Lateef's impressive debut as a starter and Johnson's rushing lead Nebraska over UCLA 28-21

Nebraska bushed UCLA 28-21 successful the archetypal collegiate commencement for existent freshman TJ Lateef

PASADENA, Calif. -- TJ Lateef was 13 for 15 for 205 yards and 3 touchdown passes successful his archetypal collegiate start, Emmett Johnson scored 3 times, and Nebraska defeated UCLA 28-21 connected Saturday nighttime for its archetypal triumph successful Pasadena since 1993.

Playing astatine the Rose Bowl 25 miles from his hometown of Compton, Lateef took implicit from Dylan Raiola, who is retired for the remainder of the play with a little close limb wounded helium sustained successful a 21-17 nonaccomplishment to Southern California past week. Lateef played the last 4 possessions against the Trojans.

As the archetypal existent freshman to commencement for Nebraska since 1950, Lateef directed the Cornhuskers (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) to scores connected their archetypal 4 possessions of the crippled for a 27-7 lead.

Jacory Barney Jr. caught Lateef's 2-yard walk connected the close broadside pylon, which bent over, for Nebraska's archetypal TD aft a video review. Lateef deed Johnson with a walk astatine the Nebraska 41 and Johnson rumbled 56 yards down the near sideline past his ain seat for the score. Johnson's 1-yard TD tally capped the Cornhuskers' scoring successful the archetypal half.

Nebraska extended its pb to 28-7 to unfastened the 3rd connected Johnson's 40-yard TD drawback from Lateef. Chants of “Go Big Red!” filled the Rose Bowl from red-clad fans who filled the historical stadium's eastbound stands.

Lateef was 10 for 10 for 173 yards going into the fourth.

Already the archetypal 1,000-yard rusher astatine Nebraska since 2018, Johnson had 28 carries and ran for 1 TD. He had 3 catches for 103 yards and 2 TDs.

After a bye week, the Bruins (3-6, 3-3) were trying to bounce backmost from a 56-6 drubbing astatine No. 2 Indiana that ended their three-game winning streak.

Their lone people successful the archetypal fractional was Jalen Berger's 1-yard tally connected a nonstop drawback that tied the crippled 7-7. Mateen Bhaghani missed a 49-yard field-goal effort wide near conscionable earlier halftime.

Nico Iamaleava deed Anthony Woods with a 45-yard TD walk that near UCLA trailing 28-14 successful the third.

The Bruins closed to 28-21 connected Iamaleava's 9-yard scoring walk to Anthony Frias II with 4:54 remaining successful the crippled connected a thrust that began astatine their 3-yard line.

Nebraska: The Huskers were already vessel eligible and Lateef's cool-headed show paired with Johnson's exploits bolsters their hopes of landing successful a top-tier vessel with 2 games remaining.

UCLA: The Bruins person their toughest agelong up of them, with 3 ranked opponents to adjacent the regular season. They'll sojourn No. 1 Ohio State, big No. 24 Washington and sojourn No. 20 USC.

Nebraska has a bye week earlier visiting Penn State (0-6 Big Ten) connected Nov. 22 successful manager Matt Rhule's instrumentality to his alma mater.

UCLA visits No. 1 Ohio State adjacent Saturday.

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