UCLA
Boise State
SoFi Stadium to Host Bruins for Saturday's LA Bowl
December 14, 2023 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: SoFi Stadium
Kickoff Time: 4:36ย p.m. PT
Television: ABC
TV Talent: Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), Kayla Burton (sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG College): AM570
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
National Radio (ESPN): Mike Couzens (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (analyst)
SiriusXM/SXM App: Ch. 84/Ch. 80
THE MATCHUP
UCLA, a winner in 19 of its past 28 overall games, will remain in the Los Angeles area for the holidays and take on Boise State in the third annual Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk. The game will be played at SoFi Stadium, the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams, in Inglewood, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 16.
The Bruins and Broncos, champions of the Mountain West Conference, have met just once before on the gridiron, a 38-7 UCLA victory in 1999 at Rose Bowl Stadium.
UCLA has the Pac-12's top-rated team in total defense (299.0 yards per game), rushing defense (69.9 yards per game), sacks (3.42 per game), tackles for loss (8.20 per game), rushing offense (191.1 yards per game) and yards per rush allowed (2.33). The Bruins are second in the Pac-12 in turnovers gained (23) and passes intercepted (14). UCLA has held eight of its 12 opponents this season to fewer than 20 points and ranks 15th in the nation in scoring defense (18.1 points per game).
Saturday's battle will be televised by the ABC, with coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT. The Bruin IMG Radio Network will broadcast the contest, which will also be aired over SiriusXM, ESPN Radio and the Varsity App.
SERIES HISTORY
Boise State and UCLA have met just once before and that was in the season-opener for both squads in 1999. UCLA was coming off of back-to-back Pac-10 Championship seasons at the time but was looking to replace record-setting quarterback Cade McNown who had gone on to be a first-round selection of the Chicago Bears in the 1999 NFL Draft. New quarterbacks Drew Bennett and Cory Paus helped lead UCLA to a 38-7 decision. Running back DeShaun Foster, now a coach for the Bruins, also played a role in the win from his running back position.
AT A GLANCE
โข UCLA has been invited to three straight bowl games and owns an overall bowl record of 16-20-1. Its most recent win came in the 2015 Valero Alamo Bowl against Kansas State.
โข UCLA is 7-0 this season when scoring at least 25 points. In the five games it has lost in 2023, UCLA has led for a total of 16 seconds.
โข UCLA has 99 tackles for loss (TFLs) on the season. The program record (since 2000, when NCAA began tracking TFLs) is 114 in 2007. The total of 99 is the most by a Bruin team since the 2012 squad had 100. The Bruins have been credited with 41 sacks on the season, which is the most since the 2012 team totaled a program high of 47.
โข UCLA leads the Pac-12 in rushing offense (191.1 yards per game) and averaged 237.3 yards per game in wins and 134.2 in losses. It scored 17 of its 19 rushing touchdowns in wins.
โข UCLA has forced 17 turnovers in its seven wins this season and six in its five losses.
โข DB Alex Johnson leads the Pac-12 with four interceptions (16th nationally). He also owns the Pac-12 lead with an average of 0.3 interceptions per game (20th overall). His four picks are the most by a Bruin player since Randall Goforth had four in 2016. No Bruin has had more than four interceptions in a season since 2009, when Rahim Moore had 10.
โข DL Laiatu Latu was named UCLA's fifth-ever Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last week, joining Brian Price (2009), Dave Ball (2003), Robert Thomas (2001) and Mark Walen (1985).
โข The Bruins lead the nation in rushing defense (69.6 yards per game) and have held four teams this season to 30 yards of rushing or fewer (USC three, Colorado 25, Stanford 24 and Washington State 12). UCLA had most recently held four teams to 30 rushing yards or fewer in 1985 (Oregon State two, Stanford seven, Arizona State 18 and San Diego State 14).
โข UCLA is allowing 18.1 points per game, which would be the lowest season average by a Bruin team since the 1991 squad gave up 15.8. A Bruin team previously finished a season with an average under 20 points in 2006 (19.9).
