Postgame Quotes – Nebraska 28, UCLA 21
POSTGAME QUOTES
Nebraska 28, UCLA 21
Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl)
November 8, 2025
UCLA interim head coach Tim Skipper
on the defense
“Most of our game plan was to stop 21 (Emmett Johnson), he’s a special, special player. We talked about it with the media on Monday, that was most of our game plan, limiting him. They did a good job of game planning him in the pass game. He caught a screen and made an explosive play off of that. I think he is a very special talent. Nationally, they should be talking about him a lot more. And then for their quarterback to come out here, first start, and almost was perfect. You tip your hat to that kid. He’s coming home and playing in front of his family and things like that. They did a really good job on defense in the first half for most of the half we had some misfits and things like that. Then, when we did fit, they were still moving us backward. I thought we got better in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough, we just didn’t hold up. They kept running the rock. But if you look at the stats its dead even, even time of possession in 30-30. It’s kind of crazy when you read it because it didn’t feel that way when we were out there. Our guys fought. I’m proud of our guys. We kept fighting, there was no quit out there, we just came up a little bit short.”
on protecting UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava
“I think he likes to be in the contact. I thought he did a really good job extending plays for us. He was a true dual-threat tonight. You hope your running backs are the leading rushers, but he was the leading rusher for us tonight. He is just going to keep making his plays. He is going to do what he does. I thought he played four quarters of ball. Hoping to get the ball back for our guys and see if we can punch it in. We were starting to get some momentum but we didn’t get the stop at the end.”
on someone else providing a spark in the run game
“Football is a team game, I mean it really is. If you are going to run the ball you need the o-line, the tight ends, the running backs, the receivers, everybody. It’s always going to be a team game no matter what. We need everybody. We also need the defense to get stops, and that gets us more opportunities. We just need everybody, that’s the only way you are going to win in football. There’s no one-on-one and all that stuff. We have 11 guys working together being one heartbeat, and that’s how you are successful. We will continue to keep working that.”
on the 4th-and-1 in the first half
“On the fourth and one I thought we had it, and Nico pulled it because he thought he had the pull read. But when you watch it on the iPad if we just hand it we have it pretty easy. I don’t regret the decision or anything like that. We are going to be very aggressive on the short yardage plays like that. We got the fake punt later in the game and things like that. Every play matters, every possession matters, every game matters and unfortunately we didn’t get it there.”
on trying to contain Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef
“When you have #21 and he’s going and you have to sell out for him, it makes things easier for him (TJ Lateef). It’s like all games, if you can run the ball on offense, it makes the game a lot easier. Their ability to run settled their whole offense down. They had some play action, some boots, they were getting guys on crossers wide open, then they started running some mesh, and they got guys open on that. They did a good job, it’s what it is. It’s a chess match. We started to figure it out a little bit in the second half, just ran out of time.”
on the scramble plays for Nico Iamaleava
“I’ll say this. They were rushing four a lot and were dropping a lot of guys in our pass game. They didn’t have a spy on Nico a lot so he was able to tuck it and go. Some of the other games they’ve had spies, so we had to throw the ball and things like that. If he has running lanes, he definitely has the leeway to go get it. That’s why he was so successful a lot of times when he got out of there. We have to take what they give us. They do a good job. They are a man team, and do a good job, and by doing that, it’s going to free up some passing lanes for the passer when they only rush four. He has the green light to do that, and it’s successful for us, it works. We are going to use his legs all the time.”
on the up and downs of the season
“The sun is going to rise tomorrow. We’re not in quit mode or anything like that. The sun is going to rise, and we are going to get back to work. We are going to watch this film and get better from it. Then we are going to have Monday and Tuesday, and we are going to get after it. We are going to fly over to Ohio and go play ball. That’s what we are going to do.”
