2023-11-01 00:23:33
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GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Arizona Stadium
Kickoff Time: 7:45 pm PT
Television: FS1
TV Talent: Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Mark Helfrich (analyst)
Local Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG College): AM570
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
SiriusXM/SXM App: Ch. 84/SiriusXM College Sports Radio
THE MATCHUP
No. 19 (College Football Playoff)/20 (AP Top 25/US LBM Coaches Poll) UCLA, a winner in 18 of its past 24 overall games and each of the past two, hits the road to battle Arizona Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Bruins will be looking to even up their Pac-12 road record at 2-2 with a win against the Wildcats, while improving to 4-2 overall in the league. UCLA became bowl eligible for the third straight season following last week’s sixth win of the campaign, against Colorado, which was played at Rose Bowl Stadium before the largest crowd (71,343) in the Pac-12 this season. UCLA has won its past three road games played in the month of November (at California and Arizona State in 2022 and at USC in 2021).
UCLA and UA have split the past six series meetings played overall and the past six games contested in Tucson, Ariz. UCLA owns a 6-4 record in games played in Tucson when the Bruins are ranked in the AP Top 25. UCLA has won 12 of its past 13 games overall against unranked opponents.
UCLA has held seven of its eight opponents this season to fewer than 20 points and ranks eighth in the nation in scoring defense (15.0 points per game). The Bruins own a 20-1 (6-1 this season) record under head coach Chip Kelly when holding opponents under 20 points. UCLA has the Pac-12’s top-rated total defense (277.5 yards per game, 10th nationally), scoring defense (15.0, eighth), rushing defense (63.1 yards per game, first), team sacks (3.88 per game, third), turnovers gained (16, 13th) and team passing efficiency defense (112.99, 14th).
This is UCLA’s final Pac-12 season. UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) in 1928. The PCC disbanded and UCLA joined California, Stanford, USC and Washington in the Athletic Association of Western Universities in 1959, with Washington State (1962), Oregon (1964) and Oregon State (1964) joining the league a few years later. These schools formed the Pac-8 in 1968, which turned into the Pac-10 for the 1978 season after the additions of UA and Arizona State. The Pac-12 began in 2011 when Colorado and Utah joined the fold.
Sixth-year head coach Chip Kelly took the reins at UCLA Nov. 25, 2017. Kelly owns a collegiate head-coaching record of 79-38, (. 675 – 7-2 versus UA, 3-2 with UCLA) compiled across five-plus seasons at UCLA and four at Oregon.
Saturday’s battle will be televised by FS1, with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Bruin IMG Radio Network will broadcast the contest, which will also be aired over SiriusXM and the Varsity App.
SERIES HISTORY
UCLA leads the series with the Wildcats, 27-18-2 overall, but are 11-13 in games played in Tucson, Ariz. The teams have split the past six meetings overall. UCLA won the most recent meeting in the series played at Arizona, 34-16. The Wildcats scored the last 10 points a season ago at Rose Bowl Stadium, downing the No. 9-ranked Bruins 34-28.
AT A GLANCE
• After beginning the Pac-12 schedule with three of its first four games on the road, the Bruins have three of their final four league games in Los Angeles.
• The Bruins lead the nation in rushing defense (63.1 yards per game) and have held three teams this season to 30 yards of rushing or fewer (Colorado 25, Stanford 24, Washington State 12). UCLA most recently held three teams to 30 rushing yards or fewer in 1993 (USC seven, BYU 25, San Diego State 30).
• UCLA is allowing 15.0 points per game, which leads the Pac-12 (eighth nationally). A UCLA team most recently held opponents under 15 points per game for a season in 1980 (12.3).
• UCLA leads the nation allowing just 2.10 yards per rush this season and is tied for first in the nation with (with Iowa) with just one rushing touchdown allowed.
• UCLA opponents are averaging 4.24 yards per play, which is seventh in the nation. Ohio State leads the nation at 3.95 yards per play.
• UCLA’s defense has given up 10 touchdowns on the year. That ranks first in the Pac-12 and fourth nationally (Michigan five, Iowa nine, Ohio State nine).
• Opponents have scored a total of 10 touchdowns on 104 drives against the Bruin defense in 2023 … possessions/touchdown drives: CU 13/1, Stanford 13/1, Oregon State 11/3, Washington State 16/1, Utah 14/1, North Carolina Central 13/1, SDSU 13/1, Coastal Carolina 11/1.
• UCLA is 6-0 this season when scoring at least 25 points. Both of its losses (36-24 at Oregon State and 14-7 at Utah) have come on the road.
