Tag: Nebraska Cornhuskers Football

UCLA football drops in USA TODAY Sports college football rankings

The Bruins fall in the rankings after their Big Ten loss to Washington.

After a month of winning, the UCLA Bruins tasted defeat after their loss to the Washington Huskies. Falling 31-19 on the road, the Bruins dropped to 4-6 on the season, 3-5 in the Big Ten, and 13th in the Big Ten standings.

UCLA built momentum after their wins over Rutgers, Nebraska, and Iowa but got a dose of reality against Washington. Proving they are still far away from Big Ten contention, the Bruins head to the drawing board with rival USC on deck this weekend.

But Bruins fans were not the only ones to notice their loss to Washington. Paul Myerburg of USA Today Sports dropped the Bruins five spots in his college football re-ranking. Falling from the No. 85 spot on his ranking to the No. 89 spot, the Bruins tumbled.

With USC and Fresno State still on the schedule, the Bruins have a chance to rise in Myerburg’s rankings, close out the season with an even 6-6 record, and build momentum for 2025 with an influx of talent joining the team.

UCLA football lands in four-star running back’s top ten

The Bruins land in a talented tailback’s top ten.

Since their win over Rutgers last month, the UCLA Bruins have continued to gain momentum on the field. Riding their three-game winning streak in the Big Ten, UCLA’s momentum is translating on the recruiting front as well.

This week, four-star running back Brian Bonner Jr. narrowed his collegiate wishlist down to ten teams, and the Bruins are one of them.

In Bonner Jr.’s post on X, the 2026 Valencia (CA) High School tailback included the Bruins in his top ten alongside Penn State, Washington, Stanford, Nebraska, Georgia, and rival USC.

While the Bruins have some stiff competition, UCLA remains an attractive destination. If the Bruins finish their first season in the Big Ten strong, they could become an emerging program with a winning culture and infectious atmosphere.

Given UCLA’s struggles at the running back position, the 6-foot, 190-pound tailback Bonner Jr. could see playing time early and have an immediate impact on the team, something their competitors can not offer.

Big Ten with four top ten teams in week 11 rankings

Four Big Ten teams are ranked within the top ten of both major polls ahead of week 11.

The Big Ten will enter week 11 of the 2024 college football season with four of the top ten teams in the country in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.

The Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Indiana Hoosiers are all ranked within the top ten in both polls.

Oregon is the consensus No. 1 team, with all 62 first-place votes in the AP Poll and 53 of 54 first-place votes in the Coaches poll. The Ohio State Buckeyes, fresh off a top-five win over then No. 3 Penn State, are the No. 3 team in both polls.

Penn State, after suffering its first loss of the season, dropped to No. 6 in the AP Poll and No. 7 in the Coaches poll, while Indiana made its top ten debut at No. 8 and No. 10 in each respective poll.

Outside of the four top-ten-ranked teams, the Big Ten has no other conference members ranked within the top 25 this week. The Washington Huskies were the only other program to receive votes in the AP Poll, while the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Illinois Fighting Illini all received votes in the Coaches Poll.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

How bad has UCLA football’s first season in the Big Ten been?

Why context matters for UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten.

UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten has been up and down. From a first-week win over Hawai’i to several Big Ten blowouts, the 2024 college football season has been a rollercoaster for the Bruins.

That said, as the season rolls on, one thing has become abundantly clear: UCLA’s season is hardly as bad as it looks on paper when in context.

The Bruins have lost to five teams this season: Indiana, LSU, Oregon, Penn State, and Minnesota. Those teams hold an astonishing 37-6 combined record. Though overmatched in each of these losses, the Bruins still showed effort, toughness, and fight.

Now at 3-5, the Bruins have strung together consecutive wins over Rutgers and Nebraska in the Big Ten, proving they can beat Big Ten opponents, not simply compete with them. Though not the most talented roster in the Big Ten, credit is due to DeShaun Foster and his coaching staff as they continue to show signs of improvement. 

The Bruins have only four games remaining on their schedule, none of which are against ranked opponents. While it is unlikely the Bruins will win out, there should be cautious optimism for the direction of the program and their end-of-season win total. 

Having faced a murderer’s row of opponents in their first season in the Big Ten, the Bruins are a better team today than at the beginning of the season. If those improvements can continue, by this time next year, the Bruins could have more than bowl aspirations in the Big Ten as they bring in another talented recruiting class.

Photos of UCLA’s big win over Nebraska

This was a big win for UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins got the second straight Big Ten Conference win with a road victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Bruins squeaked out a hard-fought 27-20 win on the road as they suddenly have shown signs of life after a 1-5 start to the season.

UCLA had a 13-7 lead at halftime and then scored 14 third-quarter points to extend the lead.

Ethan Garbers played well again, throwing for 219 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the game as Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola struggled, throwing for 177 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

UCLA not only gets a tough road win, but their slim bowl chances stay alive for the time being.

Here are photos from the win on Saturday.

UCLA football upsets Nebraska for second-straight Big Ten win

The Bruins survived on Saturday to take down their second-straight Big Ten opponent.

The UCLA Bruins have back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2024 college football season. Taking down their second-straight Big Ten opponent, UCLA upset Nebraska on the road 27-20 to improve to 3-5 on the season.