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava
on the fourth down attempt in the first half
“They sent the corner crash, and he mesh charged it, and at that point it was the best play to do. I should have just gave him in and let my running backs get that one yard. That one’s on me. I’ve got to play better in that aspect.”
on getting hit so many times
“I’ve played football a long time. I’ve gotten hit a lot of times in many games. I don’t think it affected me in that way. Overall, we’ve just got to play better as a whole and finish games.”
on rewatching the 4th-and-1 play
“I was just seeing how far away the corner was from the mesh charge. And after that, you can’t think about it for too long. You’ve got to move on to the next drive.”
on how close it felt after regaining momentum in the second half
“It felt close. I thought if we got one more stop we were going to go back down and score and go for two and try to win the game.”
on Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef
“TJ’s my guy. He’s from back over here from the city. We hang out a lot, him and my little brother (Madden). We hang out off the field. So it was good seeing him shine. I kind of didn’t want to see him shine tonight, but he did a great job going into his first start.”
on what he saw from Nebraska’s defense in the second half
“I thought we were seeing everything well. It was just finishing drives. I think that fourth and one kind of hurt our momentum that we were building. You have that fourth and one and we go back out and we miss a field goal. We should have gotten closer for Mateen. It was just those certain drives we can’t have if we want to win close games.”
UCLA linebacker Jalen Woods
on what made Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson so tough to stop
“I would just say he did a very good job of pressing the gaps and bouncing outside. We’ve just got to make sure we have the edge of the defense on both sides and being able to make tackles is key.”
on what changed in the second half, when defense started getting stops
“I just feel like we got aggressive, both on the line of scrimmage and the corners – everybody on defense. We were just getting more aggressive and getting a lot of hats to the ball, so even if the first guy missed a tackle, somebody’s right there. I feel like we did a better job in the second half of everybody running to the ball.”
on if it was frustrating having first-half lapses
“Yeah, kudos to Nebraska. They got off to a hot start. I would just say, preventing that, we’ve just got to be on our keys in the beginning of the game, not so towards the end where we’re going against the time. It’s just key to get a good start on defense and offense to be able to win.”
on goal going into final three games
“We’ve got three more games left, so every game we’re playing like it’s our last. Everyone’s giving 100% effort and no one’s quitting on the team or nothing like that. Just be able to finish these three games out and show that we put our best foot forward.”
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule
on how they built around TJ Lateef’s strength ahead of the game
“You know, obviously, there were a couple of zone read type plays that were in the game plan, but not a ton. I think that that where you saw that impact was in the first play of the game was his own read. So a team like UCLA that wants to come out and play man, what people have doing against us is playing a lot of man and against us is playing a lot of man and pressuring the quarterback. There’s not a man typically for the quarterback, right? And so I thought early on, when we did a couple of those plays that forced them to play more quarters, and that we were able to just run the football, and it allowed us to, you know, we knew that when we dropped back to throw it, there might be times where he did run and that would be a weapon. And so we didn’t change anything really. We kind of just took the place we thought would work versus UCLA, and also that we think he does really well and let him rip. And, you know, there wasn’t a time where I thought he was not on time or trying to do too much. I mean, we kept calling play action passes and he was checking to the run and, I mean, just something really mature of a young player.”
on Lateef and offense’s response to a long time between scoring a touchdown on the first drive of the game to their next possession.
“I think, you know, the other thing, it does speak to his maturity and I it was the guy, like, if you’re coming out of the locker room, you know, we haven’t scored a lot of touchdowns coming out of the break, you know, you guys would know better than any of us, maybe we’ve done that before. We’ve had a kickoff return, but I mean coming out on offense and driving the field and, man, like I walked out with those guys in Isaiah and Jacory were screaming like, ‘We get to play offense! We get to play another drive!’ They were just excited to play and so even, you know, to start the game off that third and one where he [Lateef] pulls the ball, and Jacory makes an amazing catch, and I think everyone was kind of, everyone was kind of ready to do their part. Our whole message this week was to be great teammates, and not saying you care for somebody. Everyone can say they care for someone, but doing a little extra, and I thought the guys all did a little extra, and that allowed TJ just to go out there and play.
on Emmett Johnson’s 235 all-purpose yard and 3 touchdown performance
“Yeah, well, I mean, he was, he was great. He's been consistently great even, you know, even the foresight he had on the second to last run to get down, you know, we'd like to get the first down, but he didn't want to get knocked out of bounds, and so it's just, I mean, he's literally calling up the situation before I can even do it. I mean, he's just so mature. And it's you know, the screen just a great block by Isaiah, two greats blocks maybe Rocco and maybe Henry or Justin, I can't remember who, just sprinting down the field. Then the throwback, you know, throwback post was a great call by Dana [Holgerson]. They had designed it, you know, this week, and worked it all week. It was something new that, you know, we felt good about. And, you know, he made the throw, and so, but Emmett’s just an absolute weapon, you know. I mean, I think he's, you know, I see all the scouts coming in now, you know, starting to start a body type him and, I mean, he's a pro, and I'm always going to use these opportunities to talk about things that I think help us in recruiting and all that. But like, we take guys who, like, they don't have the success they want, maybe early, and they just stick to it. It's just such a great message. So now, like, if I'm a freshman or sophomore man, I want more touches, I want more things. Just do what Emmett did. Like, just keep getting better and better and better when your time comes, and Dylan Rogers is a great example, just keep to do it that he did. And so I’m just really proud of those guys and pretty proud of Emmett.”
