Jerry Neuheisel must adjust his play calling the last four games

Jerry Neuheisel’s honeymoon run of offensive coordinator has come to a halting screech over the last two weeks. After a two-week run where the UCLA offense was clicking on all cylinders versus Penn State and Michigan State. The offense has flamed out for the most part versus Maryland and Indiana. Granted there were some glimpses during the Maryland game, but the Indiana game provided more questions than hope.

Neuheisel has never called plays at any level. He was entrusted with the play call duties as UCLA was in an 0-4 hole and needed change. Neuheisel spent his college playing career with the Bruins and all of his coaching career. Now was the opportunity to see if he could make the jump to running the show on offense.

It is there; he has the ability to scheme a good game plan. But now with defensive coordinators having film on his play calls. He has struggled to adjust. Growing pains are going to happen, he is new at this and needs time to learn. Honestly this is the best situation for him to start out his offensive coordinator career. In reality there isn’t much pressure as this season was doomed after the loss to New Mexico. Even a bowl game at this point can seem out of reach.

The positive is Neuheisel has the opportunity to get a bye week to study film. See how defenses work and how they have quickly picked up on his gadget plays. These defensive coordinators are not making big bucks to not adjust. But now he has the opportunity to counter with his own adjustments. This is called growing on the job. Nebraska got out of the gates to a blistering start on defense before tailing off a bit.

Nebraska is no easy test in week 11. They are no slouch on defense despite their dipped play and are fighting for their lives in the Big Ten as well. UCLA upset them in 2024 and will have the opportunity to do so again in 2025. But it all begins with Neuheisel being able to make the needed adjustments for his players.