5 Things UCLA Football Needs To Do To Beat Nebraska

3. Let’s grow up fast, offensive line.

The Bruins have a largely inexperienced offensive line with players having to be moved from tackle to guard and vice-versa to better fill holes and put the best offensive linemen on the field.

Of course, they didn’t do too bad against the Rice Owls last week. They faltered and forced Brett Hundley to scramble more often than we’d like (although, to be fair, Hundley looked a little uneasy in the pocket), but they opened up large lanes for Johnathan Franklin to explode through.

UCLA could get a bit of a break here, though. Nebraska fans aren’t disappointed over anything regarding last week’s win against Southern Miss, but if they would name a weakness, they’d like to see their front seven improve, which had a hard time stopping the Golden Eagles from gaining yards on the ground, which culminated in USM gaining a respectable 185 yards on the ground.

Of course, that Southern Miss team saw more cohesion on the line then our Bruins do. UCLA’s going to need to get their offensive line just as cohesive. If they do that, Johnathan Franklin’s poised to be a freaking nightmare for Nebraska out of the backfield.

4. Stay cool, Brett Hundley. 

Nebraska’s front seven might not have been at their best against USM, but their secondary sure as hell was. The Cornhuskers allowed just 75 — REALLY, JUST 75! — yards passing, bullying the USM QBs so much, that they only passed the ball 19 times.

Redshirt freshman QB Brett Hundley did well in his first start, but it wasn’t anything mind-blowing. He looked uneasy for quite awhile in the pocket, too, and might’ve been too antsy in his first start as UCLA’s QB.

Nebraska’s going to exploit this and put any amount of pressure possible to force Hundley to throw the ball where he isn’t confident he can do so. What Hundley needs to do is play smart and within himself, even if that includes dumping it off to Johnathan Franklin or throwing the ball away (far away, from those Nebraska corners).

Otherwise, Nebraska will take advantage.

5. Be the MVP, Johnathan Franklin

UCLA’s best player has emerged, and that man just so happens to be Johnathan Franklin, someone whom we admire greatly here at GJB.

Why? Because he’s so gosh damn good.

We’ve been raving about him all summer and have been touting his ridiculous 212-yard, 14-carry performance as proof that he belongs with the nation’s elite.

He’ll have his chance to prove it against a Nebraska team that adjusted to USM last week and shut down all sources of Southern Miss offense. While the offensive line will have to do its job, Johnathan Franklin needs to be the UCLA MVP we know he can be, and he needs to be able to utilize his newly-found shiftiness and patience in the backfield to create something out of nothing, at least multiple times this game.

If Nebraska shuts down Franklin, this game is over. After that, it’ll all be on the shoulders of Brett Hundley, who was able to use Franklin well to offset the Rice defense and force them to think twice.

Franklin will be the key to beating Nebraska. If he gets it going, UCLA’s chances of winning skyrocket. If not, though? We’re screwed.