on how TJ Lateef’s mobility allows Nebraska OC Dana Holgerson to call a greater variety of plays on offense
“Like I said, we call the same plays, you know, it's just a matter of, there were a couple times where, you know, like we called a play action pass shot early on, and they split, they split the thing, and, you know, he ran for yards. I just, you know, on the flip side, we literally were in the huddle and we're like, their whole offense is the quarterback running, you know, I mean, like we were doubling people and bracketing people and playing great coverage, and we got a couple sacks, and we had a couple more that we had them in our hands. But just, you know, college football, you know, the quarterback who could pull it down run makes, makes it really difficult, as long as they can also throw it. And I think that's one thing with TJ. All week I catch. I just kept saying them, hey, three weapons, man, three weapons. You're not a dual threat player, you're a Triple Threat player. You've got, you've got an arm, you've got feet, and you've got a brain. And I think that's really important. It's like, you don't want to just go out there and run around and create havoc. I mean, he made the right checks, right plays. He's really professional. You know, Glenn did a great job. Not just this week, ‘hey, get a guy ready this week.’ It's the whole season, right? And it's, you know, Dylan's [Raiola] mentoring the whole season. What Dylan's done for TJ, and just, you know, embracing him and bringing him in the fold, I think, has allowed TJ and pushed TJ to this point where, I mean, he was more than ready for that moment.”
on if he’s heard from Dylan Raiola since the end of the game
“I haven't checked my phone yet, but I was hearing from him before the game, and, you know, I shot him a text at halftime, so I was like, ‘hey, what's next?’ But I know how excited he will be. I know the guys asked me, ‘Hey, can we grab a ball and bring it back for him?’ So, you know, we love Dylan, we love TJ, we love all the guys, and they're all excited to see them all play well.”
on importance of the eight-minute stretch from final four minutes of first to first four of the second half when they scored on the opening drive of the half
“Yeah, that was really crucial. And, you know, obviously they had that drive going where, you know, we had them backed up, and they had that drive going to get us to get to get down into, you know, field goal range. And so, you know, that was but, but we were able to stop it. So that was great, you know, we all, we believe in middle eight. We believe in a fourth quarter shutout. And we have, we just can't quite get the fourth quarter shutout we want. And so, like, I said, you know, we're like, we're like, some of the streets in Lincoln, like, you know, we're under construction, right? We're still building. We're still building, right, but it's a fun process to be a part of. And I'll just say it again. Like not many teams would have bounced back the way they did. They put their hearts into that game last week, right? And it speaks to them. You know, I'd love to take credit for it, but I mean, there's something even some of them like Ceyair [Wright], Ceyair walked with walked off the field with me on Wednesday, and we he was bringing me back, right? But that's the whole point about being part of a team like we all bring each other back, and then you get to see the guys have those great moments at the end. It's really fun.”
on UCLA setting an attendance record for the season and Nebraska’s fans showing out on the road
“No, it still surprises me. I mean, I'm not surprised. I mean, it's just, it's so impressive. It's so amazing. I think I told you guys about those tickets we had to get this week. I mean, I think a lot of people paying, a lot of our friends coming out here, and people coming out here plan to be here, but it's just so great knowing that when you go on the road, that you're going to have just such a great crowd like that, and just even the ‘Go Big Red’ chants at the end and all that, and, you know, pretty cool to be coaching in the Rose Bowl and be playing in the Rose Bowl and have that fan base and all those things. So, you know, one of the commentators joked with me before the game. He's like, ‘I bet you all the bowl reps are taking notice’, you know, and so, but it's just, it's just the power of what Husker nation is, and we also know what they want, and we're working towards it.
on injury update for starting LB Dasan McCollough who did not play this game
“He's just, he just couldn't go, yeah, just been having some stingers and just battled all week, just couldn't, just couldn't go, just been having some stingers and just battled all week, just couldn’t go. So we left him home and said, ‘Dylan, it’s your show and I bet you when I watch the tape on the way home it’ll be pretty good.”
Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson
on T.J Lateef’s performance and how he handled himself
“I’m proud of him man, super proud of him. Everybody on this team knows it started in practice and he was really focused on the little details. I remember we had a team compete early in the week, and he told coach Rhule the next day, “Can we do team compete again?” That just shows the competitor he is, and that showed on the field tonight. I’m really proud of him, and I’m excited for his future.”
on what his motivation for TJ Lateef was for this game as a leader
“Anytime I get a chance to be the spark for the team is great. I was really excited the first play that he (TJ Lateef) pulled it because the team thought I was going to be getting the ball the whole game. So when he pulled it and ran, I was like okay he’s locked in and I knew that right away.”
on what a win like this can impact going into the bye week
“Coach Rhule just talked about it, but bouncing back from last week was huge. Then going back home with a win is big going into the bye week. We can recover our bodies and get ready for Penn State which is another tough opponent we got next. Going home and watching film, then getting better and getting ready for Penn State.”
on if this was his best all-around game
“Yeah, definitely, I don’t think I went over 100 receiving yards ever since I’ve been here. Just giving credit to God and also TJ for hitting me on those and offensive line protection as well.”
on his wheel route touchdown
“Yeah, I told him before the play that it was a touchdown. I really tried to do my job of selling the run and acting like I was just going to run a flat. Then once I saw the safety go over, I knew TJ was going to hit me right away and he made a great throw.”
Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef
on preparing for this game and coming home to his hometown
“It was great and it was like a culture shock. It was like, whoa, it just hit me. It hit me quick, but that’s what practice is for. I got the opportunity to have a great week of practice, so that’s why it was on display tonight.”
on playing in the rose bowl for his first game
“I was really trying to soak the whole moment up. It was crazy, so I was just trying to soak it in for my first time playing in the Rose Bowl. It was a blessing and I loved it.”
on staying poised in the fourth quarter
“I just had a what’s next mentality. Just breathing and taking it one snap at a time and trying to execute to the best of my ability.”
on the coaches having confidence in him
“It’s a blessing. They got confidence in me. I got confidence in them. That’s how we're going to continue to be great.”
Nebraska 28, UCLA 21
Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl)
November 8, 2025
UCLA interim head coach Tim Skipper
on the defense
“Most of our game plan was to stop 21 (Emmett Johnson), he’s a special, special player. We talked about it with the media on Monday, that was most of our game plan, limiting him. They did a good job of game planning him in the pass game. He caught a screen and made an explosive play off of that. I think he is a very special talent. Nationally, they should be talking about him a lot more. And then for their quarterback to come out here, first start, and almost was perfect. You tip your hat to that kid. He’s coming home and playing in front of his family and things like that. They did a really good job on defense in the first half for most of the half we had some misfits and things like that. Then, when we did fit, they were still moving us backward. I thought we got better in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough, we just didn’t hold up. They kept running the rock. But if you look at the stats its dead even, even time of possession in 30-30. It’s kind of crazy when you read it because it didn’t feel that way when we were out there. Our guys fought. I’m proud of our guys. We kept fighting, there was no quit out there, we just came up a little bit short.”
on protecting UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava
“I think he likes to be in the contact. I thought he did a really good job extending plays for us. He was a true dual-threat tonight. You hope your running backs are the leading rushers, but he was the leading rusher for us tonight. He is just going to keep making his plays. He is going to do what he does. I thought he played four quarters of ball. Hoping to get the ball back for our guys and see if we can punch it in. We were starting to get some momentum but we didn’t get the stop at the end.”
on someone else providing a spark in the run game
“Football is a team game, I mean it really is. If you are going to run the ball you need the o-line, the tight ends, the running backs, the receivers, everybody. It’s always going to be a team game no matter what. We need everybody. We also need the defense to get stops, and that gets us more opportunities. We just need everybody, that’s the only way you are going to win in football. There’s no one-on-one and all that stuff. We have 11 guys working together being one heartbeat, and that’s how you are successful. We will continue to keep working that.”
on the 4th-and-1 in the first half
“On the fourth and one I thought we had it, and Nico pulled it because he thought he had the pull read. But when you watch it on the iPad if we just hand it we have it pretty easy. I don’t regret the decision or anything like that. We are going to be very aggressive on the short yardage plays like that. We got the fake punt later in the game and things like that. Every play matters, every possession matters, every game matters and unfortunately we didn’t get it there.”
