UCLA
Arizona
Football Hits Arizona for Pac-12 Road Showdown
September 24, 2019 | Football
GAME FOUR: UCLA at Arizona
Venue: Arizona Stadium (55,675-Field Turf)
Kickoff Time: 7:30 p.m. PT
Television: ESPN (Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG College): AM 570
Josh Lewin (play-by-play),Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
Sirius Ch. 211/XM 201/internet 964
UCLA will be looking to open the conference slate with two straight wins for the first time since it topped Utah and Cal to open up the 2013 campaign. The game at Arizona will mark the first time that UCLA has started conference play with two straight road matchups since 2011.
UCLA won last year's meeting against Arizona in the Rose Bowl by a 31-30 count and has captured six of the last seven meetings in the series, dropping only the last game played in Tucson, in 2017, by a score of 47-30. UCLA owns a 25-16-2 overall advantage in the series which started in 1927 and has seen the schools meet each season since 2002.
THE WATCH LIST
โข After using 48 players in the opener at Cincinnati, 52 vs. San Diego State, and 54 against Oklahoma, the Bruins utilized 54 players at WSU --- 2 grad students, 9 seniors, 12 juniors, 15 soph., 10 redshirt freshmen, 6 true freshmen.
โข UCLA leads the nation in punt returns with 37.3 avg. (primarily Kyle Philips) -- it has done so to finish up three previous seasons --- 2005 (Maurice Jones-Drew was primary returner - team avg. 25.0), 1940 (Jackie Robinson - team avg. 16.2), 1939 (Jackie Robinson- team avg. 16.3).
โข The winning team in the Arizona-UCLA series has scored at least 30 points in 7 of the last 8 meetings (not 2014) from 2010-2018.
โข Through four games, UCLA has started only 16 of its 55 possessions beyond its own 25 yard-line with an average starting field position in its first four games as follows: Cincinnati U26, SDSU U26, Oklahoma U24, WSU U39. Opponents have started their drives: Cincinnati 41, SDSU 37, Oklahoma 29, WSU 30.
โข UCLA's 29-point explosion in the fourth quarter was the most in a single quarter by the Bruins since it scored 30 in the second quarter at WSU in 2012 in a 44-36 Bruin win. The 50-point second half is the most points scored in a half since the 1980 squad scored 28 in each of the first two quarters against Colorado in a 1980 victory played in the Los Angeles Coliseum. The four TDs in the fourth quarter at WSU matched the four scored in the 34-point comeback win over Texas A&M in 2017.
โขUCLA's 67 points against WSU were the most scored by a Bruin team since 1993 when it bested then No. 19 BYU in the Rose Bowl 68-14. It is tied for the third-most in school history and is the most scored in a road game. The school record is a 72-point barrage against Stanford in the 1954 season. WSU's total of 63 points was the most by an opponent since top-ranked Oregon put up 60 in a 2010 win.
โข Defensive Improvement -- Rushing Yards per Game allowed 2017: 287.4 / 2018: 199.4/ 2019: 178.5; Average Yards per rush allowed 2017: 5.8 / 2018: 4.6/ 2019: 4.5.
โข In the fourth quarter at WSU, Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 10 of 14 passing attempts for 149 yards and two scores ... He also ran for his second rushing TD (first two rushing scores of his career) ... On the night, he had 11 carries for 57 rushing yards.
โข Opponents have totaled 7 scoring drives of 40 yards or less in 2019, while UCLA had its first three of the season at WSU.
โข In the second half at WSU, Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 322 yards (23 yds per completion) on his way to total of 507 passing yards which ranks third on all-time school list.
โข Demetric Felton has matched his reception total from 2018 with 20 catches ... He ranks 9th in the NCAA and tops the Pac-12 with a 158.25 all-purpose yards average ... Felton totaled 263 all-purpose yards at WSU with 100 yd KOR and 2 TD passes-94/15 yds ... Had 132 all-purpose yards vs. Oklahoma (65 rush, 44 recv., 23 KOR)... Generated 174 all-purpose yards against Cincinnati and 162 of UCLA's total of 218 total offense yards,with touchdown on a 75-yard pass play.
โข The last time UCLA returned two kicks for scores in a game was in the 2005 Sun Bowl against Northwestern (2 by Brandon Breazell). The Bruins had not previously returned a kickoff and punt for a touchdown in the same game (records date to 1957).
โข JJ Molson moved into 10th on all-time UCLA scoring list at WSU (257 points) ... He has connected on his last 65 straight extra points and 17 of his 20 kickoffs this season equal touchbacks.
