Go beyond the scoreboard
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Tony White could have easily been coaching from UCLA’s sideline on Saturday instead of standing across the field.
Nebraska’s defensive coordinator was among the candidates for the job opening that went to DeShaun Foster, a teammate of White’s for three seasons when the latter was a Bruins linebacker.
One of those pushing for White’s candidacy was Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, who has his own UCLA connection. Rhule was the Bruins’ defensive line coach during the 2000 season, when both White and Foster were on the team.
“I thought Tony would have been an excellent, excellent choice,” Rhule told Nebraska’s “Sports Nightly” program in February. “Martin Jarmond, the A.D. there, I had a chance to speak with him. I don’t want to lose Tony at all, I love Tony, I want him to coach here forever, but there’ll come a time when he has an opportunity to become a head coach. And he deserves that.”
UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a former walk on, has never stopped working to prove himself. That focus has made him a force for the Bruins.
White’s defense at Nebraska ranks among the top 20 in the country in several categories, including yards allowed per game (301.9, No. 16), points allowed per game (18.1, No. 18) and rushing yards allowed per game (98, No. 12).
Foster momentarily fooled reporters this week when asked how well he knew White and Rhule.
“Don’t know them at all,” Foster deadpanned.
Didn’t he overlap with them at UCLA?
“Nope, not at all,” Foster continued, before finally relenting. “Yeah, I played with Tony for three years and Matt Rhule was our [defensive line coach], so I know them pretty well. It was fun to see coach Rhule at Big Ten media [day] and he coached for the [Carolina] Panthers too, so that was exciting. And then Tony was a linebacker here, so we had a few battles on both sides of the ball.”
White could have something special in store for the Bruins in a rematch of sorts after getting beaten out by his old friend earlier this year.
Here are four other things to watch when the Bruins (2-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten) face the Cornhuskers (5-3, 2-3) starting at 12:30 p.m. PDT at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln:
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Fading phenom?
(Jay LaPrete / Associated Press)
Dylan Raiola was having a heck of a freshman season until a few weeks ago.
In his first five games, Nebraska’s quarterback threw for nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
In his last three games, he’s thrown for no touchdowns and five interceptions.
Certainly, the competition level stiffened recently with Indiana and Ohio State handing the Cornhuskers losses in their two most recent games. But Raiola has also struggled to maintain his early promise that sparked comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes beyond the uncanny physical resemblance.
“He has a big arm, you know, so he’s going to try to make plays,” Foster said. “But, you know, I’m excited for our DBs and our front and our linebackers, everybody. … I was with Pat Mahomes in ‘16 at Texas Tech [as the running backs coach], so, you know, it’s crazy when you see [Raiola] because he really does emulate Pat.”
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Followup appointment
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Ethan Garbers had a career day in his last game.
Can he have another?
UCLA’s quarterback will probably need to carry an offense featuring the worst run game in major college football. The Bruins are averaging just 64.6 yards per game on the ground, but their running backs made most of the big plays against Rutgers by catching three of Garbers’ four touchdown passes.
Barring injury, Garbers is guaranteed to play in only five more games in his college career. He’d like to play in a sixth, which would mean the Bruins made a bowl game. UCLA will need to go 4-1 over the rest of the regular season to get there.
“I’m excited for these five opportunities,” Garbers said, “and I can’t wait.”
The Bruins’ rushing attack is last in the country but their running backs have found other ways to influence the game, primarily as receivers and blockers.
He’ll face a Nebraska defense that can be susceptible to the pass, giving up 203.9 yards per game. Garbers intimated that the Bruins might stick with the short passing game that helped him roll up a career-high 383 yards against Rutgers.
“For any offense to be successful,” Garbers said, “getting the ball out quick is definitely gonna be one of the No. 1 things because it puts so much pressure on the defense and it really, really sets the tone that the offense is attacking and the defense is kind of on their heels ‘cause they can’t get a pass rush, they can’t sack the quarterback.”
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Friendly foe
Nebraska defensive back D.J. Singleton wears a No. 36 stick in honor of UCLA wide receiver Nick Pasquale during a game in September 2013.
(Nati Harnik / Associated Press)
If these teams seem to get along unusually well, there’s a backstory to the warmth.
Nebraska won over the UCLA community in 2013 with a touching show of support at an emotional time.
A week after Bruins receiver Nick Pasquale died upon being hit by a car, the Cornhuskers wore a sticker bearing Pasquale’s No. 36 on their helmets, observed a moment of silence and released hundreds of blue and gold balloons before the teams played at Memorial Stadium.
“It was an unfortunate situation for us and still playing that game and then showing up to Nebraska and seeing how their fans embraced us, it was just amazing,” said Foster, who was then a graduate assistant at UCLA. “You know, I’m sure the Pasquale family liked what they saw and, you know, it was just good to see a fan base just take pride in trying to comfort the other team that came in. So, you know, I appreciated it at that time.”
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Bringing the juice
If UCLA seems a little more hyped than usual, Corey Miller will be the man to thank.
The head football performance coach recently started a new tradition in which he waves his hands before practice and bedlam ensues.
Over the last two weeks, players have done cartwheels, performed leaping body bumps and raised the decibels to helicopter-hovering levels.
“It’s fun to be out here and you gotta appreciate each day,” cornerback Kaylin Moore said, “so just trying to build that momentum.”
Of course, excitement only goes so far. Foster said he would have liked “a little more detail and intent” at practice Wednesday, referring to fumbled kickoff returns by Jadyn Marshall and Keegan Jones.
“Pissed me all the way off, and that’s not characteristic of Keegan,” Foster said, “so it was a little disappointing. But he was able to make up for it after.”