on trying to contain Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef
“When you have #21 and he’s going and you have to sell out for him, it makes things easier for him (TJ Lateef). It’s like all games, if you can run the ball on offense, it makes the game a lot easier. Their ability to run settled their whole offense down. They had some play action, some boots, they were getting guys on crossers wide open, then they started running some mesh, and they got guys open on that. They did a good job, it’s what it is. It’s a chess match. We started to figure it out a little bit in the second half, just ran out of time.”
on the scramble plays for Nico Iamaleava
“I’ll say this. They were rushing four a lot and were dropping a lot of guys in our pass game. They didn’t have a spy on Nico a lot so he was able to tuck it and go. Some of the other games they’ve had spies, so we had to throw the ball and things like that. If he has running lanes, he definitely has the leeway to go get it. That’s why he was so successful a lot of times when he got out of there. We have to take what they give us. They do a good job. They are a man team, and do a good job, and by doing that, it’s going to free up some passing lanes for the passer when they only rush four. He has the green light to do that, and it’s successful for us, it works. We are going to use his legs all the time.”
on the up and downs of the season
“The sun is going to rise tomorrow. We’re not in quit mode or anything like that. The sun is going to rise, and we are going to get back to work. We are going to watch this film and get better from it. Then we are going to have Monday and Tuesday, and we are going to get after it. We are going to fly over to Ohio and go play ball. That’s what we are going to do.”
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava
on the fourth down attempt in the first half
“They sent the corner crash, and he mesh charged it, and at that point it was the best play to do. I should have just gave him in and let my running backs get that one yard. That one’s on me. I’ve got to play better in that aspect.”
on getting hit so many times
“I’ve played football a long time. I’ve gotten hit a lot of times in many games. I don’t think it affected me in that way. Overall, we’ve just got to play better as a whole and finish games.”
on rewatching the 4th-and-1 play
“I was just seeing how far away the corner was from the mesh charge. And after that, you can’t think about it for too long. You’ve got to move on to the next drive.”
on how close it felt after regaining momentum in the second half
“It felt close. I thought if we got one more stop we were going to go back down and score and go for two and try to win the game.”
on Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef
“TJ’s my guy. He’s from back over here from the city. We hang out a lot, him and my little brother (Madden). We hang out off the field. So it was good seeing him shine. I kind of didn’t want to see him shine tonight, but he did a great job going into his first start.”
on what he saw from Nebraska’s defense in the second half
“I thought we were seeing everything well. It was just finishing drives. I think that fourth and one kind of hurt our momentum that we were building. You have that fourth and one and we go back out and we miss a field goal. We should have gotten closer for Mateen. It was just those certain drives we can’t have if we want to win close games.”
UCLA linebacker Jalen Woods
on what made Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson so tough to stop
“I would just say he did a very good job of pressing the gaps and bouncing outside. We’ve just got to make sure we have the edge of the defense on both sides and being able to make tackles is key.”
on what changed in the second half, when defense started getting stops
“I just feel like we got aggressive, both on the line of scrimmage and the corners – everybody on defense. We were just getting more aggressive and getting a lot of hats to the ball, so even if the first guy missed a tackle, somebody’s right there. I feel like we did a better job in the second half of everybody running to the ball.”
on if it was frustrating having first-half lapses
“Yeah, kudos to Nebraska. They got off to a hot start. I would just say, preventing that, we’ve just got to be on our keys in the beginning of the game, not so towards the end where we’re going against the time. It’s just key to get a good start on defense and offense to be able to win.”
on goal going into final three games
“We’ve got three more games left, so every game we’re playing like it’s our last. Everyone’s giving 100% effort and no one’s quitting on the team or nothing like that. Just be able to finish these three games out and show that we put our best foot forward.”
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule
on how they built around TJ Lateef’s strength ahead of the game
“You know, obviously, there were a couple of zone read type plays that were in the game plan, but not a ton. I think that that where you saw that impact was in the first play of the game was his own read. So a team like UCLA that wants to come out and play man, what people have doing against us is playing a lot of man and against us is playing a lot of man and pressuring the quarterback. There’s not a man typically for the quarterback, right? And so I thought early on, when we did a couple of those plays that forced them to play more quarters, and that we were able to just run the football, and it allowed us to, you know, we knew that when we dropped back to throw it, there might be times where he did run and that would be a weapon. And so we didn’t change anything really. We kind of just took the place we thought would work versus UCLA, and also that we think he does really well and let him rip. And, you know, there wasn’t a time where I thought he was not on time or trying to do too much. I mean, we kept calling play action passes and he was checking to the run and, I mean, just something really mature of a young player.”
on Lateef and offense’s response to a long time between scoring a touchdown on the first drive of the game to their next possession.
