2015 Foster Farms Bowl
The 2015 San Francisco Bowl, known as the Foster Farms Bowl for sponsorship purposes, was the fourteenth edition of the college football bowl game, played on December 26, 2015 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Part of the 2015–16 bowl season, it featured the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 and the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten.
Teams
Despite winning only five games in the regular season, Nebraska was invited to play in a bowl based on its Academic Progress Rate as there were not enough eligible teams to fill all 82 spots. The 2015 San Francisco Bowl was the thirteenth all-time and first postseason meeting between Nebraska and UCLA, with the series tied 6–6 prior to the game.Game
UCLA, favored by a touchdown, methodically marched down the field to take a 7–0 lead on its opening drive. The Cornhuskers answered with a twelve-play drive to tie the game, but could not slow down the Bruins offense for much of the first half. Midway through the second quarter, Tommy Armstrong lost a fumble in the red zone, and UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen delivered two quick touchdown drives of 86 and 68 yards to give the Bruins a 21–7 lead.Nebraska mounted two run-heavy drives to tie the game at 21 with less than a minute remaining in the half. On the ensuing drive, Nebraska safety Nate Gerry was ejected for targeting, though both coaches agreed the play should not have been penalized.
The Cornhuskers maintained control to start the second half, holding UCLA to a single yard of offense on six plays in the third quarter. It allowed NU to extend its lead to nine points, which became sixteen less than a minute into the fourth quarter when a three-yard Armstrong touchdown brought the Nebraska run to thirty unanswered points. Rosen led a quick touchdown drive and a successful two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game; UCLA drove into NU territory twice more as time wound down, but came away scoreless after a missed field goal and an interception, allowing Nebraska to run out the clock on a 37–29 victory.