• UCLA has given up 120 points this season, which is the lowest total in the Pac-12. UCLA most recently gave up fewer points through eight games in 1981 (118).
• DB Alex Johnson is tied for the Pac-12 lead with 0.4 interceptions per game, which is 24th in the nation. His three interceptions rate 17th in the NCAA. A UCLA player most recently had more than three single-season interceptions in 2016, when Randall Goforth had four. No Bruin has had more than four interceptions in a season since 2009, when Rahim Moore had 10.
• DL Laiatu Latu and DL Gabriel Murphy are tied for second in the Pac-12 and 13th nationally in tackles for loss (TFLs) average (1.5). Latu also rates second in the league and fifth nationally in sacks per game (1.06). Gabriel Murphy is 21st nationally in sacks per game (0.75).
• WR J.Michael Sturdivant has caught at least one pass in each of the past 20 games (eight with UCLA and 12 with California). He is the only Bruin to have a catch in each game this season.
• TE Moliki Matavao has seven receptions this season of at least 20 yards: 26 versus CU (touchdown), 20 at Stanford (TD), 34 at Oregon State, 29, 27 and 20 versus WSU and 35 at SDSU.
• WR Logan Loya leads the team with 34 receptions, including 27 in the past five games, after having 21 in his first three seasons with the program. He had his first 100-yard game against Colorado (111), on a career-best seven receptions.
MOST RECENT MEETINGS
In the most recent meeting between the programs in Tucson, Ariz., RB Brittain Brown totaled a team-leading 146 rushing yards and RB Zach Charbonnet ran for 117 more to propel UCLA past Arizona 34-16. UCLA finished with a season-best 329 rushing yards and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson added a pair of rushing touchdowns. The Bruins, who trailed 14-13 at the half, pushed ahead 24-16 on a four-yard touchdown carry from Thompson-Robinson with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter. Brown’s 48-yard touchdown carry midway through the fourth quarter helped UCLA separate and take a 31-16 lead. The Bruins later added a field goal, a 43-yard kick by Nicholas Barr-Mira, with under two minutes to play.
In last year’s meeting at the Rose Bowl, a comeback attempt by UCLA came up short, as UA held on for a 34-28 victory. Trailing by six with 1:04 to play, Thompson-Robinson orchestrated a drive to the Arizona 29, but it stalled there after four straight passes fell incomplete, the final one going just beyond WR Jake Bobo’s reach in the back of the end zone. Arizona jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring two touchdowns on its first three drives. The Bruins took their only lead of the game at 28-24 on a Charbonnet run with 10:22 left. The Wildcats came right back to regain the lead at 31-28.
TEAM NOTES
• UCLA enters this week’s games as one of four FBS teams with at least 1,700 rushing yards and 2,000 passing yards on the season. Also in the club are LSU, Oregon and UCF.
• UCLA leads the Pac-12 in the following statistics: Rushing Defense (63.1, first nationally), Rushing Offense (215.9, eighth), Scoring Defense (15.0, eighth), Team Passing Efficiency Defense (112.99, 14th), Team Sacks (3.88, third), Tackles for Loss (8.2, fourth), Total Defense (277.5, 10th), Turnovers Gained (16, 13th).
• UCLA has held seven of its eight opponents to fewer than 20 points this season. It most recently held as many as seven opponents to fewer than 20 points in 2006. It most recently held more than seven teams to fewer than 20 in 1987 (nine).
• UCLA has gone 5-2 in November games the past two seasons (2-2 in 2022 and 3-0 in 2021), with a 3-0 road record.
• This is the third straight season UCLA has entered the major polls, peaking at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 so far in 2023, No. 9 (AP) in 2022 and No. 13 (both polls) in 2021.
• Under head coach Chip Kelly, UCLA is 26-7 when it rushes for at least 200 yards in a game.
• UCLA has won 13 straight games when forcing multiple turnovers. The Bruins have forced multiple turnovers in five of this season’s eight games, winning each contest.
• UCLA is 18-3 under Kelly when commiting fewer turnovers than its counterparts and 4-19 when committing more than the opposition.
• UCLA racked up 218 rushing yards last week versus Colorado for its fifth 200-yard rushing game of the season. It had 221 rushing yards at Stanford, 284 at Oregon State, 404 against North Carolina Central and 254 at San Diego State earlier this year. The 404 yards of rushing offense against the Eagles represent the most by a Bruin team since it racked up 437 ground yards in a 2010 game against Washington State. In 2022, the Bruins compiled nine 200-yard rushing games — the most since the 1995 squad also produced nine.
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