Nebraska's comeback fails: Lessons from another Huskers debacle

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska heads into an off week after a 27-20 loss Saturday at Memorial Stadium to UCLA. And the Huskers, 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, are on another losing streak in the final month of the regular season after being one win away from bowl eligibility.

Coach Matt Rhule's team was beaten in impressive fashion for the second time in three weeks. That loss came not against undefeated upstart Indiana, but against UCLA, which came to Lincoln with 3-point wins over Hawaii and Rutgers that year. And that's it.

The Bruins built a 20-point lead early in the second half and secured their second Big Ten win.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola was injured with 5:48 to play while trying to reach the end zone with a keeper. Minutes later he tried to return, but Raiola fell to the ground in pain before finally leaving.

Backup Heinrich Haarberg brought Nebraska within 7 points, but the Huskers' hopes of a comeback ended when he was intercepted on a throw to Jacory Barney at UCLA's 13-yard range in the final seconds.

“This was a huge missed opportunity for us,” Rhule said.

Meanwhile, UCLA's Ethan Garbers cheered Nebraska on for nearly two and a half quarters. The senior set the tone by leading the Bruins to six conversions on their first seven third-down opportunities. He finished the game with 219 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Garbers galloped for a 57-yard gain. He threw a 48-yard touchdown. He did whatever he wanted for about 35 minutes. It was enough against a surprisingly vulnerable Nebraska defense.

And the Huskers' offense was worse until the rally failed.

Here are some initial findings:

1. That's the least of Nebraska's worries right now, but the path to bowl eligibility appears to be narrow. Nebraska already has the longest bowl drought among Power 4 programs at seven years.

The Huskers finished 0-4 last season in November after picking up five wins. This year they started 5-1 before losing 56-7 at Indiana. After a 21:17 defeat against the strong Ohio State, there was hope for an improvement. But Saturday wiped out the momentum gained in Columbus.

“Now you can see in the locker room who is ready to take on the challenge,” defensive lineman Ty Robinson said.

Nebraska travels to USC in two weeks and ends against Wisconsin and Iowa. Where is the victory on this track? If the Huskers finish with six straight losses and enter the offseason 0-10 under Rhule to achieve bowl eligibility, that will be a huge step backwards 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 for three seasons at Temple and two seasons at Baylor, then with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and since Rhule came to Lincoln before last season. Nebraska's head coach is fiercely loyal.

But something doesn't click. Nebraska entered this season with a five-star freshman quarterback and what appeared to be a much-improved receiving corps. After nine games, Raiola is struggling to find rhythm with his pass catchers.

Raiola completed three of 10 passes for 47 yards before halftime. He threw a pick six on the first play of the third quarter. Raiola looks hesitant during his readings. He's missing more open receivers than he did at the start of the season. The Huskers' only notable first-half win on Saturday came on a throw downfield to Barney.

They continue to challenge 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 in losses to UCLA, including a missed attempt in the fourth quarter after scoring a first-and-goal at the 10 with some momentum while trailing 27-14.

3. And yet the offensive problems lie deeper.

The Big Ten defense saw through Nebraska's plan. UCLA teed off against Raiola on Saturday, similar to Indiana and Rutgers. The young QB is vulnerable to pressure. Expect Nebraska's remaining November opponents to turn up the intensity.

Satterfield's system has lost most of its ingenuity at this level of inefficiency. It's predictable. And it will inevitably hurt Raiola – and continue to hinder progress under Rhule.

4. Rhule prefers Nebraska to play better in the fourth quarter than the first. His Huskers may need to hear a different message. Of course they don't try to play badly out of the tunnel, but it happens. Almost every week.

“If I know anything about this team,” safety Isaac Gifford said, “we’ll be back.”

Against UCLA, the Huskers initially allowed an eight-minute march for a field goal and then an 85-yard touchdown drive. Nebraska failed to score a first down on any of its five drives before halftime, except on its second possession, when a taunting penalty on UCLA linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo extended the chance. Nebraska turned that gift from the Bruins into points. But nothing else worked on offense in the first 30 minutes.

It didn't win in the first half against Purdue five weeks ago. Nebraska was demolished in every way at Indiana, putting the ball on the Ohio State turf on its first kickoff and its first offensive play.

So what's going on? The scripts don't work. The game planning is flawed. The coming week will be another test of Rhule's patience.

(Photo by Dante Dowdell: Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)