Originally posted for Corn Nation here.
Who will pitch up at Memorial Stadium on Saturday?
Will it be the team that played against Indiana and looked flat or the fire-in-the-belly team that almost beat Ohio State?
This Jekyll and Hyde Nebraska team can be downright terrible or majestic with little in between. UCLA will present a new challenge in that they will likely be throwing the ball exclusively due to a nonfunctioning running game.
If the team that almost put Ryan Day out of a job pitches up, it should be a one-sided game, but we never know with this team.
#Huskers have the edge in the stats matchup vs. #UCLABruins, who have played one of the nation’s toughest schedules. Got a hunch they’re better than the stats and W-L record would suggest.https://t.co/4mQ3MpYZng
(@Huskermax) October 27, 2024
What needs to go right?
The Nebraska defense will decide this game, as they are the team’s heartbeat and can bottle up any offense on the day. With UCLA leaning so heavily on the throwing game, the pass rushers must be difference-makers. Players like James Willams, MJ Sherman, and Jimari Butler must cause havoc in the backfield.
The mental fragility of this team is on a knife edge, and I will hold my breath to see if an early mistake will crush them. They must have a fast start with no toe-stubbing errors to gain early confidence.
The offense is the offense, and I don’t expect them to improve drastically this season, but anywhere between 21 to 24 points should be enough to beat UCLA if the defense does its part.
One wonders if something forgot to put a line item in Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks’ NIL contract that tells them they need to block on the perimeter because they have been nowhere this season.
The running game looked lively against Ohio State, but they will need to go deeper into the 4th quarter to make it hurt UCLA.
Special teams need to continue on the trajectory that it is on – just be average. The goal-kicking of John Hohl was a pleasant surprise and will breathe some confidence into the team. I am happy with not changing the game with a 50-yard return or a fake punt, but just no obvious mistakes will be all that the team needs come Saturday.
This season has felt so up and down one forgets that Nebraska is 5-3 and on the verge of making a bowl game for the first time since 2016. S
hould Nebraska come out with its hair on fire and beat an already down UCLA squad, they would have broken the hoodoo surrounding the program. This game feels like the beginning of the future for Nebraska, and Matt Rhule will need to ensure the players are in the suitable mental space to take that opportunity.
We will find out very soon if the Nebraska team has chosen to dress up as Jekyll or Hyde for Halloween.
GBR
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