Nebraska-UCLA Preview with Zaid Qureshi, Host of the Bruin Source Podcast

T.J. Birkel

After back-to-back road losses against two of the Big Ten’s best teams, the Huskers return home Saturday to face UCLA. The Bruins will come into Lincoln at 2-5, having struggled under first year head coach DeShaun Foster. Most betting lines currently have Nebraska favored by between 6 and 7 points. 

I talked to Zaid Qureshi, host of the Bruin Source Podcast, to get the UCLA perspective on the upcoming game. 

Interview with Zaid Qureshi, Host of the Bruin Source Podcast

It’s DeShaun Foster’s first year at UCLA and first time ever as a head coach. The Bruins started off with a bear of a schedule that included Indiana, LSU, Oregon, and Penn State. After a close loss to Minnesota and a win over Rutgers, they seem to have found a groove. What are the vibes like around the fan base right now? What are the expectations for the remainder of the season?  

Vibes are better after Rutgers, but I think the fanbase overall is pretty jaded. It would take a couple of wins strung together to really start getting some more positive feeling around Bruin Nation. Expectations are still pretty low. If by some miracle we scrape together 5 wins (with one over Southern Cal), I think it would go a long way with the fanbase. 

UCLA has struggled to run the ball but they’ve had more success through the air. This week, Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White praised quarterback Ethan Garbers’ abilities. How good has Garbers been?

Garbers has had an up and down season. When he’s settled in and has some time, he can be a very good QB. However, if you speed him up and hit him a few times, he’s prone to making mistakes. The key for Ethan is to get the ball out quickly and make sure the playcalling supports that. I’d expect Tony White (a Bruin btw!) to pressure him and see how he handles it, especially with our bad OL. 

The win over Rutgers may have surprised some people around the Big Ten. What was the key to that win? 

Eric Bienemy finally called a game on offense that actually…

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