Sights and Sounds
- Attendance at the Rose Bowl was 71,530, more than three times the reported attendance in Houston last week.
- The changes to the east pavilion of the Rose Bowl were revealed as the stadium’s renovations continue.
- Pac-12 Conference commissioner Larry Scott was there after recently reaching an agreement with Dish Network to carry the Pac-12 Networks.
Offense Report
The Good: The UCLA offense had 653 total yards against Nebraska, even more than it did last week against Rice. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley and redshirt senior running back Johnathan Franklin were the main contributors to the offensive explosion. Hundley threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns, while Franklin rushed for 217 yards and caught one touchdown.
The Bad: Six of UCLA’s 11 penalties came on the offensive side of the ball. Redshirt senior guard Jeff Baca was penalized twice on false starts and the rest of the unit combined for three holding penalties. The final penalty came on an offensive pass interference call, which negated a touchdown.
The Verdict: UCLA found offensive balance as the game progressed, which was necessary in keeping Nebraska guessing. After two weeks, the Bruins are one of the top teams in the nation offensively, but will need to continue to work on their discipline. Although Hundley had just one game under his belt entering Saturday, he looked like a poised veteran and protected the ball against a strong defense. UCLA’s ground game allowed it to hold the ball for more than 37 minutes, about 15 more than Nebraska.
Defense Report
The Good: One of the reasons the Bruins were able to win the time of possession was because of their defense’s ability to stop Cornhusker drives. Nebraska was just one of 11 on third-down conversions.
The Bad: For the second straight game, UCLA surrendered 24 points in the first half. A large factor in UCLA’s early defensive struggles was poor tackling. Many players went for big hits rather than wrapping up ball carriers.
The Verdict: An early trend has developed in which the Bruins give up a lot of points in the first half, keep up offensively, then make the necessary defensive adjustments in the second half. Against Nebraska, UCLA bounced back in the second half, only allowing two field goals. If the habit continues, though, it’s likely to come back to bite the Bruins. If UCLA can play all four quarters like it has second halves, combined with its offense, it will be a very difficult team to stop.
Best of the Bruins
Franklin rushed for a career-high 217 yards Saturday. He added three receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. After two games, he leads the nation with 431 yards rushing.
Bruin Reaction
“We’re not satisfied here at all. We’re only 2-0 and tomorrow it’s on to our next opponent. … We made a lot of mistakes and we have to continue to get better.” – Johnathan Franklin
Online
- For full coverage of Thursday’s game, visit dailybruin.com/sports
- Follow @DBSports on Twitter for live updates during the game
- Download Bruin Football at the iTunes app store for the most up-to-date information.