Evan Bland joins the Common Fans to discuss the loss to USC, Dylan Raiola’s injury, and the upcoming game against UCLA. 

On the atmosphere on Saturday night: 

• The blackout at Memorial Stadium was next level. It was an incredibly impressive effort from the fan base. 
• The blackout was particularly beneficial for the big recruiting guest list that was on hand. 

On the game against USC: 

• Nebraska played about as well as they could for nearly two and a half quarters.
• This wasn’t Minnesota–Nebraska showed up ready, they had a good plan, and they played well for large chunks of the game. 
• Defense did everything you could have asked them to do. 
• Additionally, the Huskers probably win without Dylan Raiola getting hurt. 
• But this one was unique, in the sense that it involved some bad luck as well. 
• In the end, they fell short of an opportunity to make a statement on a national stage. 

On the two third quarter timeouts:

• On the 4th and 1 play, Nebraska was going to go for it, and ultimately changed their mind. 
• On the other timeout–it’s still unclear why Matt Rhule used the timeout in that moment. 
• Huskers playing too fast and loose with their timeouts. 

On Dylan Raiola’s injury: 

• Recovery time according to Rhule is 8-12 weeks. 
• He may miss some winter conditioning, but the expectation is that he will be ready for spring ball. 
• Raiola still expected to be a leader for this team: mentoring TJ Lateef, sitting in on game planning meetings, and generally supporting the team. 

On bouncing back from the USC loss and the importance of the remainder of the season: 

• Players and coaches talked this week about how anxious they are to get back out there. Like a closer in baseball who blows a save, the Huskers are ready to get the bad taste out of their mouth and try to get back in the W column.
• Year three still needs to be about upward momentum. Even with the loss of Raiola, and even if it’s not a traditional “Year 3 leap” for Matt Rhule, progress is important. 
• The next step for Nebraska is to be a team that can finish strong. 
• What record would constitute success for this Nebraska team? They need at least one more win, preferably two. 

Looking ahead to UCLA:

• You normally don’t see a team fire its coach, pivot to an interim coach, and then have the kind of resurgence the Bruins have had. 
• Interim head coach Tim Skipper and interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel have been bright spots. 
• Quarterback Nico Iamaleava can be expected to run the ball as much as any quarterback Nebraska has seen. 
• UCLA does have some talent, although Nebraska has been the more explosive offense of the two. 
• Expect the Huskers to have heavy doses of Emmett Johnson, as well as some designed keepers for Lateef. 

This and so much more on the latest episode of the Common Fan Podcast! As always, GBR for LIFE! 

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