The new era of Nebraska football begins Saturday night at UCLA. A new era nobody in Lincoln asked for, or wanted.
With sophomore Dylan Raiola out for the season with a broken fibula, the Huskers will start backup TJ Lateef, a freshman.
Games with such upheaval can be difficult to predict. They also are difficult for the opponent to game-plan.
The truth: Neither the Huskers nor UCLA knows — really knows for certain — how Lateef will play in his first career start. And how he will play for four quarters.
Lateef, who is from Southern California (Compton), has limited experience this season, but he has played some.
“We can be like an average team and just go out there and be disappointed,” coach Matt Rhule said at his Monday news conference. “We lost last week and have a bad week. Or we can come together and unite.
“I told our guys: Either you’re in or you’re out. And they’ve all said that they’re in.”
Nebraska (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) vs. UCLA (3-5, 3-2) kicks off from the Rose Bowl at 8 p.m. CT. The Huskers are a 6.5-point favorite at most sportsbooks.
For Nebraska to win, odds are Lateef must play well. He has played in three games. He has completed 16-of-19 passes (84.2 percent) for 261 yards and one touchdown. He also has run 11 times for 50 yards and two touchdowns.
These are beautiful stats for the backup in a backup role. Stepping in for Raiola, who was having a terrific season? That might be another story.
Sometimes, a team needs a backup to not lose a game. The Huskers might need Lateef to go out and win the game, maybe with a fourth-quarter drive.
Starting a backup quarterback is incentive enough for the Huskers to rely more on their running game. Nebraska is fortunate to have one of the best running backs around in Emmett Johnson.
Expect to see No. 21 running left, running right, running up the middle. It might be the Huskers’ best path to victory.
Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson is the nation’s second-leading rusher. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Johnson has gained 1,002 yards on 175 attempts, a healthy 5.7 yards per carry. He has 10 touchdowns on the ground. Johnson also is Nebraska’s second-leading pass receiver, with 33 receptions for 197 yards and one touchdown. Johnson is the Big Ten’s second-leading rusher with 111.3 yards per game — and is second in the nation in rushing yards.
Johnson might have to carry Nebraska to victory, and he is more than capable of doing so.
The Huskers know they still can have a successful season. It’s been a heartbreaking season in some ways, but a strong finish could send the Huskers into the offseason with momentum.
Beating UCLA would prove plenty to the Huskers.
If Nebraska hits the road and comes home with a victory, team unity and the emotion of rallying around their fallen quarterback can be compelling reasons why it happened.
To get the Huskers into that frame of mind, that’s on Rhule and his coaching staff. The Huskers want to be led to that emotional level and while some players are self-motivating, the coaches can steer the Huskers’ ship in the right direction.
The Bruins started the season 0-4. Their coach was fired. The season looked lost. Then, the Bruins won three consecutive games, over Penn State before the Nittany Lions fired their coach and lost their quarterback to injury; over Michigan State; and over Maryland.
Getting blitzed by No. 2 Indiana in their last game wasn’t unexpected.
UCLA is coming off its bye week, so expect energy and enthusiasm — the kind the Bruins showed during their three-game winning streak. This is a huge opportunity for UCLA.
The Bruins’ offense took off when Neuheisel was promoted to offensive coordinator.
If that continues, coming off the bye week, it will be a challenge for Nebraska’s excellent defense.
UCLA offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel has helped spark the Bruins. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava leads the Bruins in passing and rushing. His talent is obvious. He can scramble and throw accurately while on the move.
“He’s an elite player,” Rhule said about Iamaleava at a news conference. “He can do it all.”
For the reasons why Nebraska might win, the same applies to the Bruins. If Nebraska can’t bring the heat — and sustain it — UCLA might be able to take advantage.
The winner: Nebraska has talked the talk this week, trying to get past the loss of Raiola. With Raiola, this still might be a rough assignment. UCLA 30, Nebraska 20. My Season prediction record: 8-1.
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