University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Coastal Carolina
Football Hosts Coastal Carolina in Season Opener Saturday
August 29, 2023 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium
Kickoff Time: 7:35 p.m. PT
Television: ESPN
TV Talent: Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), Kayla Burton (sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG College): AM 1150
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
SiriusXM: Ch. 133/Ch. 197 SXM App: Ch. 959
THE MATCHUP
The Bruins, who have compiled a 12-4 record in their most recent 16 outings, will start a season in Pasadena, Calif. for the third straight year when they line up against Coastal Carolina of the Sun Belt Conference Sept. 2 in the Rose Bowl. The past two years, UCLA has defeated Bowling Green (2022) and Hawai'i (2021) to open up. UCLA, which was ranked No. 21 in each of the three major polls following the end of the 2022 campaign, owns a 67-32-5 all-time mark in season openers. Coastal Carolina finished 2022 with a 9-4 record and at the top of the Sun Belt Conference East Division. The game will be televised by ESPN with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. PT. CCU is the first school UCLA has played in football from the state of South Carolina.The Bruin IMG Radio Network will broadcast the contest, which will also be aired over SiriusXM and the Varsity App.
SERIES HISTORY
The Bruins and the Chanticleers have not met on the gridiron. UCLA did play a Sun Belt Conference team last season, defeating South Alabama by a score of 32-31 in the Rose Bowl. The Bruins also downed league member ULM 44-0 in 1996.
โข UCLA finished 9-4 in 2022 for its most wins since posting a 10-3 mark in 2014. Its 6-3 conference record was good for a fifth-place tie in the Pac-12. The Bruins went 6-2 in the Rose Bowl and 3-1 on the road last season (0-1 on a neutral field).
โข UCLA posted a 3-0 record against non-conference opponents last season, logging wins versus South Alabama, Alabama State and Bowling Green. It marked the first time UCLA had swept its non-conference games to start a season since 2015 when it recorded victories against BYU, at UNLV and at home opposite Virginia.
โข UCLA is 12-4 in its past 16 games dating back to the 2021 season, 8-2 in its past 10 true road games and 10-5 in the Rose Bowl the past two seasons.
โข UCLA most recently started a returning quarterback in a season opener with fewer than two career starts when Brett Hundley went under center in 2012 at Rice (redshirt freshman). Ethan Garbers has one previous start, in 2021, at Utah. UCLA most recently started a true freshman in the season-opening contest when Josh Rosen took the reins, in 2015, against Virginia.
โข In last year's four losses, UCLA committed 11 turnovers and forced two.
โข UCLA was one of six teams nationally averaging more than 500 yards of total offense per game in 2022 (also Tennessee, Washington, USC, Georgia and Oregon). The Bruins surpassed the 500-yard mark in seven contests. Head coach Chip Kelly had three of his Oregon teams accomplish that feat (2012 - 537.4, 2011 - 522.8 and 2010 - 530.7). It was the first UCLA team to average at least 500 yards per game.
โข UCLA was one of seven FBS schools to rush and pass for at least 3,000 yards in 2022 (also Georgia, Utah, UCF, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Michigan).
โข In his 11 seasons as a coach at Oregon (4 head coach, 2 asst. coach) and at UCLA (5 head coach), 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.
UCLA ATHLETICS LAUNCHES MAUI RELIEF EFFORTS
UCLA Athletics and the UCLA football team announced Aug. 24 a fundraising initiative for the Maui community following devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island. The campaign continues through the Bruins' Sept. 2 season opener at Rose Bowl Stadium, though support is encouraged beyond the game.
Two complimentary tickets will be provided for the UCLA football contest against Coastal Carolina, as well as UCLA's Sept. 16 home matchup with North Carolina Central, to fans who donate at least $10 toward the efforts of at least one of the following charitable organizations: The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division, American Red Cross in support of Hawaii wildfires relief, Hawaii Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund, Maui Food Bank or Chef Hui.
UCLA football coaches and staff members will wear UCLA "Maui Strong" t-shirts to recognize the resilience and unity of the island's people. The shirts feature the Hawaiian phrase "malama kekahi i kekahi," which translates to "to take care of one another."
The UCLA roster features seven student-athletes from the state of Hawaii: OL Duke Clemens (Kailua), DL A.J. Fuimaono, DL Sitiveni Havili Kaufusi (Waimanalo), LB Mone Malafu (Kapa'a), WR Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (Ewa Beach), LB Darius Muasau (Ewa Beach) and OL Tavake Tuikolovatu (Wailuku).
TEAM NOTES
โข UCLA registered 36 rushing touchdowns in 2022 to mark back-to-back seasons reaching the 30-touchdown mark (31 in 2021). UCLA teams had most recently rushed for 30 or more touchdowns in consecutive seasons in 1998 (32) and 1997 (31). It has never been done in three straight seasons by a Bruin team.
โข UCLA's average of 6.02 yards per rushing attempt led the Pac-12 in 2022.
โข In rushing for 352 yards at California, UCLA surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark for the ninth time (7-2 record) in 2022 season (also USC - 204, Arizona - 219, Arizona State - 402, Stanford - 324, Utah - 212, Colorado - 249, Alabama State - 220 and Bowling Green - 269). It marked the most 200-yard rushing games by a UCLA team since 1995 (also nine).
โข UCLA failed to record a rushing touchdown against South Alabama last season to snap a streak of 23 straight games with at least one rushing score. It rebounded to run for a touchdown in each of the next 10 games to finish out the 2022 season.
โข UCLA compiled 626 yards of total offense in its 2022 season-opening win against BGSU. It was the third time a Chip Kelly-coached Bruin team had hit the 600-yard mark and was the most since a 657-yard performance at Washington State in 2019.
โข UCLA had a fourth-quarter lead in all but two games last season: versus USC, a 45-48 loss; and at Oregon, a 30-45 loss.
โข UCLA reached the 6,000-yard mark in total offense for just the fourth time in school history in 2022. Its 6,531 yards in 2012 represented the old school record. It had most recently reached the 6,000-yard mark for a season in 2015 (6,055).
โข Next up: UCLA visits San Diego State (1-0) for the first time since 2005 when the teams clash at Snapdragon Stadium Sept. 9 (4:30 p.m. PT). The game will be televised by CBS.
