This post was updated Nov. 12 at 12:26 a.m.
UCLA football’s potential last game at the Rose Bowl was reminiscent of its first four games of the season – ugly. Despite the absence of former five-star prospect and starting signal caller Dylan Raiola, true freshman quarterback TJ Lateef led Nebraska (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) to a 28-21 victory over UCLA (3-6, 3-3) in Pasadena, California, on Saturday during the Bruins’ annual Family Weekend game. The game marked the Bruins’ second consecutive defeat, meaning a bowl game is only possible should they close out their last three games with wins – a tall task with No. 1 Ohio State up next. Daily Bruin Sports editor Connor Dullinger gives his five takeaways from the Bruins’ first back-to-back defeat since interim head coach Tim Skipper took over.
Nico’s legs return
When UCLA defeated then-No. 7 Penn State, Nico Iamaleava displayed what Bruin fans were looking for from their signal caller in the first four games of the season – a dual-threat quarterback that can take over the game with his legs.
And he backed that up with a career-high 128 rushing yards and three scores.
But after a historic program victory and a monumental individual performance, the redshirt sophomore rushed for just 56 total yards over the ensuing three contests.
However, Iamaleava rushed for 86 yards on 15 attempts Saturday – revitalizing his running ability with his second-highest tally of the season.
The Long Beach, California, local extended drives and converted on various third downs when the team’s rushing attack faltered – each running back recorded under four yards per carry against the Nebraska front seven.
Two of Iamaleava’s first-down-clinching rushes came on third-and-four and third-and-six on the Bruins’ first scoring drive, which tied the game at 7-7.
And the signal caller’s scrambling ability didn’t end there. He also converted on a third-and-10 with a 17-yard rush in the fourth quarter, clinching UCLA’s third touchdown of the game.
Iamaleava’s rushing ability will be crucial when UCLA faces No. 1 Ohio State in its next contest.
Weaponless
For the second consecutive game, Iamaleava’s pass catchers went quiet.
Starting wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer – the Bruins’ leading receiver among last season’s returners – has recorded just nine receptions over the last four matches, hauling in a combined 91 yards without reaching paydirt. The true sophomore started the season with 50-plus yards in four of the first five games.
Redshirt senior Titus Mokiao-Atimalala has recorded just one catch for seven yards in the past two affairs despite recording a career-high 102 yards in UCLA’s victory over Maryland on Oct. 18.
Junior wide receiver Mikey Matthews has recorded over 50 receiving yards just once this season. The California transfer, who was projected to fortify the team’s offensive arsenal as the primary slot option, has just one touchdown through nine games played.
While redshirt sophomore wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. has been a solid addition since returning from injury on Sep. 27 – notching at least four receptions and 40 yards in half of his games – he has yet to provide any explosive plays or reach the end zone.
Apart from Flores’ 52 yards against Nebraska, the leading catcher was redshirt junior running back Anthony Woods, who finished with two receptions and 49 yards – 45 of which came on just one play.
Emmett Johnson day
Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson pulled off a Heisman-worthy performance at UCLA’s Family Weekend game, notching three touchdowns and 232 total yards – all of which were capitalized by his Heisman pose celebration in the Bruins’ end zone.
Johnson made the Bruins’ front seven look nonexistent as he ran with ease, boasting 129 ground yards on 28 attempts – good for 4.6 yards per carry.
The defensive line exerted no penetration and missed multiple tackles, allowing Johnson to reach the second and third levels of defense with minimal resistance.
And when Johnson wasn’t taking advantage of the Bruins’ interior, true freshman signal caller TJ Lateef was finding his tailback on screen or short passes to the flat.
The Cornhusker running back finished with a career-high 103 receiving yards and two scores on just three receptions, including 56-yard and 40-yard touchdown receptions.
Johnson continues to lead the Big Ten in rushing yards with 1,131, solidifying himself at the top of the rankings for the Heisman Trophy or Doak Walker Award – given annually to the nation’s top tailback – with his performance in Pasadena.
The Nebraska running back made UCLA’s defense look like a middle school squad, and the Rose Bowl was his playground.
Defensive pressure?
If UCLA’s rush defense is bad, its pass rush is somehow even worse.
The Bruins rank dead last in the Big Ten in sacks with just six – three fewer than the number of games they have played. To add insult to injury, UCLA has failed to garner a sack in the last three games, last logging one against Michigan State on Oct. 11.
UCLA’s pass rush not only ranks at the bottom of the conference but is also the worst in the nation – recording the fewest sacks of any FBS program.
And the team’s next opponent, No. 1 Ohio State, is tied for fourth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed, conceding just five sacks through nine games despite playing high-pressure defensive squads like then-No. 1 Texas, then-No. 17 Illinois, Washington and Penn State.
UCLA exerted little pressure on Lateef, allowing the freshman signal caller to go 13-for-15 for 205 yards and notch three scores in his first-ever collegiate start.
And Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin should have no problem exceeding Lateef’s stat line, allowing route concepts to develop and letting wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate tear apart the Bruin secondary.
If the Bruins’ pass rush doesn’t figure it out by the time they land in Columbus, the game will be over before the first kickoff.
Offensive line in pieces
The UCLA front line has been one of many weak points for the squad this year.
And the absence of redshirt senior offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio could be the final nail in the coffin. DiGiorgio left the Nebraska game with back spasms, forcing him off the gridiron after being carted off the field.
Interim head coach Tim Skipper said Monday that the redshirt senior was moving much better after Saturday’s contest, but his status for Columbus, Ohio, remains uncertain.
DiGiorgio has recorded 38 starts in a UCLA uniform, and if an already unstable offensive front loses one of its most senior players, then Ohio State should have no problem feasting on Iamaleava.
Nebraska brought down UCLA’s signal caller three times for 18 yards, and Ohio State ranks third in the Big Ten in sacks with 25. Indiana – which beat UCLA by 50 and registered three sacks – ranks above Ohio State by just six sacks. But if the Columbus affair is anything like Bloomington, Indiana, or Saturday’s Rose Bowl match, then Iamaleava will have little time to think, let alone operate out of the pocket.
Even if DiGiorgio plays this week, UCLA will have its hands full with Ohio State’s pass rush, as evidenced by what the line allowed against Nebraska.
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