Adam Carriker's Preview and Prediction for Nebraska vs. UCLA

Adam Carriker shares the truth about Nebraska's odds of beating UCLA and why this is a huge opportunity for Matt Rhule, TJ Lateef, Emmett Johnson and Husker football. Carriker shares unique, inside info on Nebraska vs. UCLA. The Huskers are a road underdog after losing quarterback Dyland Raiola to injury, but they do have one big advantage. Learn what to expect and why before anyone else.

Hit the play button below, and scroll down for a synopsis.

Adam Carriker believes that UCLA and Nebraska are two of the most unpredictable teams in the entire country. The Bruins started the season 0-4 and led for exactly zero seconds of those first four losses. Two of those losses were to G5 teams by an average of 17 points. Since firing DeShaun Foster as their head coach, UCLA football has gone on to win three of their last four games and they have a winning record in Big Ten Conference play. However, in their last game, they lost by 50 points to Indiana. So the question is whether UCLA has lost their momentum.

Adam Carriker shares a story of an NFL team he was on where they started 0-4 in the season, fired their coach, won their next two games and then lost their last 10 games. Sometimes an interim coach can give you some momentum, but it’s short-lived and doesn’t always stick. The question with UCLA is was DeShaun Foster that poor a coach or did UCLA just have a short burst of momentum that is now faded?

Their quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, has first round talent and undrafted consistency. The former five-star recruit has been incredibly up and down this year. UCLA does not run the ball well. In fact, Nico is the leading rusher for the Bruins this year. Nico is a running quarterback, but UCLA is not necessarily an option team. And when your quarterback is your leading rusher, that might explain why UCLA is dead last in rush offense in the Big Ten. Their next leading rusher on the team doesn’t even have 250 total yards on the ground this year. Can Nebraska limit UCLA’s run game, which has been an issue for the Blackshirts this season?

UCLA is also dead last in the Big Ten when it comes to stopping the run. Oddly enough, UCLA is 124th in the country offensively running the ball and 124th in the country defensively stopping the run as well.

Meanwhile, Nebraska has been wildly unpredictable all year to begin with. Now with a true freshman, teenage starting quarterback in TJ Lateef, it’s almost impossible to know what to expect. Adam Carriker admits it’s very unpredictable, but he does believe he has an inside idea of what offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen might do with his game plan and play calling now that Lateef is the starting QB. There are simple plays and simple reads and certain things Holgorsen can do to capitalize on TJ’s big arm and explosive legs, despite his lack of experience.

Carriker gives four keys to the game that involve the coaches, Lateef, the entire team as well as every player on that roster. Adam believes this is an opportunity for Nebraska to do something they’ve not done in a long time! If Mount Everest is put in front of you, the only thing left to do is start climbing. Adam admits that while USC was the toughest game for him to predict all year, it was tough because he knew he was going to predict the Trojans and it was just tough for him to do. This game against UCLA is the hardest game for him to predict all year — because he honestly has no idea who’s going to win, even though he believes he has a few inside ideas and some rare insight to share.

Tune in to this epic edition of the Carriker Chronicles and hear Adam Carriker’s keys to Nebraska vs. UCLA as well as his prediction for the outcome as well! Go Big Red and always remember to Throw the Bones!

☛ Get more Carriker Chronicles here on Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, at Adam's website and on YouTube.

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