What UCLA Can Learn From the Nebraska-Cincinnati Game

On Thursday, the Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 20-17 in their first game of the 2025 season (Week 1). The UCLA Bruins, being in the same conference as Nebraska (the Big Ten), can definitely learn from their conference rivals and apply it to their own game against the Utah Utes on August 31st.

The Bruins have a clear advantage. Just like the Huskers, UCLA's season opener is also late-night and at home, so head coach DeShaun Foster and the rest of the team will feel right at home. From Thursday's game, there are four key points that the Bruins should take away as they head into their first game:

Lean on the Playmakers

"The Cornhuskers star sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola showed up in the season opener," wrote Ryan Lorenz of UCLA Wire. "He passed the rock 42 times and completed 33 of them for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns, according to ESPN.

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) leaves the field following the loss aganst the Utah Utes at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Bruins acquired redshirt sophomore quarteback Nico Iamaleava from the Tennessee Volunteers and they need their young signal caller to show why he was special for the Vols. He doesn't need to pass the rock 42 times (if he does, that would be a shocker of its own), but he does need to show why he was a playoff quarterback. He's a dual threat weapon and he needs to play like it."

Iamaleava is the captain of this team now. With him under center, the offense can open up, allowing offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri to dial up some long bombs and trick plays. For the offense to flow, Iamaleava needs to be at the top of his game.

Keep Control of the Ball at all Times

"The reason why the Bearcats lost the game was because they didn't protect their most prized possession: the football," continued Lorenz. "They turned the ball over twice and one of them was a deep shot from their junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby down the right sideline to junior wide receiver Caleb Goodie. Nebraska senior defensive back Malcom Hartzog Jr. picked it off in the end zone for the win. Although the Cornhuskers won, they also had two fumbles, but they were recovered by their teammates. They got lucky and you never want to put the game up to chance. The Bruins need to secure the rock and not give the Utes any chances."

If UCLA wants to win this game, they cannot turn the ball over. Whether it be controlling the rock on a handoff, or making the right read to avoid an interception, the Bruins have to give themselves as many chances as they can to put up points on the board.

Set the Pace-of-Play to What you Want it to be

"As much as we all love to see touchdowns scored, sometimes the game is best played at a slower pace. The Cornhuskers and Bearcats put up a total of 40 points in their game, which is definitely a decent amount, but when looking at their time of possession, the difference between the two is shocking. According to ESPN, Nebraska had the possession of the ball for 39-minutes and 30-seconds, compared to Cincinnati's 20-minutes and 30-seconds possession time. That is nearly double the amount of possession time and the Bruins need to take not. Control the game and force the Utes to play catch up."

Even if UCLA doesn't score on every drive, they need to act as the game managers. If you keep the majority of possession on your side, that's just good football.

UCLA Footbal — Aug 28, 2021; Pasadena, California, USA; Detailed view of Coach Donahue decal in the memory of former UCLA Bruins coach Terry Donahue on the back of the helmet of offensive lineman Taka Mahe (67) during the game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Don't get Caught up in the bad Moments

"From the show "Ted Lasso," the titular character says that goldfish can't remember what just happened to them. The Bruins need to do the same. Sorsby was routinely able to move the ball with his legs when he need to, but the Bearcats offense struggled to score. Why? Even though the Cornhuskers defense would make mistakes, they would never let the previous play effect the next play. Remember the game winning interception? Hartzog Jr. was called for a penalty the play before, but he made it up for it immediately after. With that mindset, any defense could make any play at any time and that includes the Bruins' when they face off against the Utes."

No matter what happens, the Bruins need to take this game one play at a time. Even if you let up a big play, that doesn't mean you don't have the chance to force a turnover on the next play.

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