UCLA
Arizona State
Football Prepares to Host Arizona State Saturday
November 07, 2023 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium
Kickoff Time: 6 p.m. PT
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: J.B. Long (play-by-play), Lincoln Kennedy (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. 121 or 198/Ch. 960
THE MATCHUP
UCLA, a winner in 18 of its past 25 overall games, returns home to battle Arizona State Saturday at 6 p.m. PT. UCLA and ASU have split the past eight meetings at Rose Bowl Stadium. The Bruins are looking to up their home record this season to 5-0 (previous perfect records at the Rose Bowl: 6-0 in 2017, 6-0 in 2005, 6-0 in 1987 and 5-0 in 1985).
UCLA has the Pac-12's top-rated mark in passes intercepted (tied for first with 10), rushing defense (70.4 yards per game allowed), team sacks (3.78 per game), team tackles for loss (8.6 per game), yards per play allowed (4.48), defensive touchdowns allowed (13) and yards per rush allowed (2.31). The Bruins are second in the Pac-12 in rushing offense (204.6 yards per game) and turnovers gained (17). UCLA has held seven of its nine opponents this season to fewer than 20 points and ranks 13th in the nation in scoring defense (16.3 points per game). The Bruins own a 20-1 (6-1 this season) record under head coach Chip Kelly when holding opponents to fewer than 20 points.
Saturday's battle will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. The Bruin IMG Radio Network will broadcast the contest, which will also be aired over SiriusXM and the Varsity App.
VETERANS SALUTE
The UCLA football staff includes several veterans, including chief of staff Bryce McDonald and graduate assistant Anthony Goliver. Both attended the United States Naval Academy and served in the United States Marine Corps.
SERIES HISTORY
UCLA leads the series with the Sun Devils 23-15-1 overall and own a 12-8-1 record in the matchups played in the Los Angeles area. Arizona State won the most recent meeting played at the Rose Bowl, a 42-23 result against the No. 20 Bruins in 2021. The teams have split the past eight meetings contested in Pasadena, Calif. UCLA won last year's matchup in Tempe, Ariz. and own victories in three of the past four meetings in the series.
MOST RECENT MEETINGS
In the most recent meeting between the programs in Tempe, Ariz., QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson ran for two scores and passed for two more as No. 10 UCLA defeated Arizona State 50-36.Thompson-Robinson threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage, but then led drives of 75, 77, 91 and 90 yards to lift UCLA into a 28-10 halftime lead.
ASU scored 18 straight points to close to 42-36 with 6:24 left, but UCLA put it away on its next possession when RB Colson Yankoff scored from one yard out. Thompson-Robinson finished with 169 yards passing and 120 yards on the ground. WR Kazmeir Allen had 137 yards rushing. RB Keegan Jones added 98 more and scored two touchdowns. UCLA rolled up 333 of its 571 total yards before halftime and finished with 571 total yards for the game, including 402 rushing yards on 42 carries.
In the 2021 meeting at the Rose Bowl, Thompson-Robinson threw for 235 yards and rushed for 93 more in No. 20 UCLA's 42-23 loss to ASU. After the Bruins trimmed the Sun Devils' lead to just one point at 24-23 as time expired in the first half, ASU proceeded to outscore UCLA 18-0 in the second half of action to secure the win. The Bruins ran 83 plays compared to ASU's 51, but the Sun Devils scored on three plays of 40-plus yards. TE Greg Dulcich, now with the Denver Broncos, led UCLA receivers with nine catches for 136 yards, while RB Zach Charbonnet, now with the Seattle Seahawks, rushed for 89 yards on 21 carries.
AT A GLANCE
โข The Bruins will not leave the Los Angeles area to complete their final three games in Pac-12 Conference play against Arizona State, USC (road) and California.
โข UCLA is 4-0 at home this season, allowing just four touchdowns. The Bruins have earned a perfect record at the Rose Bowl in four previous seasons (2017, 2005, 1987 and 1985).
โข UCLA is 6-0 this season when scoring at least 25 points. Its three losses have come on the road to currently-ranked teams (27-10 at Arizona, 36-24 at Oregon State and 14-7 at Utah).
โข DB Alex Johnson leads the Pac-12 with four interceptions. He owns the Pac-12 lead with 0.4 interceptions per game, which is 10th in the nation. His four thefts rate eighth in the NCAA and are the most by a Bruin player since Randall Goforth had four interceptions in 2016. No Bruin has had more than four interceptions in a season since 2009, when Rahim Moore had 10.
โข DL Laiatu Latu leads the Pac-12 in tackles for loss per game average (1.8) and is third nationally. He rates second in the Pac-12 and third nationally in sacks per game average (1.22).
โข The Bruins rate second in the nation in rushing defense (70.4 yards per game) and have held three teams this season to 30 yards of rushing or fewer (Colorado 25, Stanford 24 and Washington State 12). UCLA most recently held three teams to 30 rushing yards or fewer in 1993 (USC seven, BYU 25 and San Diego State 30).
โข UCLA is allowing 16.3 points per game, which would be the lowest season average by a Bruin team since the 1991 squad gave up 15.8 points per game.
โข UCLA is second in the nation allowing just 2.31 yards per rush this season (Penn State is first at 2.0) and is tied for first in the nation (Iowa) with just one rushing touchdown allowed.
โข UCLA opponents are averaging 4.48 yards per play, which is ninth in the nation. Penn State leads the nation at 4.00 yards per play.
โข UCLA is tied for second in the nation with 34 sacks (also Texas A&M), while Penn State tops the nation in the category with 38 sacks.
โข UCLA's defense has given up 13 touchdowns on the year. That ranks first in the Pac-12 and tied for fourth nationally with Penn State (Michigan six, Iowa 10 and Ohio State 10).
โข Opponents have scored a total of 13 touchdowns on 113 drives against the Bruin defense in 2023 ... possessions/touchdown drives: Arizona 9/3, 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 and Coastal Carolina 11/1.
โข WR J.Michael Sturdivant has caught at least one pass in each of the past 21 games (nine with UCLA and 12 with California). He is the only Bruin to have a catch in each game this season.
โข WR Logan Loya leads the team with 37 receptions, including 30 in the past six games. He had 21 total in his first three seasons with the program. Loya had his first 100-yard game against CU (111), on a career-best seven receptions.
โข 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.
TEAM NOTES
โข UCLA enters this week's games as one of six FBS teams with at least 1,840 rushing yards and 2,150 passing yards on the season. Also in the club are LSU, Oregon, New Mexico State, Kansas State and UCF.
โข UCLA has given up just four touchdowns in its four home games this season. On the road, the Bruins have allowed nine touchdowns.
โข UCLA leads the Pac-12 in the following statistics: Rushing Defense (70.4, second nationally), Team Sacks (3.78, second), Tackles for Loss (8.6, third), Passes Intercepted (10, 19th).
โข UCLA has held seven of its nine 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).
โข UCLA has gone 5-3 in November games the past two seasons (0-1 in 2023, 2-2 in 2022 and 3-0 in 2021).
โข UCLA scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the game for the third time this season at Stanford (also NCCU and Coastal Carolina). The Bruin defense has yet to surrender a touchdown on an opponent's first drive this season. Colorado and Oregon State each tallied a field goal for the only opponent first-drive points.
โข Under head coach Chip Kelly, UCLA is 26-7 when it rushes for at least 200 yards in a game.
โข 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.
