Strengths & Weaknesses from Bruins’ Upset Win

The UCLA Bruins (3-5) won their second-straight Big Ten game on Saturday afternoon on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-4). There were a few strengths and weaknesses that can be evaluated from the upset win.

Strength: Quarterback Play

The Bruins could not have better quarterback play from what they have received over the past few games from senior quarterback Ethan Garbers. In his fourth year as a Bruin, Garbers threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns against the Huskers in the win.

His play has only gotten better as the season has progressed. In his first five games this season, Garbers tossed nine interceptions and just four touchdowns. Since then in his last two contests, he has thrown zero interceptions and six touchdown passes. A 180-degree turn for him in recent games.

Weakness: Penalties

The flags would not stop flying through all four quarters for the Bruins on both sides of the ball. Nine penalties for a total of 62 yards is a big reason why the Huskers were able to climb back from a 27-7 deficit.

Four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were a massive issue as well, bailing the Huskers out on multiple drives that ultimately led to scores. The post-whistle penalties must be eliminated and the discipline must sharpen if the Bruins want to pick up a few more wins down the stretch.

Strength: Defensive Stops/Turnovers

A major reason the Bruins grabbed a road conference win on Saturday was because of how well the defense played in crucial moments. A fourth-down red zone stop in the fourth quarter to keep it a two-score game was generated by a sack from junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger to turn the ball over.

In the final seconds of the game, senior defensive back Kaylin Moore caught the game-sealing interception as the Huskers were trying to put together a game-tying drive. It was the first interception of Moore’s career.

You cannot say enough about how the defense bowed up in situations where they had faltered in the past. Especially in a ruckus atmosphere like Lincoln, Nebraska, the Bruins stood their ground and made the plays when required.

Weakness: Running Game

Besides a team-high 56 yards rushing from Garbers, the run game was not very successful for the Bruins. They were going against one of the better run defenses in the conference, but just 85 yards on the ground kept the Bruins to the pass game for most of the game.

Even with the Huskers limiting the run game for the Bruins, the passing game thrived, so it did not fully affect the offense being unable to be two-dimensional. The Bruins are ranked dead last in the Big Ten in rush yards per game (73.9), the only team in the conference that is averaging less than 100 yards.

The Bruins must find a way to establish a strong rush attack in the coming weeks to pull out a few victories toward the end of the year. Finding ways to let running backs T.J. Harden and Jalen Berger succeed in this offense will prove important.

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