“I think, you know, the other thing, it does speak to his maturity and I it was the guy, like, if you’re coming out of the locker room, you know, we haven’t scored a lot of touchdowns coming out of the break, you know, you guys would know better than any of us, maybe we’ve done that before. We’ve had a kickoff return, but I mean coming out on offense and driving the field and, man, like I walked out with those guys in Isaiah and Jacory were screaming like, ‘We get to play offense! We get to play another drive!’ They were just excited to play and so even, you know, to start the game off that third and one where he [Lateef] pulls the ball, and Jacory makes an amazing catch, and I think everyone was kind of, everyone was kind of ready to do their part. Our whole message this week was to be great teammates, and not saying you care for somebody. Everyone can say they care for someone, but doing a little extra, and I thought the guys all did a little extra, and that allowed TJ just to go out there and play.
on Emmett Johnson’s 235 all-purpose yard and 3 touchdown performance
“Yeah, well, I mean, he was, he was great. He's been consistently great even, you know, even the foresight he had on the second to last run to get down, you know, we'd like to get the first down, but he didn't want to get knocked out of bounds, and so it's just, I mean, he's literally calling up the situation before I can even do it. I mean, he's just so mature. And it's you know, the screen just a great block by Isaiah, two greats blocks maybe Rocco and maybe Henry or Justin, I can't remember who, just sprinting down the field. Then the throwback, you know, throwback post was a great call by Dana [Holgerson]. They had designed it, you know, this week, and worked it all week. It was something new that, you know, we felt good about. And, you know, he made the throw, and so, but Emmett’s just an absolute weapon, you know. I mean, I think he's, you know, I see all the scouts coming in now, you know, starting to start a body type him and, I mean, he's a pro, and I'm always going to use these opportunities to talk about things that I think help us in recruiting and all that. But like, we take guys who, like, they don't have the success they want, maybe early, and they just stick to it. It's just such a great message. So now, like, if I'm a freshman or sophomore man, I want more touches, I want more things. Just do what Emmett did. Like, just keep getting better and better and better when your time comes, and Dylan Rogers is a great example, just keep to do it that he did. And so I’m just really proud of those guys and pretty proud of Emmett.”
on how TJ Lateef’s mobility allows Nebraska OC Dana Holgerson to call a greater variety of plays on offense
“Like I said, we call the same plays, you know, it's just a matter of, there were a couple times where, you know, like we called a play action pass shot early on, and they split, they split the thing, and, you know, he ran for yards. I just, you know, on the flip side, we literally were in the huddle and we're like, their whole offense is the quarterback running, you know, I mean, like we were doubling people and bracketing people and playing great coverage, and we got a couple sacks, and we had a couple more that we had them in our hands. But just, you know, college football, you know, the quarterback who could pull it down run makes, makes it really difficult, as long as they can also throw it. And I think that's one thing with TJ. All week I catch. I just kept saying them, hey, three weapons, man, three weapons. You're not a dual threat player, you're a Triple Threat player. You've got, you've got an arm, you've got feet, and you've got a brain. And I think that's really important. It's like, you don't want to just go out there and run around and create havoc. I mean, he made the right checks, right plays. He's really professional. You know, Glenn did a great job. Not just this week, ‘hey, get a guy ready this week.’ It's the whole season, right? And it's, you know, Dylan's [Raiola] mentoring the whole season. What Dylan's done for TJ, and just, you know, embracing him and bringing him in the fold, I think, has allowed TJ and pushed TJ to this point where, I mean, he was more than ready for that moment.”
on if he’s heard from Dylan Raiola since the end of the game
“I haven't checked my phone yet, but I was hearing from him before the game, and, you know, I shot him a text at halftime, so I was like, ‘hey, what's next?’ But I know how excited he will be. I know the guys asked me, ‘Hey, can we grab a ball and bring it back for him?’ So, you know, we love Dylan, we love TJ, we love all the guys, and they're all excited to see them all play well.”
