It's Official: Foster Farms Bowl: NU v UCLA, Dec. 26

[Saunders]

I'm currently blessed with living in the Bay Area. I've flown the aerial coverage for games at Levi's. It's a nice venue, but not very well protected from the elements. After sunset it's been pretty chili the last few weeks, although I suppose that is relative. The last 7 years here have made me soft. I'm supposing most fans will be local in nature, but if you are making the trip don't expect it to be very warm. I'm trying to make arrangements to go to my first bowl game! Although I'm not stoked about our record, this is a great chance for me to take my CA born son to a Husker game so I'm stoked. I'm doing my best to raise a new husker fan in California.

how chili is chili?

Mid 40's to mid 50's after sunset, but it feels a lot colder due to the moisture in the air.Edit: reading that back I hear my dad's voice in my head "Oh bite me! It's 19 degrees here!"

I had a friend who lived in the Bay Area and she said SF cold is a weird damp cold-you don't get warmed up for a long time.

I've had plenty of friends and family spend time in that area, none of them ever said that it was particularly cold. Never said it was colder than winter in the Midwest.

I've lived here for seven years. We can tell when people are visiting, because they are the only ones walking around shivering in shorts, flip flops, and a hooded sweatshirt that says "San Francisco".

Santa Clara, where Levi's is actually located is 45-60 minutes south and is generally a few degrees warmer, but I guess defer to your friends and family who are the experts.

Well duh....

 

[MichiganDad3]

I think this game is just like nearly every Husker game this year. Two or less turnovers and we win. If the Huskers throw the ball less than 30 times we win. Our D should be the healthiest its been all year. We have at least a 50% chance of winning.

 

[Mavric]

4.29: Yards per carry allowed by UCLA’s defense, which ranks 70th nationally. In conference games, it was worse — 4.46 yards per carry. Again, Nebraska will have an opportunity to prove it wants to run the ball. The Bruins have one of the best pass defenses in the nation, in a league that knows how to pass the ball. NU needs to run the ball.

OWH

 

[Mavric]

Huskers getting $2M from the B1G for travel expenses for the team, band and associated personnel.

Each school gets a bowl allowance. The B1G allowances range from $1.2M to $2.5M.

 

[Red_October]

There is now way it could be worse than this

Fralnklin American Mortgage Music City Bow

 

[GBRedneck]

4.29: Yards per carry allowed by UCLA’s defense, which ranks 70th nationally. In conference games, it was worse — 4.46 yards per carry. Again, Nebraska will have an opportunity to prove it wants to run the ball. The Bruins have one of the best pass defenses in the nation, in a league that knows how to pass the ball. NU needs to run the ball.

OWH

That's funny!

 

[Red_October]

4.29: Yards per carry allowed by UCLA’s defense, which ranks 70th nationally. In conference games, it was worse — 4.46 yards per carry. Again, Nebraska will have an opportunity to prove it wants to run the ball. The Bruins have one of the best pass defenses in the nation, in a league that knows how to pass the ball. NU needs to run the ball.

OWH

He still has a game, cant say much more, has to ride the horse that brought him there

 

[Mavric]

Moved the Semantics of the Word "Blowout" discussion elsewhere.

But that Foster Farms Bowl, huh?

 

[cm husker]

How's UCLA on the injury front? Both of their best defenders were done for season right? Are they getting anyone back for the bowl game?

 

[commando]

How's UCLA on the injury front? Both of their best defenders were done for season right? Are they getting anyone back for the bowl game?

i went to their forum to try to find out. you wouldn't know they have a bowl game judging from there. all the talk is about USC and sark. the kids that are transferring out from UCLA. and some sort of controversy about their season long pick-em contest. nothing about the bowl game on their first page in the forum.

 

[Bruin Steve]

How's UCLA on the injury front? Both of their best defenders were done for season right? Are they getting anyone back for the bowl game?

i went to their forum to try to find out. you wouldn't know they have a bowl game judging from there. all the talk is about USC and sark. the kids that are transferring out from UCLA. and some sort of controversy about their season long pick-em contest. nothing about the bowl game on their first page in the forum.

