Ahead by just seven points, 27-20, if not for a UCLA defensive pass interception of Nebraska’s backup QB Heinrich Haarberg at their own 39 yard line with 30 seconds left in the game this one could have slipped into overtime and been lost. Haarberg would not have even been in the game if not for a hit to their Freshman starting QB Dylan Raiola the previous possession that sent him to the locker room. But the interception by Senior DB Kaylin Moore preserved their win on the road and UCLA’s hope of becoming bowl eligible remains intact. However, sitting with an overall record of just 3-5 they’ll have to win three of their final four games to make it happen starting on a short week this next Friday at home against Iowa.
Forgetting about this game specifically for a few moments Ben Bolch, Sports Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Times wrote an article on October 31st to highlight the play of Bruin Junior Linebacker Carson Schwesinger who leads the entire Big Ten conference in solo tackles per game and as Bolch writes; “In the first five starts of his career, the redshirt junior linebacker has led the Bruins with double-digits tackles each game. Twelve against Louisiana State. Thirteen against Oregon. Fifteen against Penn State. Thirteen against Minnesota. Ten against Rutgers. Along the way, the former walk-on has emerged as the Big Ten leader with 6.4 solo tackles per game . . . He’s also the first UCLA player to log double figures in tackles in five consecutive games since current Dallas Cowboys veteran Eric Kendricks did so in 2014 on the way to winning the Butkus Award that goes to the nation’s top college linebacker.” Bringing you up to date with this game’s stats, Schwesinger accounted for an incredible 13 or 20% of the entire defensive team’s tackles including 9 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, and two pass disruptions. What a great year he’s having and effort he’s making for this UCLA team.
The Bruin’s starting QB, Ethan Garbers, didn’t exactly go all Clark Kent to Superman in this one like he did against Rutgers in Week-8 but he did have an almost 70% completion rate for 218 yards, 2 TD’s—one each to Freshman WR Kwazi Gilmer and Senior RB Jalen Berger—and no picks while also rushing six times for another 56 yards. Collectively the team rushed 30 times for 139 yards without ever making it into the end zone. Having gotten the ball to start the game and hitting on two field goals by Place Kicker Mateen Bhaghani as well as the Garbers-to-Berger TD, the Bruins led 13-7 at the break.
UCLA kicked off to the Cornhuskers to start the second half. However, on Nebraska’s first play from scrimmage UCLA Senior LB Kain Medrano intercepted Dylan Raiola’s pass and ran it back to the house to go up 20-7. Eight plays later the Bruins would get the ball back again after a Raiola pass on a 4th and 3 from the UCLA 42 fell incomplete. After a sack of Garbers and a loss of eight yards, TJ Harden would run it for 18 yards and a first down with Garbers following that up with a 48 yard TD pass to Kwazi Gilmer to extend their lead to twenty points with the score now 27-7 halfway through the third quarter. Nebraska dug in defensively and the Bruins got nowhere on their next three possessions, two three-and-outs as well as another punt after a stalled out drive and sitting 4th and 14 at the Nebraska 47. In the meantime the Cornhuskers scored twice, once on an 8 yard Raiola TD pass to Senior WR Isaiah Neyon and again on a TD run by Sophomore RB Dante Dowdell to make it a 27-20 game after a missed PAT. After that second three-and-out Nebraska would get the ball back at their own 19 yard line with over two minutes left to tie it up at home and send it into overtime. But with their starting QB having left the game after a hit during their previous possession their fate was in the hands of backup Junior QB Heinrich Haarberg. Eleven plays into the drive and with less than a half-minute to play Haarberg’s pass would be picked off—game over.