3 crucial keys to victory as Nebraska football faces the UCLA Bruins

I don't care what anyone says. This Saturday against 2-5 UCLA is the biggest game of the year for Nebraska football. With a win, the Huskers would get that coveted sixth win and become bowl-eligible for the first time in eight seasons.

Will Nebraska do it? It all depends on these three keys.

Nebraska football needs to play with fire

You won't find this on the stat sheet when Saturday's game is all said and done. But you'll be able to tell pretty quick if Nebraska comes out more like they did against Colorado than Indiana. It's not likely that the crowd will be as juiced up, but they should with everything on the line.

How could they not come out focused?! You've said it. I've said it. As fans, it's hard to remember than 18-25 year-old athletes aren't machines. Emotions affect play and, as we saw at Indiana, somehow an entire team can have the same ethos at gametime!

Nebraska was able to do in Columbus what they didn't do in Bloomington: withstand the first 7-8 minutes of the first quarter. When you play on the road against better teams, it's important to make the game boring, take the crowd out of it. In the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium? I think it's critical for Nebraska to jump on UCLA early and crush their spirit.

Nebraska football needs to let their freshman QB sling it

We've talked about Nebraska's offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield ad naseum. The "run the damn ball" crowd is rising up. But the issue isn't that Nebraska is throwing too much: they average 35 rushes and 33 passes per game. Basically a 50:50 split that I expected from Satterfield's offense.

I think Satterfield has some significant areas to improve if he returns next year. One area is that he often fails to attack the weakness of the defense Nebraska's facing. Early in the year, Nebraska did this. Lately, not so much.

UCLA is not the game to try to show Husker Nation you will run the ball at all costs. The Bruins are 11th in the country in rushing defense, giving up just 98 yards per game. Now, if Nebraska breaks out in the running game, great. I won't complain.

But this might be the game to really let Dylan Raiola sling it around the yard. Why? UCLA is 113th in the nation in passing yards allowed. They are the seventh worst in opponents' completion percentage, allowing a 69% completion rate.

This doesn't mean young Dylan needs to throw it 40 times. He'll probably be between 25-32 attempts. It means Satterfield must call downfield routes. Two, maybe three screens--tops! Get your big receivers downfield and in space and let them run wild. Attack UCLA's weakness.

Nebraska football needs to make UCLA beat them through the air

On the other side of the coin, the Blackshirts need to shut down the UCLA run game and make the Bruins beat them through the air. UCLA is dead last in the country in rushing offense at just 64.6 yards per game. If UCLA gets things rolling on the ground, watch it. It could be a tense day for the Blackshirts.

The key will be for Tony White to not get too exotic like he admitted to doing against the Hoosiers. Keep it simple. Let your defensive line eat. Trust your defensive backs to make plays. Once UCLA abandons their running game--and I think they will--you can tee off on UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers.

Nebraska has been elite against average offenses this year. UCLA is far below average. I expect the Blackshirts to have a big day.

Get ready to make your bowl plans, Nebraska football fans

By Saturday, it will have been 2,864 days since Nebraska played in a bowl game. And this team needs six measly wins more than ever. For morale. For recruiting. For national exposure. For the extra practices for goodness' sake.

To prove "the process" isn't an empty slogan, but a tangible reality that achieves results. To instill belief and a shot of pride in a fanbase that has given everything to this team and been left at the alter time and time again.

To remind this entire state that, no, football doesn't end at Black Friday. There's more to come.

A bowl game isn't the ultimate hope. But it's the necessary first step to getting the Nebraska football program back on track to relevance.

Saturday is the day. Wait no longer, Husker Nation.

Nebraska 24 UCLA 13