Instant Takes: USC 28, Nebraska 20
Nebraska Football (5-5, 2-5) falls 28-20 to USC (5-5, 3-5) in Los Angeles, Cali. at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. The Coliseum was taken over by Husker fans.
The Huskers have lost four straight games with their sixth win and bowl eligibility on the line.
NU has two more shots at a bowl game against Wisconsin and Iowa.
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Dana Holgerson’s offense
The addition of offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson had a positive impact on the Huskers’ offense vs. the Trojans. But the transformation was not as total and quick as many hoped.
The Huskers’ offense has lots of work to do, especially in the red zone. NU kicked two field goals of 30-yards or less. Holgerson, QB Dylan Raiola and the offense put together a great drive with the game on the line but fell short again.
This season, NU has been successful on throws over the middle. Holgerson took notice and the Huskers had several nice catches on slant routes. Raiola connected with Jahmal Banks, Isaiah Neyor and Thomas Fidone on the medium-length throws in big moments.
Holgerson emphasized their run game in the second half after the Huskers rushed for 33 yards in the first half. NU recorded 44 rushing yards in their first drive. John Hohl made a 29-yard field goal for the Husker to go up 17-14 after the 64-yard drive. Hohl was 2-for-2 on field goals on Saturday.
Nebraska finished with 119 rushing yards. Emmett Johnson had 55 rushing yards on 10 carries and Dante Dowdell recorded 52 yards on eight rushing attempts. Their rushing attack improved in the second half but wasn’t enough.
Dylan Raiola still fighting through slump
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola looked better against USC than he has in the Huskers’ last few games. However, the true freshman still has improvements to make. He had eight interceptions and two touchdown passes in his last five games.
Raiola did a much better job of getting the ball out of his hands quickly. Over the last three games, it seemed like he was struggling to see the plays develop. The freshman looked improved but he still missed a few open receivers.
The Husker legacy looked more in control overall vs. USC. But there were still a handful of plays he wanted back, including a second-quarter interception and missing a wide-open Banks in the endzone at the end of the third.
The former five-star suffered a back injury against UCLA. But after a bye week, he looked healthy. He was tentative on a few scramble plays, sliding quickly to avoid a chance of contact. Raiola slid short on the 3rd-and-4 in the first quarter.
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With the game and bowl-game qualification on the line, Raiola stayed calm and level-headed in the pocket. NU converted three third downs on its final drive, which was more than during the rest of the entire game.
The QB finished going 27-for-38 and 191 passing yards with one passing touchdown and two interceptions.
Ceyair Wright, defense account for 10 points
Nebraska’s defense forced two turnovers against USC. The Huskers earned 10 points thanks to the Blackshirts.
Former USC cornerback and LA native Ceyair Wright picked off QB Jayden Maiava in the first quarter and returned it for a touchdown. It was the Huskers’ third pick-six of the season.
Wright had two game-changing plays against his former team. The junior blocked a 27-yard field goal toward the start of the fourth quarter. He finished the game with four tackles, one interception and a blocked field goal.
Ty Robinson and Mikai Gbayor came up big for NU in the third quarter. Robinson sacked Maiava and forced a fumble. Gbayor recovered the ball on USC’s 21-yard line. The offense couldn’t get in the endzone but Hohl knocked through a 30-yard field goal to cut the Trojan’s lead to 21-20.
While the Huskers’ defense forced two turnovers, they did not play up to their high standard. USC recorded 441 total offensive yards with 259 passing yards. Woody Marks rushed for 146 of the Trojans’ 182 rushing yards. Marks averaged 7.7 yards per carry and had the first 100-yard game vs. the Blackshirts this season.
