Technically, Nebraska is not bowl eligible this season. At 5-7, the Cornhuskers did not win enough games to play in a bowl game, but since there are simply too many games this year, the team was able to sneak in. Nebraska might be 5-7 on the season, but they certainly played much better than their record reflected under first-year head coach Mike Riley and they hope to prove that has they prepare to face off against the UCLA Bruins in the Foster Farms Bowl.
With 80 bowl slots to fill, Nebraska got in despite not being a .500 team. The team certainly played better than a unit not at .500 on the year as they had a few upset wins to their resume. The Cornhuskers were the victims of several close games. Five of their losses came by five points or fewer. They nearly upset No.3 Iowa while getting a quality victory over Michigan State. That was overachieving for a team with a first-year head coach, but players like Tommy Armstrong and Brandon Reilly give the team hope for the future.
Nebraska finished the regular season ranking second in the Big Ten with 442.5 yards per game. They also hold the No.8 rush defense allowing just 113.4 yards per game. They have the talent to pull off a bowl game win and at least finish the year at .500. Riley is hopeful that the seniors are the leaders that hope to end this rough stretch in school history with a key win.
Nebraska will face a UCLA team that greatly underachieved this season. The Bruins started the season ranked No.13 in the league and were expected to be contenders for the playoffs. However, losses to Arizona State, USC and Stanford ended those dreams quickly. One positive for the Bruins was freshman Josh Rosen who stepped in for Brett Hundley. He was named Pac-12 freshman of the year as he threw for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is the quarterback that can lead the Bruins to the postseason next year. Rosen will be looking to have a big game against a Huskers team that has struggled against the pass recently. He has the arm to let the Bruins at least end on a high note.
