Game Week: UCLA

NEBRASKA vs. UCLA
Nov. 2, 2024 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 2:30 PM CT

HUSKERS
Record: 5-3, 2-3 Big Ten
Last Game: at No. 4 Ohio State (L, 21-17)
Head Coach: Matt Rhule
Career/NU Record: 57-53 (9th Year)/10-10 (2nd Year)
Vs. UCLA: First Meeting

BRUINS
Record: 2-5, 1-4 Big Ten
Last Game: at Rutgers (W, 35-32)
Head Coach: DeShaun Foster
Career/UCLA Record: 2-5 (1st Year)/Same
Vs. Nebraska: First Meeting

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 7-6
At Lincoln: Nebraska leads, 4-2
Last Game: Nebraska, 37-29 (2015 Foster Farms Bowl)
Win Streak: Nebraska, one game

BROADCAST INFO
TV – BTN (Guy Haberman, Yogi Roth, Rhett Lewis)
RADIO – Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
INTERNET AUDIO – Huskers.com
APP AUDIO – Official Huskers App

This Week’s Matchup
Nebraska returns home for the first time in nearly a month this Saturday when the Huskers take on the UCLA Bruins at Memorial Stadium. The game will mark the first matchup of the two schools as Big Ten opponents. Saturday's contest is set for shortly after 2:30 p.m. CT with the game televised on BTN. Saturday's game can also be heard on the Huskers Radio Network and the Huskers App. Nebraska will celebrate Military Appreciation Day at Memorial Stadium as part of this weekend's festivities. 

The Huskers stand at 5-3 on the season and 2-3 in Big Ten play following a hard-fought 21-17 loss at No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon. Nebraska's defense played arguably its best game of the season, holding Ohio State to season lows in points (21), rushing yards (64) and total yards (285). Nebraska took a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter before a Buckeye touchdown midway through the final quarter determined the outcome. 

Nebraska will look to carry its defensive momentum into this week's game at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers have been particularly strong on defense in home games, holding four of their five home opponents this season to 10 or fewer points. 

UCLA enters the contest at 2-5 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play in its first season in the league. The Bruins are coming off a bye week, and were victorious in their most recent game, winning 35-32 at Rutgers on Oct. 19. The Bruins are in their first year under Head Coach DeShaun Foster, a former UCLA standout running back. UCLA relies on a strong passing game, averaging nearly 240 yards per game. Defensively, the Bruins allow fewer than 370 yards per game.

Series History: Nebraska vs. UCLA
Nebraska and UCLA will meet for the 14th time overall and the first time as Big Ten Conference opponents. Nebraska holds a 7-6 advantage in the series, including a 4-2 edge in games played at Memorial Stadium. 

• The most recent meeting between the schools came in the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Nebraska rallied from a two-touchdown deficit for a 37-29 win, which is the Huskers' most recent bowl victory. 

• Nebraska and UCLA are scheduled to play in 2025 (Pasadena) and 2028 (Lincoln) as the Big Ten has announced opponents through the 2028 season. 

• UCLA was Nebraska's most frequent non-conference opponent in a 12-year span from 1983 to 1994 when the schools met six times. Nebraska won five of those matchups and entered each of the six games ranked in the top 10, including first or second on five occasions. 

• Hall of Fame Coach Tom Osborne earned his first (1973) and 100th (1983) career victories against the Bruins. 

• Nebraska has scored more than 30 points in seven of the 13 games against UCLA, including five games with 40 or more points. 

• Nebraska will continue its two-game California portion of the season, when it travels to USC to take on the Trojans on Nov. 16. 

• Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule was a member of the UCLA coaching staff in 2001 during DeShaun Foster's senior year as a player with the Bruins.

Shutting Down the Run
Nebraska's defense has been strong against the run over the past two seasons. Indiana was the first team to score a rushing touchdown against Nebraska this season. The Huskers rank 12th nationally in rushing defense at 98.0 yards per game. 

• Nebraska held its first six opponents without a rushing touchdown, tying for the longest season-opening streak in FBS without allowing a rushing touchdown in the past 10 seasons. Prior to this year, the last team to not allow a rushing touchdown through its first six games was Georgia in 2019. The last Big Ten team to not allow a rushing touchdown in its first six games was Iowa in 2013. 

• Dating back to last season, the Huskers have not allowed a rushing touchdown in 12 of their past 15 games, including seven of eight games in 2024. 

• Nebraska held Colorado to just 16 rushing yards, the fewest rushing yards by an opponent since Purdue had -2 rushing yards in 2020. Nebraska has also held UTEP (56), Purdue (50), Rutgers (78) and Ohio State (64) to less than 80 rushing yards. In 20 games under Head Coach Matt Rhule, the Huskers have held the opponent to less than 100 rushing yards 13 times, including nine games with 75 yards or less. 

• Nebraska has allowed just two individual 100-yard rushers in 20 games over the past two seasons. 

• The rush defense is assisted by Nebraska's strong sack numbers. The Huskers have 23 sacks, which is 16th nationally. The Huskers have three games with four or more sacks. Nebraska had 32 sacks in 2023 which marked the most sacks by Nebraska since recording 39 in 2013.

Winning the Turnover Margin
Nebraska's 5-1 start was fueled in part by a +6 turnover differential through the first half of the season, with Nebraska owning a positive or even TO margin in each of the first six games. At Indiana, Nebraska was a -4 in turnover margin, before being even at Ohio State. The Huskers remain at +2 in turnover margin after finishing last season at -17 in turnover margin. 

• The Huskers have a takeaway in all eight games, Nebraska's longest streak since a nine-game stretch spanning the 2021 (final game) and 2022 (first eight games) seasons. 

• Nebraska's defense has posted multiple takeaways four times in 2024 (UTEP, Colorado, Illinois, Rutgers), and single takeaways against UNI, Purdue, Indiana and Ohio State. 

• The multiple takeaways in consecutive games (UTEP, Colorado) marked the first time the Husker defense accomplished that since 2020 when Nebraska had multiple takeaways against Northwestern and Penn State. 

• Nebraska has had a positive turnover margin five times in 2024. The Huskers were positive in turnover margin in their first three Big Ten games, marking the first time Nebraska has had a positive turnover margin in three straight games since late in the 2018 season. 

• The Huskers did not allow the opposition to score a point off turnovers through the first six games. However, Indiana scored 28 points off Husker turnovers in the loss in Bloomington. Nebraska has outscored opponents 38-28 in points off turnovers this season, including a pair of interception returns for touchdowns. 

• Junior defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. has four interceptions this season, and ranks seventh nationally in interceptions per game. His four picks are tied for the most by a Husker since Nathan Gerry had five interceptions in 2015.

This Week’s Numbers
3 – Redshirt freshman place-kicker John Hohl made three field goals at Ohio State, connecting from 39, 54 and 47 yards. Hohl's 54-yard field goal tied a Nebraska record for the longest field goal in a road game.

20 – Nebraska's defense has allowed just 20 points in the first half of its five home games this season, including blanking Colorado and Rutgers before intermission.  

56 - Nebraska sixth-year seniors Bryce Benhart (OT) and Ty Robinson (DL) are both set to play in their 56th games as Cornhuskers on Saturday afternoon. The 56 games played will tie Cameron Meredith for the most in Nebraska history.