UCLA 2025 Football Opponent Primer: Nebraska

The UCLA Bruins are entering their second season in the Big Ten Conference with the hopes of erasing last season's 5-7 record from memory by improving in every facet.

In DeShaun Foster's first full offseason at the helm in Westwood, the Bruins did just that -- improved and restructured nearly every facet of the program from the field to the coaching staff.

With that being said, let's take start taking a look at UCLA's 2025 season opponents and how ESPN's Bill Connelly previews them ahead of the season, moving on to the Bruins' week 11 matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

According to ESPN's football power index (FPI), Nebraska is expected to be a meddling team in the Big Ten this year, winning a projected 7.5 wins (4.8 in the Big Ten), being the 34th-ranked team in college football.

Here's what Connelly had to say about Matt Rhule and the Cournhuskers this season:

"As a child of the 1980s and 1990s, I have to say that the idea of Nebraska finishing with a losing record for seven straight years was utterly mind-blowing. It's one thing to drift away from national title contention; it's another to fail to even bowl. That's a ridiculously low bar for a program with Nebraska's resources.

"We can't say that Rhule has the Huskers back on a path toward the top 10, but he at least ended the bowl drought in 2024. Despite a four-game midseason losing streak and growing pains for highly touted freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, NU started 5-1 and reached bowl eligibility with a November win over Wisconsin; the Huskers won their bowl to assure a winning record.

"It's a start. And if Rhule nailed two new coordinator hires, the growth should continue. After two dynamite seasons with Tony White leading the defense (average defensive SP+ ranking: ninth), Rhule promoted DBs coach John Butler when White left for Florida State. Butler's secondary is loaded with experience and has stars in corner Ceyair Wright and nickel Malcolm Hartzog Jr., but we'll see about a front six that lost every starter and could need immediate contributions from transfers such as linebacker Marques Watson-Trent (114 tackles and 18 run stops at Georgia Southern) and edge rushers -- and former blue-chippers -- Dasan McCullough (Oklahoma) and Williams Nwaneri (Missouri).

"The offense was poor in 2024, ranking just 99th in offensive SP+, but it was also highly reliant on freshmen Raiola, receiver Jacory Barney Jr., left tackle Gunnar Gottula, and sophomores such as running back Emmett Johnson and left guard Justin Evans. Spread offense old-hand Dana Holgorsen took over playcalling late in the season, and NU topped 20 points in only one of his four games, but after an offseason with Raiola -- and with a couple of receiver additions in Dane Key (Kentucky) and Nyziah Hunter (Cal) -- maybe the offense can perk up a bit. Raiola's first season was predictably all over the map, with six games with a 75.0 Total QBR or higher and three under 40.0, but your freshman season is just about survival, right?

"In his first two stops as a college head coach (Temple and Baylor), Rhule's teams went from bad in Year 1 (3-21 combined) to decent in Year 2 (13-12) and great in Year 3 (21-7). Aiming for double-digit wins might be a bit much, but the schedule is built for a fast start -- only one of the first six opponents is projected in the top 60 -- and if the offense improves more than the defense potentially regresses, a 9-3 record, with a potential 10th win in the bowl, isn't off the table."

Nebraska is the first game of a tough four-game stretch for the Bruins to close out the season. Each game during this stretch could be crucial towards UCLA's quest for a bowl game bid.