Matt Rhule, Six Huskers Return to California for UCLA Matchup

For Nebraska fans, Saturday night marks their best chance yet to see their team’s grit tested. But for Matt Rhule, this weekend’s trip to Los Angeles is more than just another stop on the Big Ten schedule.

Before he became known as “The Rebuilder,” Rhule spent the early days of his coaching career sharpening his craft as an assistant, a journey that once led him to UCLA, the same program Nebraska will face in Pasadena this weekend.

More than two decades later, Rhule returns to California as the head coach of the Cornhuskers, leading a team built in the image of the lessons he first began learning on the West Coast. During his Monday media availability, Rhule reflected on his time at UCLA, sharing memories from those formative years and offering perspective on how far he’s come along the way.

Matt Rhule addresses the team during a 2025 spring practice. — Matt Rhule addresses the team during practice. | Nebraska Athletics

Before the rebuilds, before the NFL, and long before the multimillion-dollar contracts, Rhule was just another young coach trying to break into the profession. His first Power Five stop came at UCLA, where he served as a graduate assistant, a short but formative chapter that helped mold the coaching philosophy he's brought to Lincoln.

“I was a GA at UCLA,” Rhule recalled this week. “It was one of the best times Julie and I had — no kids, no money, we were so poor we couldn’t even afford to get the pilot light turned on in our house. I had a little motor scooter because you could park for free on campus. Julie was the breadwinner, and it was just her and I.”

Two decades later, that same young assistant returns to the Rose Bowl as the head coach of one of college football’s most storied programs. “I finished my master’s degree at UCLA and met some amazing people,” Rhule said. “I even got to meet John Wooden and just sit there and talk with him.”

Those experiences, he said, helped shape the person and coach he would eventually become, one determined to return with eyes set on victory Saturday night.

Now, Rhule’s trip back to California represents more than a game; it’s a full-circle moment. “For me, going back to UCLA and going back to the Rose Bowl, it’ll be awesome,” he said. For Nebraska’s head coach, Saturday night isn’t just another conference game. It’s a return to where the climb first began, and a chance to show how far he and his program have come since.

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef drops back to pass against USC. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Rhule isn’t the only one heading back to familiar territory. Nebraska’s roster features six players from California, several of whom will have family and friends in the stands Saturday night. “We have six guys going back home, which I think is really cool,” Rhule said. “That’s an area we want to keep recruiting. There’s so much talent out there.”

Among those making the trip home is freshman quarterback TJ Lateef, who steps into the starting role following Dylan Raiola’s season-ending injury on Saturday. The game will take place just an hour from his hometown of Compton, making the moment even more special.

“It’s going to be exciting for TJ,” Rhule said. “He’s just such a great young man — humble, hard-working, one of the guys.”

For Lateef, it’s a storybook setting for his first collegiate start, a chance to lead Nebraska under the lights in front of family and friends. But he’s not the only one returning to familiar ground. Several other Huskers will also have the rare opportunity to suit up in their home state, making Saturday night’s matchup as personal as it is competitive.

Nebraska wide receiver Nyziah Hunter gains 13 yards against Michigan. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Beyond Lateef, several other Huskers will take the field with a little extra motivation. Wide receiver Nyziah Hunter, a native of Salinas, has been Nebraska’s most consistent pass catcher through this point in the season and leads the team in yards, receptions and touchdown grabs. For him, Saturday offers not only a chance to keep that momentum rolling, but to do it in front of family who watched his journey from the very beginning.

On the defensive side, Ceyair Wright and Andrew Marshall, both California natives, anchor a secondary that’s quickly become one of the Big Ten’s most reliable units. Wright, a former USC cornerback, is no stranger to the Rose Bowl atmosphere, while Marshall has quietly emerged as one of Nebraska’s most versatile defensive backs.

Rounding out the group are Jacob Bower, a hard-hitting linebacker from Rancho Santa Margarita, and Sua Lefotu, a physical defensive lineman from Bellflower. Each will get the rare opportunity to play in front of hometown supporters while continuing to embody the toughness and unity that's defined Nebraska’s defense this fall.

Saturday Night Lights from Pasadena

🗓️ 11.8
⏰ 8:00 PM CT
🏟️ Rose Bowl Stadium vs UCLA
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/LRM5TtJVse
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) November 3, 2025

For Rhule and his players, the trip to Pasadena isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s about proving how far they’ve come. Nebraska’s California ties serve as a reminder that the program’s reach is growing, its culture spreading. And as the Huskers take the field, Rhule will do so not as the young assistant he once was, but as the architect of a team learning to rise the same way he did decades ago.

From Rhule’s perspective, this team is coming together at just the right time. With captain Dylan Raiola sidelined for the season, the Huskers will look to channel that loss into focus and urgency, knowing that any snap could define their year. A trip west to face a talented yet struggling UCLA squad could be exactly what Nebraska needs to steady its season, and if the game itself isn’t motivation enough, expect the homecoming energy of several California Huskers to give them the extra spark they need.

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