Foster Farms Bowl 2015: Preview, Predictions for UCLA vs. Nebraska
It'll be a Big Ten-Pac-12 showdown in the Foster Farms Bowl when Jim Mora and the UCLA Bruins (8-4) take on Mike Riley and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-7).
The Bruins stumbled down the stretch of the season despite controlling their destiny in the Pac-12 South Division. Visions of a Rose Bowl berth dissipated when the Bruins were beaten up by rival USC in the regular-season finale, and now, the Bruins will face one of the three teams that earned bowl invites with a 5-7 record.
The Cornhuskers will be motivated to enhance the momentum they built in the final stretch of November. They registered one of the biggest upsets of the season when they beat Michigan State before routing Rutgers 31-14. Nebraska battled Iowa before falling 28-20 in the last game of the season, but that didn't keep them out of the postseason.
Will UCLA end its season on a high note, or can Nebraska play spoiler?
Viewing Information
Date: Saturday, Dec. 26
Time: 9:15 p.m. ET
Place: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
TV: ESPN
Keys to Victory for UCLA
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Get Paul Perkins in a Rhythm
Josh Rosen is the trigger man for UCLA's offense, but the unit as a whole benefits greatly when running back Paul Perkins is on his game.
The standout junior has been incredibly consistent this year, running for 1,275 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games. Perkins is averaging an impressive 5.2 yards per carry and is the engine in a ground game that averages 186.8 yards per game.
He'll be facing a stiff task against Nebraska's stout front seven, which ranks eighth nationally in run defense, allowing an average of 113.4 yards per game. But if he can find some lanes against the Cornhuskers, it'll make things much easier for Rosen in the passing game.
Sell Out to Stop Tommy Armstrong
If UCLA can limit Tommy Armstrong's impact, it'll have a great chance to beat Nebraska.
The junior signal-caller has been the key cog in Nebraska's offense this season, accounting for 3,180 total yards and 27 touchdowns. And when he's on point, the Cornhuskers are much better.
But Armstrong has been prone to some big mistakes as he's thrown 16 interceptions this year. The Bruins should sell out against an offensive line that does a great job in pass protection in an effort to fluster Armstrong into as many mistakes as possible.
Keys to Victory for Nebraska
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Limit the Turnovers
Nebraska has been a turnover machine this season.
The Cornhuskers have coughed up an incredible 26 turnovers in 12 games this season, which ranks 117th nationally. And when that's paired with a defense that doesn't turn over opposing offenses at a high rate, Nebraska consistently played at a disadvantage this year.
Much of that responsibility falls on Armstrong, who has thrown a disastrous 16 interceptions this season. Armstrong will need to be much better against the UCLA defense.
Keep Armstrong Upright
One thing Nebraska has done very well this season is protect its quarterback.
The Cornhuskers rank 12th nationally, allowing 1.08 sacks per games. A lot of the credit here goes to Armstrong, who's mobile enough to avoid pressure when it does get through Nebraska's solid offensive line.
Nebraska will be going against an athletic UCLA defense that averages 2.3 sacks per game, so it'll have to be on point.
Players to Watch for UCLA
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Josh Rosen
Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen arguably made the biggest impact for a first-year player this season as he led a strong UCLA offense.
Rosen burst onto the national scene with a huge performance in the season opener, when he threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-16 rout of Virginia. He didn't maintain that insane clip throughout the season, but he still threw for 3,351 and 20 touchdowns against nine interceptions.
He didn't finish the season that strongly, completing just 50.7 percent of his passes with just one touchdown and three interceptions in his final two games, averaging a meager 223.5 yards per game. He'll be looking to bounce back and end his season on a strong note against Nebraska.
Kenneth Clark
UCLA's defense has been ordinary this season and ranks 62nd overall after allowing 393.5 yards per game. But the entire unit is built around defensive tackle Kenneth Clark, who was named to the first-team All-Pac-12 defense last week.
Clark has been sensational this year, ranking third on the team with 64 total tackles to complement nine tackles for loss and five sacks. He's not just a gap-stuffing tackle who opens things up for the linebackers. He's aggressive and attacks the ball with more consistency than most defensive tackles.
"He's the perfect guy to build a defense around," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said, according to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times.
Nebraska will have a hard time limiting Clark's impact.
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Players to Watch for Nebraska
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Tommy Armstrong
Nebraska's offense comes and goes with the play of quarterback Tommy Armstrong, so he'll be key against UCLA.
The junior quarterback has explosive playmaking ability and threw for 2,856 yards and 21 touchdowns to complement 324 yards and six touchdowns on the ground this season. He was at his best in the Cornhuskers' biggest game this year when Michigan State came to town in Week 10. Armstrong threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more in the stunning 39-38 upset.
If Armstrong has a similar effort against UCLA, Nebraska will be in good shape.
Maliek Collins
Nebraska has produced some big-time NFL talent at defensive line with the likes of Randy Gregory and Ndamukong Suh.
Maliek Collins is next in line.
The standout defensive tackle has anchored the Cornhuskers defensive front this season, registering seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. But his impact goes beyond the stat sheet as he's been a disruptive force, and his play is earning him some attention off the field. Before the Iowa game, he had to shoot down questions about the NFL draft to remain focused on the Hawkeyes.
He'll have to do that again in the Foster Farms Bowl.
What They're Saying
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Despite facing an opponent with a losing record, UCLA head coach Jim Mora is excited for the matchup, according to Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times:
"Not only will it be fun to get back to a place my family called home for many years, facing a storied program like Nebraska presents our young men with a tremendous challenge. We are looking forward to putting the pads back on, competing hard and making the most of this opportunity.
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Nebraska head coach Mike Riley just wants his team to take steps in the right direction in all facets as a program, according to Sam McKewon of the World-Herald:
"I’d like to keep growing in how we practice and how we do our day-to-day business. The things that are important in the program — those will continue to be emphasized and grown. The football part of it will be the significant part we address, but the other part of it — nearly as important — is how we grow in what we consider to be our way to do things and the Nebraska way.
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Prediction
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UCLA will need to rally in the fourth quarter to beat a motivated Nebraska team.
The Cornhuskers will jump ahead early as Armstrong triggers an inspired offensive performance. The dual-threat quarterback will throw for a touchdown and run for another to give Nebraska a big 14-point lead to open the second quarter.
Rosen will settle in before the break, leading two field-goal drives in the second quarter to get the Bruins on the board. But another Nebraska touchdown will make it a 21-6 game at halftime.
The two teams will trade touchdowns to open the third quarter, and Nebraska will add a field goal to take a commanding 31-13 lead. That's when Rosen and the offense will catch fire. A 60-yard touchdown to Jordan Payton will spark the rally as UCLA ends the game on a 21-0 run. Perkins will seal the game with a 10-yard touchdown run with a minute to go.
UCLA 34, Nebraska 31
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