Late UCLA rally falls short in 28-21 loss to Nebraska

PASADENA, Calif. — For all of UCLA’s worries going into Saturday’s contest against Nebraska star running back Emmett Johnson, the Bruins had few answers for the Cornhuskers’ freshman quarterback making his first collegiate start, too.

TJ Lateef completed his first 11 pass attempts and threw three touchdowns, Johnson scored three times, and the Bruins’ late rally fell short in a 28-21 loss at the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins (3-6, 3-3 Big Ten) allowed 361 yards before showing late life down 28-14 in the fourth quarter.

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava engineered a 12-play, 96-yard drive that resulted in a 9-yard touchdown pass to reserve running back Anthony Frias II to pull within a touchdown with 4:54 left.

Nebraska (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten), which scored touchdowns on its first four drives, ran out the rest of the clock.

Iamaleava finished 17-of-25 passing for 191 yards and two touchdowns to go with a team-high 86 yards rushing on 15 attempts.

Lateef connected on 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards to go with 31 yards rushing. Johnson had a game-high 129 yards rushing with a touchdown and added three catches for a game-high 103 yards and two more scores.

UCLA postgame press conference

Interim head coach Tim Skipper, Iamaleava and linebacker Jalen Woods addressed the media after the game:

Turning point of the game

Trailing 7-0 through one quarter, UCLA converted a fourth-and-1 at the Nebraska 4-yard line with an Iamaleava run for 3 yards. On the next play, running back Jalen Berger took the direct snap in for a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game early in the second.

In the process, the Bruins chewed up nearly 10 minutes on the possession.

The Huskers needed far less time to go back on top. Johnson took a screen pass from Lateef for a 56-yard touchdown to take a 14-7 lead with 10:58 left in the half. Nebraska’s scoring drive lasted just a shade over two minutes.

UCLA was unable to recreate its success and turned it over on downs. The Bruins’ defense then continued to have issues getting pressure on Lateef, who found receiver Dane Key for a 29-yard completion to get the Huskers inside the red zone once more.

Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run pushed the Nebraska lead to 21-7 going into halftime.

Iamaleava was unable to turn UCLA’s two-minute drill into points before the half. He ran for 25 yards on the drive to get the Bruins past midfield, but kicker Mateen Bhaghani‘s 49-yard field goal attempt drifted wide left.

UCLA standout on offense: QB Nico Iamaleava

Iamaleava went back to single-handedly carrying the offense with his arm and legs.

It wasn’t until early in the third quarter when running back Anthony Woods briefly alleviated some of the load by breaking free for a 45-yard touchdown catch to cut the deficit to 28-14.

Ultimately, the Bruins live and die with Iamaleava’s performances and decisions. Among the costly choices was deciding to keep the ball on a fourth-and-1 with 6:18 remaining in the first half on a play that appeared to have a hole created for a running back.

Defensive lineman Siale Taupaki, reminiscent of a successful run play earlier in the season, came in on offense and went in motion to create a running lane.

UCLA standout on defense: DB Key Lawrence

The safety made a big hit on a third-down stop with 4:33 left in the third. It forced Nebraska’s first punt of the night.

Lawrence had eight tackles, including one of the team’s two for a loss.

Why UCLA lost

Lateef was 6 of 6 for 119 yards passing with a pair of touchdowns in an opening half that the Bruins failed to make him uncomfortable. His perfect passing night finally ended after misfiring a throw intended for reserve running back Mekhi Nelson with 13:42 left in the fourth.

Johnson’s shifty runs and backbreaking catches for touchdowns took care of the rest. Simply put, Lateef had the big consistent weapon and better protection that Iamaleava did not quite have.

UCLA surrendered 8.5 yards per play and 19.8 yards per completion en route to the 14-point halftime deficit. Tackling was an issue for most of the contest.

On offense, Iamaleava had little time to throw and took some big hits when he remained in the pocket for a handful of completions. UCLA was unable to match Nebraska score for score early and couldn’t get back into a rhythm and finish drives until the fourth quarter.

Aside from Iamaleava’s production, the Bruins’ running backs combined accounted for just 69 yards on 21 carries.