I am assuming from the description that the UCLA forum you went to was "BruinZone"? There are actually several active UCLA message boards. BruinZone usually gets a lot more discussion on their basketball side than football. The one with the most bowl-related discussion is the Premium board of BRO (BruinReportOnline) on scout.com. Unfortunately for you, that board is a members-only forum. On the whole, after lurking here for awhile, I'd say there really isn't any more discussion here than there is on UCLA forums. Maybe it's that the bowl isn't all that exciting a matchup for many, but, IMHO, it's all a byproduct of what has happened in college football of late. Bowls used to mean a lot more. Now there are 40 of them...and they are all irrelevant due to the playoff format.

That said, I'll try to answer the original question. In the first couple of games of the season, UCLA lost its best D-Lineman, Eddie Vanderdoes, its best D-back, CB Justin Moreau and its best Linebacker, Myles Jack. All three are done for the season. Myles Jack, BTW, is not just a loss of a linebacker...Jack, as a freshman, was the Pac12 Defensive Freshman of the Year AND the Pac12 Offensive Freshman of the Year...played starting middle linebacker AND was the tailback in short yardage situations. Pretty much a freak of an athlete. Vanderdoes also played two ways--as the fullback in goal line situations. Jack has now withdrawn from school to get ready for the NFL draft.

The loss of Vanderdoes and Jack has shown mostly in the four losses with the Bruins' greatest defensive liability being stopping the run. Of course, the teams we've lost to have all had viable passing offenses, so that limits selling out to stop the run. OTOH, the guys who have had to step in for the injured players have really stepped it up and have had some dynamite games. Aaron Wallace, who replaces Jack, ended up as one of the leading tacklers on the team. The secondary had little issue in replacing Moreau as there were actually five returning starters (one CB had started prior to last year, then sat out last year injured...and one was suspended the first couple of games then returned just as Moreau went out.

But, overall, what you will see on defense is the same defense that has played virtually the entire year.

 

[lo country]

How's UCLA on the injury front? Both of their best defenders were done for season right? Are they getting anyone back for the bowl game?

i went to their forum to try to find out. you wouldn't know they have a bowl game judging from there. all the talk is about USC and sark. the kids that are transferring out from UCLA. and some sort of controversy about their season long pick-em contest. nothing about the bowl game on their first page in the forum.

I am assuming from the description that the UCLA forum you went to was "BruinZone"? There are actually several active UCLA message boards. BruinZone usually gets a lot more discussion on their basketball side than football. The one with the most bowl-related discussion is BRO (BruinReportOnline) on scout.com. Unfortunately for you, that board is a members-only forum. On the whole, after lurking here for awhile, I'd say there really isn't any more discussion here than there is on UCLA forums. Maybe it's that the bowl isn't all that exciting a matchup for many, but, IMHO, it's all a byproduct of what has happened in college football of late. Bowls used to mean a lot more. Now there are 40 of them...and they are all irrelevant due to the playoff format.

That said, I'll try to answer the original question. In the first couple of games of the season, UCLA lost its best D-Lineman, Eddie Vanderdoes, its best D-back, CB Justin Moreau and its best Linebacker, Myles Jack. All three are done for the season. Myles Jack, BTW, is not just a loss of a linebacker...Jack, as a freshman, was the Pac12 Defenseive Freshman of the Year AND the Pac12 Offensive Freshman of the Year...played starting middle linebacker AND was the tailback in short yardage situations. Pretty much a freak of an athlete. Vanderdoes also played two ways--as the fullback in goal line situations. Jack has now withdrawn from school to get ready for the NFL draft.

