Escape from L.A.?

Three keys to Nebraska-UCLA as the Huskers try to pick up a road win with a first-time starter at QB.

Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

The pregame tailgating scene was as good as I could hope for from a college football game, the stadium was not and the game, which looked like a certain massacre coming in, was surprisingly good. Somehow, 2007 Nebraska—losers of three straight and 4-4 on the season—led No. 17 Texas 17-9 entering the fourth quarter.

The Longhorns had more than erased that lead by the time starting quarterback Sam Keller went down with a season-ending injury late in the game. That season already felt like it was slipping away prior to kickoff that day, now the game had slipped away and the Bill Callahan era was circling the drain, too.

I’ll always remember my brother at that moment, sitting next to me in the stands at Darrell K. Royal Stadium, saying, “Well, let’s see what Ganz can do.”

That’s the closest scenario I can think of to the situation Nebraska finds itself in now. It’s not a perfect match, but closer than when Tommy Armstrong Jr.—a candidate to be a future starter—had to take over for Taylor Martinez, the undoubted starter and focal point of the offense, in 2013. It’s closer than the musical chairs had to play in 2023, or any of the times Ryker Fyfe, Logan Smothers or Andrew Bunch had to make a spot start.

Here we have a candidate to be a future starter, TJ Lateef, taking over for the focal point of the offense in the ninth game of the season and being asked to drive the rest of the way home, just like in ’07.

There are differences, too. Lateef is a true freshman, Ganz was a redshirt junior. The ’07 Huskers were near the end of Callahan’s tenure, while the ’25 Huskers just extended their head coach and now have something new to prove this season—they won’t fold.

Ganz didn’t fold, though his first three games as a starter maybe represent the wildest three-game stretch in program history? Nebraska lost to Kansas 76-39, beat Kansas State 73-31 and lost to Colorado 65-51. Ganz threw 148 passes over those games with 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

In 2008, Ganz was a key part of the fast start to the Bo Pelini era. Over 16 games as a starter, he’d set 23 school records, which isn’t to say that’s what awaits¹ Lateef, of course, but it all reminded me of a lesson learned nearly 20 years ago—don’t jump to conclusions.

Let’s see what Lateef can do.