It was just last season that the Bruins had a five-star freshman starting under center.

Fans rejoiced at the promise Dante Moore brought to Pasadena a little over a year ago.

But since Moore departed for Oregon, it’s in Cornhusker quarterback Dylan Raiola that the Bruin faithful may see what could’ve been.

With signal-callers from opposing ends of their collegiate careers, Raiola, a true freshman, and Nebraska (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) will take on redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers and UCLA football (2-5, 1-4).

“You could tell he’s (Raiola is) getting more comfortable,” said coach DeShaun Foster. “He has a big arm. He’s going to try to make plays, but I’m excited for our DBs (defensive backs) and our front and our linebackers.”

Raiola, who has passed for 1,744 yards and nine touchdowns this season, has caught the eye of many – including Foster – for his comparability to three-time NFL Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.

“I was with Mahomes in ‘16 at Texas Tech,” Foster said. “It’s crazy when you see him because he really does emulate Pat.”

The Bruins’ field general isn’t to be overshadowed, though.

Garbers is just two weeks removed from a career day in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Newport Beach, California, local racked up 383 passing yards on an 84.2% completion percentage for five total touchdowns – earning UCLA its first Big Ten win in the process.

On the other side of the ball, Nebraska’s defense may be a tough one to pummel. By total defense, the Huskers rank 16th in the nation and 17th in sacks.

The Bruins, however, may be suited to respond in the trenches. Against Penn State on Oct. 5, UCLA moved redshirt senior Josh Carlin from center back to right guard, his former position, and placed redshirt sophomores Sam Yoon at center and Niki Prongos at left tackle. Ever since the adjustments, the Bruins have helped Garbers throw for career-high yardages the past two games.

“We keep talking about, ‘It’s about us. It’s all about us,’” Yoon said. “So regardless of who the opponent is, as we long as we stick to our technique, stick to what we’ve been training for months and months and months, we’ll be all right.”

Despite the offense’s success, the Bruin defense took a step back against the Scarlet Knights, surrendering 32 points on 422 total yards – including 22 points in the second half alone.

“Just do the little things right. It wasn’t anything they were doing. We were just messing up on our stuff,” said senior defensive back Kaylin Moore. “Just focusing on each play and down, one rep at a time.”

While their connections are decades removed, Nebraska’s coaching staff remains familiar with Foster’s.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule served as an assistant defensive line coach for the Bruins in 2001, while Husker associate head coach and defensive coordinator Tony White played alongside Foster for the Bruins as a linebacker from 1997 to 2000 before serving as a graduate assistant for UCLA in 2007.

One thing that has constantly failed the Bruins is their ground game – ranking worst in the nation at just 64.6 rushing yards per game. The key, Yoon said, is for the Bruins – particularly the offensive line – to keep getting repetitions in.

“We have a great group of backs back there – very talented group of backs,” Yoon said. “Eventually, we’ll keep pounding and it’ll crack.”

Offensive line coach Juan Castillo – the man saddled with the responsibility for getting the front five in check – motivates his room by asking them, “What would you tell your son?”

For junior offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio, the answer is simple.

“I want to be able to tell my son I was a baller at UCLA.”