Report card from Nebraska’s 28-21 victory over UCLA

Nebraska (7-3, 4-3) bounced back from its loss to USC by taking down UCLA (3-6, 3-3) 28-21 on Saturday night. The Huskers entered the game with a true freshman, TJ Lateef, making the start at quarterback following a season-ending injury for Dylan Raiola.

Despite being without Raiola, the Huskers’ offense put together a big outing to help the team improve to 7-3, their first seven-win stretch in the regular season since 2016. Nebraska and UCLA traded blows throughout the night, with both teams finishing with around 350 total yards of offense. However, two key stops in the first half —a failed fourth-down conversion and a missed field goal —allowed the Huskers to jump out to a 21-7 lead.

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The Bruins did score two touchdowns in the second half but only got three drives across the final two quarters, with one of them resulting in a punt. This helped Nebraska survive the night after it looked like it was going to run away with the win, literally.

Nebraska will rest up this week with a bye but will then travel to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions afterwards. Kickoff time and viewing platform are to be announced. Here is the report card from Nebraska’s 28-21 win over UCLA.

Quarterbacks: A-

TJ Lateef didn’t need to do anything flashy on Saturday night. The offense kept things simple for the true freshman, and he executed efficiently. Read options, rollouts and quick passes were the extent of Lateef’s needs from the offense, allowing him to get comfortable and find his teammates, who made a lot happen once the ball found them.

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Lateef finished 13-of-15 for 205 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 31 yards on five carries. His only real mishap on the night came on a short screen pass attempt that was just out of the reach of his receiver. Though UCLA was bringing pressure, Lateef got the throw off, like he did every time on the night.

Now with a complete game under his belt, Lateef gets a couple of weeks to prepare for the final stretch of the regular season. This is a great starting point for the freshman, but with Penn State and Iowa coming up, the challenges will only get tougher from here.

Running Backs: A+

Emmett Johnson. It can’t be emphasized enough that he is a vital piece to this Nebraska offense. He helped relieve the pressure on Lateef, tallying 232 all-purpose yards, becoming the first running back in school history to record 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in a game.

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Whether it was surgically working his way through the trenches or just making the most out of a reception, Johnson looked practically unstoppable on the night. He rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries and hauled in three catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson’s touchdown receptions, especially those from 40 and 56 yards out, made highlight reels. He finished with 86 yards after the catch on the night.

All of this adds to the season he’s been having and how much help he’s brought to the offense. With two regular-season games left, he’s undoubtedly going to be a big concern for Penn State and Iowa.

Wide Receivers: B+

With only 13 completions from Lateef, Nebraska’s wide receivers didn’t see much action through the air. But, much like Johnson, Dane Key, Nyziah Hunter and Jacory Barney made the most of their few grabs, which included 49 yards after reception.

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Barney snagged the first touchdown of the game, hauling in a two-yard grab with a defender in his face. Key tallied 46 yards on three grabs, one of which was a slant route he took 29 yards. Hunter also picked up some yards, finishing with 37 on three catches.

Though there were a few missed blocks and one dropped catch, which could’ve been disastrous under different circumstances. But outside of that, the group did a good job being there for Lateef on his few passes.

Offensive Line: B+

With the offense doing a lot of quick plays, the pipeline just needed to buy a few seconds or form holes for Johnson. They did both, helping the run game dominate and holding UCLA to zero sacks.

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This also helped Lateef get comfortable with the fast-paced plays, either getting the throw off or running for some yards. With that said, a few defenders got through and slowed the run or forced Lateef to make a quick decision.

As mentioned last week, Nebraska can only stick to quick plays and the run for so long. Penn State and Iowa will certainly bring the pressure and can frustrate offenses by getting to the ball. If Nebraska’s offense wants to stand a chance against more formidable defenses, the pipeline needs to be ready to stand its ground.

Defensive Line: B-

The front line earned 2.5 sacks in the win and brought pressure to Iamaleava all night. But the run game still managed to slip by, picking up major yardage. Though the Bruins only tallied 157 yards on the ground, it was either done when UCLA needed a conversion or a big play.

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Nebraska’s front line allowed both, whether because it couldn’t keep Iamaleava contained or prevent holes for running backs to shoot through. This allowed UCLA to sustain long drives and drain the clock, a double-edged sword for both teams. UCLA only had seven drives in the game, but Nebraska’s defensive front made it earn every yard and left little room for error.

Fortunately for Nebraska’s defense, the Bruins did suffer just enough errors to lose four of their drives. However, with Penn State and Iowa arguably bringing a stronger, more disciplined fronts, the Huskers need not only to keep slowing down offenses but also to truly begin dominating the trenches.

Linebackers: C+

The second level struggled just like the front line. But while the line got to Iamaleava a few times, the linebackers couldn’t touch him, even when they blitzed. The quarterback managed to escape the attack each time, usually running into the open field and picking up yards. A few running backs also got past the second level, but fortunately didn’t break out massive touchdown runs.

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Even when the second level stayed put, Iamaleava or a running back managed to allude the group for the most part. Iamaleava and UCLA’s receivers also found holes in the linebackers’ coverages, picking up yards in the air as well.

Missing sacks and tackles are the biggest concern for the second level, with Penn State and Iowa on the horizon. If the group can’t finish a blitz or complete a tackle, there will be a lot more breakouts into the open field after the bye week.

Defensive Backs: C+

Outside of his scrambles, Iamaleava still managed to tally 17 completions for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Whether it was finding holes in zone coverage, defenders not staying blanketed in man or just visible confusion for Nebraska, UCLA did just as much damage in the air as it did on the ground.

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The Huskers’ secondary got caught in blocks, failing to shed them in time before a Bruin ran by. A few missed tackles by Nebraska also helped UCLA gain big yards. Granted, it took the Bruins a bit of time to find their groove. Once it did, though, they were hard to stop.

But the group did make some key plays for the Blackshirts. DeShon Singleton got a key pass deflection that forced a punt and made a fourth-down tackle in the second quarter, which turned out to be a defining moment in the game.

Penn State and Iowa are balancing out their offenses and could do further damage to Nebraska’s secondary. This bye week can hopefully help the team recharge and prepare for these final two games.

Special Teams: B+

Another mostly quiet night for Nebraska’s special teams, outside of a fake punt by UCLA. The Bruins converted on the fourth-and-one play, giving them another chance to try to produce a scoring drive.

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Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but if the Huskers got the fourth-down stop, they would’ve started their drive on the Bruins’ 19. Instead, Nebraska got the ball on its own 35 and ended up punting it away early in the fourth. Another near-crucial moment happened when the Huskers got flagged for holding on a kickoff to start their final drive. Though Nebraska still drove downfield, special teams’ mishaps can’t set the team back.

But at the same time, the special teams did have their moments. Archie Wilson delivered two strong punts, both inside the Bruins’ 10. Barney got one punt return for 17 yards and a kick return for 24 yards. UCLA wisely avoided any big returns from the special teams, but here’s hoping the Huskers can make something happen in the final few weeks.

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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Report card from Nebraska’s 28-21 victory over UCLA