It's hard to imagine a better first career start for Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef. He got to do it in front of a home crowd. He got to do it to give the Huskers their seventh win of the season, and he had a near-perfect outing, hurting UCLA with his arm and his feet. And then after the game, NU fans let the true freshman QB know how much his outing was appreciated.
There was a ton of pressure on Lateef leading up to Saturday night's game. He was taking over for Dylan Raiola, who had started every game of his Husker career. And the coaches, his teammates, and even a former Heisman winner knew that the young quarterback might be feeling the pressure.
Freshman Nebraska football quarterback TJ Lateef gets fans chanting his name
After the game, as the Huskers jogged off the field the 28-21 victors over the Bruins, some fans cheered Lateef's name. During his meeting with the media following Saturday night's contest, he was asked if he heard the chants and what it meant to him if he did.
"Yeah, I mean at the end of the game? I heard that," the Nebraska quarterback said. "It was a blessing, it was cool man."
"I mean, just the support," Lateef added with a big smile on his face. "Not just on the team but the whole Nebraska fanbase, like I mean that's crazy. I couldn't ask for nothing better."
TJ Lateef finished his very first Nebraska football start, completing 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards, 3 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also carried the ball 5 times for 31 yards, and he wasn't sacked once.