ‘it’.
“Steve Addazio [head coach at Temple when Rhule was an assistant coach there in 2011 and 2012] used to say to me, ‘You can’t even describe what “it” is but you know it when you see it.’
“I want TJ to go out there and play with joy, practice and prepare to be coachable. I think even in the Penn State game — the game didn’t go our way — out there with that crowd, that noise, that duress. You know, every snap, every motion, silent cadence, he’s getting guys lined up.
“He doesn’t have to be guy being the spokesperson, giving a bunch of speeches. He just has to do his job at a high level and prepare and coach the guys in terms of, hey, be here and do this.
“He’s doing it at a really high level right now. I learned over the years I can’t control what I can’t control. We gave Jayln and Marcos a bunch of reps. [The doctors] told me they felt like he [Lateef] would ready by the bowl game.
“We did two game weeks. Get him to the first week, give him limited reps here. Get him to this week here, get him full reps. The plans worked.
“TJ told me very early on, ‘I’ll be full go.’ But if Jalyn goes into the game, I expect Jalyn to play great. Everybody on this team loves Jalyn. If he goes out there, they’ll be ready to go. But TJ told me he’d be ready and he looks great.”
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