LOS ANGELES — The UCLA football team just finished its bye week, but the energy the players and coaches showed during the media portion of Tuesday’s practice didn’t feel like a team coming out of a period of rest.

Head coach DeShaun Foster pumped his fist in the air to the beat of Darude’s “Sandstorm.” Players were jumping up and down before kickoff return drills, as if they were at a punk rock concert.

“It’s just about keeping energy up,” defensive back Kaylin Moore said after practice. “We just have to have energy every day, every day, bye week, practice week. Anyway, meetings. We’re just going to have energy to carry on to the next game and build momentum.

For Moore and the rest of the UCLA defense, the game against Nebraska on Saturday will require that energy to translate into physicality.

While the Cornhuskers’ offensive numbers don’t particularly stand out in the Big Ten Conference, they bring a level of toughness that the Bruins will need to match in order to slow them down.

Three of Nebraska’s top four receivers are 6-foot-4 or taller, a testament to its extended group’s physical style of play.

“They have big receivers, so they’re going to throw the ball,” Moore said. “They really like to run the ball, but they’ll throw the ball, see one-on-ones, so we’re ready for that.”

“I think the receivers, again, can play in the passing game. You’ll see some great catches on film and things like that,” linebacker Carson Schwesinger said. “And then the running backs, you’re going to benefit from a lot of physicality and quickness out of the backfield as well.”

The Cornhuskers also have two running backs who can catch. Rahmir Johnson and Emmett Johnson have 19 and 15 receptions respectively this year.

The Bruins have a few running backs with good hands. TJ Harden leads the team with 26 receptions and Keegan Jones has 12 catches. Both players caught a touchdown pass UCLA wins 35-32 against Rutgers on October 19.

The UCLA defense put in extra work practicing against its own running backs to help prepare for the Nebraska running back room.

“We’re good, so we’re working on that,” Moore said. “We have Keegan, you know him, great out of the backfield. So just doing reps after practice, before practice, stuff like that.

Another problem for the Bruins defense is Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola’s propensity to spread the ball around rather than targeting one or two wide players, as evidenced by four pass catchers on the team having at least 20 receptions.