Cornhuskers’ ground game mashes UCLA to pulp in Foster Farms Bowl

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Josh Rosen, legs churning frantically, scrambled to his right, where he found a wall of Nebraska defenders. He pivoted and ran toward UCLA’s sideline, as Nebraska’s Michael Rose-Ivey closed in.

It was fourth down, late, and if UCLA was to have a chance to pull out a win in the Foster Farms Bowl on Saturday night despite Nebraska’s physical dominance, it was here. Rosen squared his shoulders and hurled the ball, just as he was crushed by Rose-Ivey.

“I threw up a desperation play, trying to make something happen,” Rosen said.

Nebraska’s Chris Jones intercepted the pass in the end zone.

Nebraska celebrated what would become a 37-29 victory. Rosen curled up on the sideline. Backup quarterback Jerry Neuheisel was needed to lift Rosen up, and help him from falling again to the Levi’s Stadium turf.

Rosen was one of many UCLA players in pain after the game. Nebraska had bruised and bullied the Bruins, ending the worst season for UCLA (8-5) since coach Jim Mora’s first season, in 2012.

The Cornhuskers’ recipe was simple. They were going to run the ball and dare UCLA’s injury-riddled front to stop them.

Nebraska ran for 326 yards, becoming the fifth opponent to eclipse 200 yards rushing against UCLA. The Bruins ran for just 67 yards.

“We need to get bigger, obviously,” Mora said. “We need to get stronger, obviously.”

Its touchdown drives were methodical, boring and unstoppable. In the first half: 75 yards, 12 plays, two passes; 75 yards, four plays, one pass; 73 yards, eight plays, one pass.

The first drive of the second half at least offered some variation. The touchdown came when Stanley Morgan Jr. made a one-handed touchdown catch. It was Nebraska’s only passing touchdown. And it was just the second pass of the drive.

The Cornhuskers ran 62 times and passed 19. No rusher ran for more than 100 yards. But six had at least 20, led by Devine Ozigbo, who had 87, and Armstrong, who ran for 76.

“When you can do that, life goes better everywhere,” Nebraska coach Mike Riley said of the running game.

One minute into the fourth quarter, after Armstrong took a read-option on third down for a touchdown, Nebraska had scored 30 unanswered points. UCLA trailed 37-21.

As effective as Nebraska’s ground attack was, UCLA’s was just as toothless. The Bruins had six healthy offensive linemen. Before the game, it lost two starting guards, one to early entry in the NFL draft, and another to injury. The Bruins started walk-on Cristian Garcia at guard. Caleb Benenoch, typically the right tackle, also shifted to guard.

Paul Perkins rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown. The next closest back, Nate Starks, ran twice for 6 yards.

The game, then, rested with the freshman, Rosen.

The last game he had played, Rosen had turned the ball over three times in a loss to USC.

On the day after the USC loss, according to Mora, Rosen showed up to Mora’s house unannounced, and the two sat together on the couch.

“Well be all right,” Rosen said, according to Mora.

Rosen showed command of the offense early. He completed his first five passes, including a convincing play-action fake and pass to Thomas Duarte that set up 1-yard touchdown run by Paul Perkins.

In the second quarter, Rosen hit Kenneth Walker III, 45 yards down field on a pass that fell from the sky like a raindrop. Walker didn’t have to slow down. He cruised 15 more yards for a 60-yard touchdown catch.

On the next UCLA drive, from Nebraska’s 26-yard line, Rosen waited and waited until running back Nate Starks could find a pocket for a swing pass. Only once Starks had found a chasm in the Cornhuskers’ zone did Rosen throw it. Starks turned, split two defenders and scampered into the end zone.

The early scores had put UCLA ahead 21-7. Rosen would finish with 319 yards and three touchdowns, to two interceptions.

But Rosen barely held the ball as Nebraska began its punishing rushing campaign. The Cornhuskers held the ball for more than 38 minutes of the game.

UCLA clung to life. Early in the fourth quarter, Rosen led UCLA to a quick score on a 9-yard pass to Jordan Payton. The two-point conversion drew UCLA within eight.

On the next drive, Rosen led UCLA into Nebraska territory. But, facing the fourth down, UCLA’s makeshift offensive line could not hold.

Nebraska regained possession, and ran out the clock. It was Nebraska’s 12th possession, and the 11th one it had rushed more often than it passes.

On the one possession Nebraska’s passes outnumbered its runs, the Cornhuskers went three-and-out.