The Nebraska Cornhuskers face the UCLA Bruins in the Foster Farms Bowl Saturday in a matchup of two top-tier programs. The Cornhuskers had a down season with a 5-7 record but had some signature wins, including handing Big Ten Champions Michigan State their only loss of the season. The Bruins also had a disappointing season, as UCLA was projected to be one of the top teams in the Pac-12 this year but finished in third place in the Pac-12 South division with an 8-4 record.
Head coach Jim Mora will want to end the season on a high note, and with a win over Nebraska, he would earn his third bowl win in four seasons as the Bruins head coach. Mora will look to freshman quarterback Josh Rosen to continue to play well, as the Bruins quarterback has thrown for 3,351 yards with 20 touchdowns to nine interceptions.
Bruins running back Paul Perkins leads the team with 1,275 yards and is arguably one of the best running backs in all of college football. The junior running back has yet to declare for the 2016 NFL draft, and his focus is on performing in the Foster Farms Bowl on Saturday. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back is averaging 5.7 yards per carry and is a dual threat out of the backfield, as he has 27 receptions for 234 yards. Mora will look to get Perkins plenty of touches early, as he can control the pace of the Bruins offense.
The Cornhuskers have lost a ton of close games this year, including three losses to conference opponents by five points. First year head coach Mike Riley will look to prove that his team is better than their record, and he will need junior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. to step up against the Bruins defense.
Armstrong has thrown for 2,856 yards this season, but he has struggled with turnovers throwing 21 touchdowns to 16 interceptions. The Cornhuskers quarterback is a dual threat behind center and has over 300 yards with his feet and scored six touchdowns. Nebraska can dominate with their ground game, and Riley will look to feed the hot hand on Saturday.
Running backs Terrell Newby and Imani Cross lead the Cornhuskers backfield and will look to establish a strong ground game in the Foster Farms Bowl. Newby leads the team with 743 yards and has scored five touchdowns. The Cornhuskers junior running back struggled in the regular season finale, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry on nine attempts. Cross has also scored five touchdowns for Nebraska's offense, and he is coming off a season-high two touchdown performance in a loss against Iowa.
It's a matchup of two of college football's top programs who are both looking to prove they are better than their records. The game starts at 9:15 p.m. Eastern time, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Bruins' radio broadcast, click here, and for the Cornhuskers' radio broadcast, go here.