The loss of Vanderdoes and Jack has shown mostly in the four losses with the Bruins' greatest defensive liability being stopping the run. Of course, the teams we've lost to have all had viable passing offenses, so that limits selling out to stop the run. OTOH, the guys who have had to step in for the injured players have really stepped it up and have had some dynamite games. Aaron Wallace, who replaces Jack, ended up as one of the leading tacklers on the team. The secondary had little issue in replacing Moreau as there were actually five returning starters (one CB had started prior to last year, then sat out last year injured...and one was suspended the first couple of games then returned just as Moreau went out.

But, overall, what you will see on defense is the same defense that has played virtually the entire year.

Saw on ESPN the morning that some NFL teams are gauging Mora's desire to coach again in the NFL. Think this will hurt y'alls preparations at all?

Are bruin fans excited for the match up?

Last question, what were Bruin's fans thoughts when we hired Riley?

Welcome to the board. Nice to have another fans thoughts and views.

 

[cm husker]

Thank you, Bruin Steve.

 

[Bruin Steve]

Saw on ESPN the morning that some NFL teams are gauging Mora's desire to coach again in the NFL. Think this will hurt y'alls preparations at all?

Are bruin fans excited for the match up?

Last question, what were Bruin's fans thoughts when we hired Riley?

Welcome to the board. Nice to have another fans thoughts and views.

Mora is NOT going back to the NFL. Everyone here knows that, including the team, the coaching staff, the administration...so, it really has no effect at all on bowl preparations. Mora was born in Los Angeles--when his father was an assistant coach here at UCLA. His parents live in the area--in Palm Springs (his dad sits in front of me at the Rose Bowl). Most importantly, his wife won't leave Manhattan Beach...

To be honest, I'm sure that not all Bruin fans are excited about the match-up...It's a no-win situation: You win and everyone says "big deal--you beat a 5-7 team", you lose and it's "OMG, you guys lost to a 5-7 team"...We'd rather be playing another team with a 8-4 or 9-3 record. OTOH, Nebraska is still a big name program from a major conference. For ME, I'm happy...but for me, it's a little more personal. My wife was born and raised in Kearney, Nebraska...My late father-in-law was a big time Husker fan. I am not sure how bowl tickets are selling, but I am sure we should have a good turnout--there are a LOT of UCLA alums in the Bay Area...and for a lot of us, it's a short one-hour plane trip or a 5 hour drive. We'll be driving up since we'll spend a couple of nights in Santa Clara and one daughter--who lives in San Francisco will join us, then, Sunday morning, we'll head up to my brother and sister-in-law who live in Mill Valley, then over to Sacramento to visit our other daughter...

I think what most Bruins are excited about is seeing this team play one more game this year in anticipation of next season--when most of these guys will be returning (our greatest fear right now is that a few of our juniors may decide to declare for the NFL draft).

As to Mike Riley, there's always been a mixed feeling about him here. A few years back, when Karl Dorrell was hired to be the head coach, Riley was the "other finalist". IIRC, most here weren't really excited about either choice. But Riley was looked upon as a guy who always seemed to do a lot with what little talent he was able to attract to Corvallis. But, OTOH, though he won a few big games, he was never a consistent winner...he seemed to be the king of the "trap game"--where he caught some team right between a big win and a big upcoming opponent the next week. Lifetime, he's a slightly better than .500 coach--if you take away the gimmies he had every year against the likes of the Eastern Washingtons and Portland States, he's basically a .500 college coach. (Oops...he LOST to Eastern Washington in 2113, so maybe not that much a gimmie). He's 3-7 vs. the Bruins. His last season at OSU, he was 5-7, but only 2-7 in the Pac12...and ended the season with losses of 37-13 to UW and 47-19 to Oregon...

...so, yeah, I was really a bit surprised to see Nebraska hire him...

Forever, it seemed Nebraska always made an "inside" hire--someone connected to the program. If they were going to step out of that, I would have thought they would go with a proven winner or with a hot young coach at a lesser program...not a 60+ year old .500 coach. OTOH, everyone who knows him thinks he's a great guy and a knowledable coach

 

[Mavric]

Well ... this is ONE possible explanation...