10-29-24
IT WAS ACADEMIC
Nebraska didn’t meet the bowl requirement of six wins. The Huskers’ regular-season record was 5-7. But there weren’t enough six-win teams to fill all the bowls in 2015. So academics came into play.
Because of its APR (Academic Progress Rate), Nebraska was invited to the Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara, California, the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium. The Huskers, of course, accepted.
So did UCLA, which had finished the regular season 8-4.
The Bruins were favored, no surprise there.
And when UCLA scored a touchdown on the game’s first possession, it appeared predictions of a Bruin victory were justified. Except that Nebraska responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, capped by an Imani Cross touchdown from 1 yard out late in the quarter.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen passed for a pair of touchdowns, 60 yards to wide receiver Kenneth Walker III and 26 yards to running back Nate Starks, in the second quarter. The Bruins led 21-7 with 7:55 remaining in the first half. Again, the predictions seemed justified.
But Nebraska responded again, with touchdown drives of 75 yards in four plays and 73 yards in eight plays, before the half ended. Terrell Newby scored the first from 3 yards, fullback Andy Janovich the second from 1 yard. Drew Brown added the extra-point kicks, and the score was 21-21 at the half.
Janovich’s touchdown came with 52 seconds remaining.
An unpredicted Husker loss occurred during the second quarter when strong safety Nate Gerry, the team’s leading tackler, was ejected for what was ruled targeting. Even UCLA coach Jim Mora questioned the legitimacy of the call, which was reviewed and upheld.
Nebraska was without Gerry in the second half.
Even so, the Husker defense limited UCLA to a net of 1 yard, total, in the third quarter, while the offense rolled up 196 yards and 10 points, on Tommy Armstrong Jr.’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Morgan Jr. and Brown’s 20-yard field goal. Nebraska led 30-21 after three quarters.
Forty-nine seconds into the fourth quarter the Huskers led 37-21, on an Armstrong touchdown from 3 yards out. UCLA responded with a 9-yard Rosen touchdown pass to wide receiver Jordan Payton. A two-point conversion cut the lead to 37-29. But that was it. Cornerback Chris Jones sealed the upset with an interception in the end zone. Nebraska pulled the upset 37-29.
“It’s been a tough season for not just myself, but this team,” Armstrong, a junior, was quoted in the Lincoln Journal Star. Armstrong was named the game’s MVP. He was 12-of-19 passing for 179 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and carried 10 times for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Devine Ozigbo carried 21 times for 87 yards, Cross 15 times for 55 yards and a touchdown.
The Huskers finished with 500 yards of total offense, including 326 rushing on 62 carries. First-year coach Mike Riley said Nebraska needed to focus on the run game in the Big Ten.
The Huskers had a significant advantage in time of possession, 38:15 to 21:45. UCLA finished with 386 total yards, 319 passing, 67 rushing on only 16 carries.
The game was the last time Nebraska and UCLA met in a series that began in 1946. The Huskers hold a 7-6 advantage as the teams meet for the first time as conference rivals.
Nebraska wouldn’t have made the bowl appearance, it’s 52nd, if not for classroom success.
Mike Babcock
