UCLA
Washington State
Football Welcomes No. 13 Washington State to Rose Bowl Saturday
October 03, 2023 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium
Kickoff Time: 12 p.m. PT
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst)
Local Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG College): AM570/1150
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
SiriusXM: Ch. 158/Ch. 197
SXM App: Ch. 959
THE MATCHUP
UCLA, a winner of 15 of its past 20 games, welcomes No. 13 AP/No. 14 Coaches Washington State Saturday at 12 p.m. PT to Rose Bowl Stadium for the Bruins' Pac-12 home opener. This sets up as the second of three straight UCLA matchups with ranked opponents (lost at No. 11/10 Utah Sept. 23 and visits No. 15/16 Oregon State Sept. 14).
Saturday's battle marks the first between the programs played in Pasadena, Calif. since 2015. The latest meeting saw the two schools combine for 130 points in a 67-63 Bruin win in at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. during the 2019 season. UCLA rallied in the second half from a 49-17 deficit to pull out the dramatic comeback victory.
The Bruins are looking to reverse their fortunes in Pac-12 games played in the Rose Bowl after dropping the final two home conference games of the 2022 season to USC and Arizona.
SERIES HISTORY
UCLA leads the series, which dates back to a 1928 meeting in Portland, Ore., by a 41-20-1 count. The programs are meeting for just the third time since 2016.
AT A GLANCE
โข This season, UCLA has given up 44 points (Utah - 14, North Carolina Central - 7, San Diego State - 10 and Coastal Carolina-13). UCLA most recently gave up fewer than 50 points through its first four games in 2001, when its opponents totaled 47 (38-7 at Oregon State, 13-6 against Ohio State, 41-17 at Kansas and 2017 at Alabama). The 11.0 scoring rate against is good for sixth in the nation. The Bruins most recently held more than four straight opponents in a season to fewer than 20 points each in 2001, when their initial six counterparts each finished under 20 points (56-17 against California, 35-7 versus Washington 20-17, 38-7 at Oregon State, 13-6 against Ohio State, 41-17 at Kansas and 2017 at Alabama).
โข In its most recent outing, UCLA held Utah to 219 yards of total offense, marking three straight Bruins opponents that have failed to reach at least 300 yards of total offense. UCLA most recently held three straight opponents to 300 yards or fewer in 2009 (Kansas State - 268, Tennessee - 208 and San Diego State 277). UCLA most recently held more than three straight teams to fewer than 300 yards in 2006, when it did so againt its first five (Arizona - 222, Stanford - 166, Washington - 249, Rice - 184 and Utah - 287).
โข UCLA leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense (11.0 points per game) and has given up five touchdowns overall โ the fewest in the Pac-12. The Bruins' three passing scores allowed are tied for first in the league with Oregon. UCLA tops the Pac-12 in pass efficiecy defense (104.18) and rates second in the league in sacks per game (3.75).
โขThe 219 yards gained by Utah was the fewest by a Bruin Pac-12 opponent since Cal gained 217 in the final game of the 2021 season.
โข UCLA was credited with 11.0 tackles for loss (TFLs) at Utah, which was the most by a Bruin defense since it also totaled 11.0 in a 2011 battle with Illinois. UCLA most recently had more that 11.0 TFLs in a game versus Temple in 2009 (12.0). A Bruin team most recenly recorded more than 12.0 TFLs against UCLA in 2007 (14.0). This week, UCLA is ranked fourth in the NCAA (second in the Pac-12) in TFLs-per-game average (9.5). Laiatu Latu rates sixth nationally with 1.9 TFLs per game.
โข Dante Moore has completed 47 of 86 passes this season and is second in the country (tops in the Pac-12) in passing yards per completion (18.06). Thirty of his 47 completions have produced first downs. Fourteen have been good for gains of 20 yards or more. Twenty-nine completions have gone for gains of 10 yards or more.
โข With the first half fumble by Utah, UCLA has forced at least one turnover in each of the past seven contests and in 18 of its past 20 games overall.