on importance of the eight-minute stretch from final four minutes of first to first four of the second half when they scored on the opening drive of the half
“Yeah, that was really crucial. And, you know, obviously they had that drive going where, you know, we had them backed up, and they had that drive going to get us to get to get down into, you know, field goal range. And so, you know, that was but, but we were able to stop it. So that was great, you know, we all, we believe in middle eight. We believe in a fourth quarter shutout. And we have, we just can't quite get the fourth quarter shutout we want. And so, like, I said, you know, we're like, we're like, some of the streets in Lincoln, like, you know, we're under construction, right? We're still building. We're still building, right, but it's a fun process to be a part of. And I'll just say it again. Like not many teams would have bounced back the way they did. They put their hearts into that game last week, right? And it speaks to them. You know, I'd love to take credit for it, but I mean, there's something even some of them like Ceyair [Wright], Ceyair walked with walked off the field with me on Wednesday, and we he was bringing me back, right? But that's the whole point about being part of a team like we all bring each other back, and then you get to see the guys have those great moments at the end. It's really fun.”
on UCLA setting an attendance record for the season and Nebraska’s fans showing out on the road
“No, it still surprises me. I mean, I'm not surprised. I mean, it's just, it's so impressive. It's so amazing. I think I told you guys about those tickets we had to get this week. I mean, I think a lot of people paying, a lot of our friends coming out here, and people coming out here plan to be here, but it's just so great knowing that when you go on the road, that you're going to have just such a great crowd like that, and just even the ‘Go Big Red’ chants at the end and all that, and, you know, pretty cool to be coaching in the Rose Bowl and be playing in the Rose Bowl and have that fan base and all those things. So, you know, one of the commentators joked with me before the game. He's like, ‘I bet you all the bowl reps are taking notice’, you know, and so, but it's just, it's just the power of what Husker nation is, and we also know what they want, and we're working towards it.
on injury update for starting LB Dasan McCollough who did not play this game
“He's just, he just couldn't go, yeah, just been having some stingers and just battled all week, just couldn't, just couldn't go, just been having some stingers and just battled all week, just couldn’t go. So we left him home and said, ‘Dylan, it’s your show and I bet you when I watch the tape on the way home it’ll be pretty good.”
Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson
on T.J Lateef’s performance and how he handled himself
“I’m proud of him man, super proud of him. Everybody on this team knows it started in practice and he was really focused on the little details. I remember we had a team compete early in the week, and he told coach Rhule the next day, “Can we do team compete again?” That just shows the competitor he is, and that showed on the field tonight. I’m really proud of him, and I’m excited for his future.”
on what his motivation for TJ Lateef was for this game as a leader
“Anytime I get a chance to be the spark for the team is great. I was really excited the first play that he (TJ Lateef) pulled it because the team thought I was going to be getting the ball the whole game. So when he pulled it and ran, I was like okay he’s locked in and I knew that right away.”
on what a win like this can impact going into the bye week
“Coach Rhule just talked about it, but bouncing back from last week was huge. Then going back home with a win is big going into the bye week. We can recover our bodies and get ready for Penn State which is another tough opponent we got next. Going home and watching film, then getting better and getting ready for Penn State.”
on if this was his best all-around game
“Yeah, definitely, I don’t think I went over 100 receiving yards ever since I’ve been here. Just giving credit to God and also TJ for hitting me on those and offensive line protection as well.”
on his wheel route touchdown
“Yeah, I told him before the play that it was a touchdown. I really tried to do my job of selling the run and acting like I was just going to run a flat. Then once I saw the safety go over, I knew TJ was going to hit me right away and he made a great throw.”
Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef
on preparing for this game and coming home to his hometown
“It was great and it was like a culture shock. It was like, whoa, it just hit me. It hit me quick, but that’s what practice is for. I got the opportunity to have a great week of practice, so that’s why it was on display tonight.”
on playing in the rose bowl for his first game
“I was really trying to soak the whole moment up. It was crazy, so I was just trying to soak it in for my first time playing in the Rose Bowl. It was a blessing and I loved it.”
on staying poised in the fourth quarter
“I just had a what’s next mentality. Just breathing and taking it one snap at a time and trying to execute to the best of my ability.”
on the coaches having confidence in him
“It’s a blessing. They got confidence in me. I got confidence in them. That’s how we're going to continue to be great.”