McMaster's Keys to the Game: Nebraska Football vs. UCLA

Matt McMaster offers his three keys for the Huskers to find success against UCLA on Saturday.

Take advantage of the turnover

The Bruins are one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to taking care of the ball. They average 1.7 turnovers per game and an average turnover margin of -1.

Those numbers are terrible and a huge reason why they have a 2-5 record entering this match.

To make matters even better for the Big Red, Nebraska is one of the better takeaway teams in the country, averaging 1.6 per game.

The key is about taking advantage of the moment when the Bruins cough up the ball. The Huskers had one point against Ohio State last week and turned it into 0 points. Their inability to convert those turnovers into points is why they fell short in their courageous upset attempt.

If they once again fail to turn an opponent’s trash into their treasure, they will be sidelined this week.

Throw efficiently

It’s been a rough season for UCLA, but one bright spot has been the Bruins’ speedy defense. They rank in the top 20 in opponent yards per rush and rush yards per play.

Given Nebraska’s inconsistent run game, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the Big Red to break through this Bruin run wall. While UCLA thrives on the ground, the Bruins struggle through the air, landing in the bottom quarter of every defensive passing statistic in the country.

NU needs a great performance not only from quarterback Dylan Raiola, but also from play caller Marcus Satterfield.

Raiola will have to get himself into a rhythm and get comfortable taking easy throws that the defense gives him. He will also have to do a better job of maximizing accuracy on his deep throws.

The number one priority for Satterfield is to get his young gunslinger moving in the right direction. I expect Raiola to throw the ball a lot, so getting him into a rhythm early with easy completions will be paramount. Then it will be a matter of waiting for Satterfield. I give him a lot of credit for calling a variety of plays that effectively opened up goals downfield. If he can pick those plays at the right time through complementary play-calling, the Huskers should have no problem scoring points.

Convert in the red zone

Nebraska is terrible at scoring points in the red zone. Terrible is actually an understatement, as the Huskers rank 130th out of 134 teams in RZ scoring percentage.

THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM!

Want to know why the Big Red are 5-3 and not 7-1? It’s this reason here. They have missed opportunity after opportunity to capitalize on productive drives and great field position.

This is not only the key to this match, but also the key to the rest of the season. NU needs to stop getting nervous in the red zone, get up and execute.

Don’t let the Bruins’ record fool you! UCLA will compete against the Huskers and push them to their limits if NU lets them.

Nebraska needs to come out strong and assert dominance early, and it all starts with execution inside the 20-yard line.

McMaster’s Keys to the Game: Nebraska Football vs. UCLA

Take advantage of the turnover

Throw efficiently

Convert in the red zone

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