โข In his 11-plus seasons as a coach at UCLA (five-plus as head coach) and Oregon (four as head coach and two as assistant coach), Chip Kelly has had seven of his teams rank among the nation's top 25 in total offense. Kelly has had eight rushers on his teams rank among the nation's top 15. Nine of those teams have rated among the top 20 in the nation in scoring average.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for a career-high 507 yards and totaled five touchdown passes as UCLA took down No. 19 Washington State 67-63 in a Pac-12 game at Martin Stadium. Thompson-Robinson accounted for seven touchdowns โ five in the air and his first two collegiate rushing touchdowns. He finished the game having connected on 25 of 38 passes, while picking up 57 yards on the ground. He became UCLA's first quarterback to throw for at least 500 yards in a game since Drew Olson tallied 510 passing yards against Arizona State on Nov. 12, 2005 in the Rose Bowl.
UCLA's Demetric Felton Jr. and Chase Cota each topped the 100-yard receiving plateau. Felton finished with seven catches (including two touchdowns) and 150 yards, while Cota registered four receptions for 147 yards. UCLA had trailed by as many as 32 points (49-17) in the third quarter before stringing together a remarkable comeback. The Bruins took the lead for good in the game's final 70 seconds. Trailing by a 63-60 margin, UCLA forced a fumble with 2:27 to play and scored on a 15-yard completion from Thompson-Robinson to Felton with 67 seconds remaining. Felton finished the victory with 263 all-purpose yards, netting 150 receiving yards, one 100-yard kickoff return and 13 rushing yards.
UCLA finished the game with 657 total offensive yards. The Bruins' 507 total passing yards ranked as the third-highest single-game total in program history (just six yards shy of the school record of 513, set in a game at Miami in 1998).
NEW HALL OF FAME CLASS
UCLA welcomes a new class into its Athletic Hall of Fame Friday and honors the class at the game Saturday. The group consists of B'Ann Burns Jacobs (softball), Kevin Craig (men's water polo), Carrie Forsyth (women's golf), Heidi Moneymaker (gymnastics), Kelly Rulon (women's water polo), Randy Schwartz (baseball), Lynn Shakleford (men's basketball) and Erik Sullivan (men's volleyball).
TEAM NOTES
โข UCLA has posted 6-3 Pac-12 marks in each of the past two seasons. It finished tied for fifth in the league in 2022 and tied for second in the South Division in 2021.
โข UCLA leads the Pac-12 in the following stats: Scoring Defense (11.0 points per game, sixth in NCAA); Red Zone Defense (.556, seventh); Team Passing Efficiency Defense (104.18, 10th) and Passing Yards per Completion (16.73, sixth).
โข Five current Bruins saw action in the most recent meeting with Washington State, which occurred in 2019. Carl Jones Jr. started at linebacker, in 2019 including Carl Jones Jr., while DB Kenny Churchwell III, OL Duke Clemens, DB Alex Johnson and RB Keegan Jones also played.
โข Under head coach Chip Kelly, UCLA is 23-6 when it rushes for at least 200 yards in a game.
โข This is the third straight season UCLA has entered the major polls, peaking at No. 22 in the AP Top 25 so far in 2023, No. 9 (AP) in 2022 and No. 13 (both polls) in 2021. It is currently receiving votes in both polls.
โข UCLA rushed for 404 yards against North Carolina Central and 254 yards at San Diego State for its first two 200-yard rush games of 2023. The 404 yards of rushing offense 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, which was the most since the 1995 squad also produced nine.
โข The Bruins forced three turnovers each by San Diego State and Coastal Carolina, which tied last year's UCLA single-game season high. A Bruin team most recently forced more than three turnovers in a game at Washington State during the 2019 season (six). UCLA held SDSU scoreless in its final eight possessions. The Bruins held CCU scoreless in its last six chances. UCLA held NCCU without points for its first 11 opportunties. Utah did not score on seven second-half tries.
โข The 21 combined points scored in Utah's 14-7 win versus the Bruins marked the lowest combined point total for a UCLA game since it beat Oregon 16-0 in 2007. It was UCLA's lowest single-game output since a 49-3 setback at Utah in 2019.