Behind a productive performance by all three units, the Bruins offense, defense, and special teams played in perfect unison, never trailing in the game for a second.

The Bruins started the day strong, owning the time of possession and holding Nebraska to only two yards in the first quarter. A pair of field goals and a touchdown pass later, the Bruins held a narrow but pronounced 13-7 lead.

In the second half, the Bruins kept piling it on. Linebacker Kain Medrano intercepted Cornhusker quarterback Dylan Raiola and returned it for a 38-yard pick-six, and shortly after, Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers tossed his second touchdown to wideout Kwazi Gilmerpass to give the Bruins a 27-14 lead. Despite a late surge by the Cornhuskers, UCLA’s defense stiffened to secure the win with a game-sealing pick by cornerback Kaylin Moore.

Garbers put together another nice game through the air and on the ground, combining for 275 yards on 17-25 passing with two touchdowns.

Capitalizing on the over-aggressiveness of the Cornhusker defense, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s use of play-action and misdirection proved to be a winning, on-the-fly strategy for the Bruins offense all game long.

But the most notable takeaway from the Bruins win was that head coach DeShaun Foster, for the second week in a row, had his players ready to go on the road. With four winnable games remaining for UCLA, bowl eligibility could be on the table for the surging 2024 Bruins.

What Matt Rhule said about UCLA’s Big Ten move ahead of Nebraska clash

Matt Rhule shared about UCLA’s move.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are hosting the UCLA Bruins this weekend in Lincoln. 

As such, this marks the first meeting between these programs since UCLA moved to the Big Ten Conference.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, who is in his second year with the program, spoke about UCLA’s move to the Big Ten and what it means, per Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire.

“Even me coming here last year, and it’s your first time in the Big Ten. Learning the structures, learning the personalities, learning the towns, learning the travel, learning the style of play, the weather. All of those things matter. When you go into a new conference, you’re trying to figure out who wins in this conference. The unique thing here is we’ve all joined a new conference…We’re probably going to have a USC or UCLA game every year, and that can be a cool thing in recruiting. We’re trying to do that, I’m sure they’re trying to figure it out. USC is recruiting kids here in Lincoln and Omaha. It just changes the footprint of everything…Just college football in general is changing.”

It will be an interesting meeting between the two programs on Saturday.

Can UCLA expose Nebraska’s defensive struggles?

Can UCLA’s offense continue to play well?

The UCLA Bruins are riding high (somewhat) after finally getting the first Big Ten Conference win. It came against Rutgers, and UCLA then had a much-needed bye to get some rest.

Now, they face Nebraska in Lincoln, and the Cornhuskers are an interesting team.

Thomas Codo of Cornhuskers Wire ranked Nebraaska’s four remaining opponents and had UCLA ranked as third. However, he examines why UCLA can be a tough test for Nebraska.

Nebraska’s defensive struggles allow the Bruins to deliver another big outing. But UCLA’s defense remains in shambles as it’s allowed 29 points per game. With three straight lackluster performances by Nebraska’s offense, the Bruins pose a much-needed opportunity for the Huskers to get back on track.

Whether this game turns into a shootout or a defensive battle remains to be seen, but either way, UCLA isn’t one to be taken lightly for Nebraska.

Ex-USC DB dishes on UCLA-Nebraska showdown

Ceyair Wright knows about UCLA.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers face the UCLA Bruins this weekend in Lincoln. However, this is the first time these teams have met in nearly a decade, and it marks the first-ever Big Ten clash between the two.

So, Nebraska and UCLA are not as familiar with one another. However, Nebraska defensive back Ceyair Wright, who was at USC previously, does have experience going up against the Bruins.

Ahead of the game, Wright spoke about facing UCLA, per Evan Bredeson from Cornhuskers Wire. 

“They are a fundamentally sound team. They have a good quarterback and receivers. The running backs should be a great test for us. I’m excited to compete against them. I’ve grown up playing against a lot of the team. It’s a good test for our team.”

Wright knows UCLA from his Trojans days, so perhaps he can offer some insight. On the other hand, the program looks much different with DeShaun Foster as head coach.

All in all, UCLA looks to win another game after defeating Rutgers prior to the bye. 

Nebraska OC says UCLA defense is ‘very physical’

The Nebraska OC isn’t taking UCLA lightly.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers suffered a tough loss to Ohio State. Now, they host the UCLA Bruins in an interesting Big Ten battle in Lincoln.

Ahead of the game, Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield shared his thoughts on the UCLA defense, and he shared some kind words, per Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire.

“I think their record is very deceiving because they’ve played some really good teams. They have the same record against common opponents as we have. You watch them on defense, they’re very long, they’re very athletic, they’re physical. They can cause some headaches. We’re trying to figure out what they do, especially on third down, but it’s just a really impressive defensive unit as far as team speed, physicality and athleticism that you see on tape.”

The UCLA team in general has had a brutal schedule, although recent games against Minnesota and Rutgers have been a breath of fresh air compared to Penn State, Oregon, and so forth.

Still, even despite UCLA’s losing record, the Nebraska OC is not taking them for granted.