โข UCLA rates second in the nation allowing just 2.33 yards per rush this season (Penn State is first at 2.16). UCLA most recently had a lower mark in 1985 (2.12).
โข The Bruins lead the nation with just three rushing touchdowns allowed. Iowa has allowed four, while Ohio State has given up five.
โข UCLA opponents are averaging 4.55 yards per play, which is eighth in the nation. Penn State leads the country at 3.91.
โข UCLA is sixth in the country with 41 sacks this season. Penn State tops the nation with 48. The UCLA school record for sacks in a season is 47 in 2012.
โข The UCLA defense has allowed just 19 touchdowns on the year, which rates fifth nationally. Ohio State is the leader with 13 scores allowed.
โข The Bruin defense has given up multiple touchdowns in just five games, while opponents have scored a total of 19 touchdowns on 147 drives in 2023 ... Possessions/touchdown drives: California 11/2, USC 12/2, ASU 11/2, Arizona 9/3, CU 13/1, Stanford 13/1, Oregon State 11/3, WSU 16/1, Utah 14/1, North Carolina Central 13/1, SDSU 13/1 and Coastal Carolina 11/1.
PREVIOUS MEETING
In the only previous matchup of the programs, the Bruin quarterbacking duo of junior Drew Bennett and freshman Cory Paus led UCLA past Boise State 38-7 in the season opener for both schools. UCLA was coming off back-to-back Pac-10 championships and looking to replace record-setting QB Cade McNown, who was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears.
Bennett started the game and completed 8-of-16 passes for 120 yards, including a 65-yard scoring strike to TE Randy Hakes just over six minutes into the second half that gave the Bruins a commanding 31-0 lead. Paus came off the bench and was 12-of-18 for 128 yards with a pair of interceptions. He found TE Gabe Crecion with a five-yard touchdown pass with 5:30 left in the first half, staking UCLA to a 24-0 advantage by the intermission.
DeShaun Foster rushed for 55 yards on 17 carries and gave UCLA a 10-0 lead thanks to a four-yard scoring jaunt with 11:21 left in the first half. CB Julius Williams' 53-yard interception return made it 17-0 less than three minutes later. With the victory, UCLA ran its regular-season home winning streak to 11 games.
TEAM NOTES
โข UCLA leads the Pac-12 in the following statistics: Rushing Defense (69.6 yards per game, first), Team Sacks (3.42 per game, fifth), Tackles for Loss (8.2 per game, third), Total Defense (299.0, 11th) and Rushing Offense (191.1 yards per game, 21st).
โข UCLA has held eight of its 12 opponents to fewer than 20 points this season. It most recently held more than eight teams to fewer than 20 in 1987 (nine).
โข UCLA has held the lead for a total of 16 seconds this season in the five losses to Cal, Arizona State, Arizona, Oregon State and Utah. That lead came against Cal. The Bruins trailed for the whole game against the other four teams.
โข The Bruin defense has yet to surrender a touchdown on an opponent's first drive this season. Cal, Colorado and Oregon State each tallied a field goal for the only opponent first-drive points.
โข In its losses this season, UCLA had scored on 9 of 20 trips into the red zone: Cal 1/5, ASU 1/3, Arizona 2/5, Oregon State 4/5 and Utah 1/2.
โข With an eighth win in 2023, Chip Kelly would join Jim Mora (2012-15), Terry Donahue (1984-88) and Henry "Red" Sanders (1952-55) as the only UCLA head coaches to lead teams to at least eight wins in at least three straight seasons.
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 14 of the last 15 games when forcing multiple turnovers. The Bruins have forced multiple turnovers in seven of this season's 12 games while earning six wins.
โข UCLA is 19-4 under Kelly when committing fewer turnovers than its counterparts and 4-20 when committing more than the opposition.
โข The USC game was UCLA's third this season in which it did not commit a turnover (also Arizona and Stanford).
UCLA BOWL GAME RECORDS
INDIVIDUAL
Total Offensive Plays: 59 - Brett Hundley, 2013 Holiday Bowl vs. Baylor
Total Offensive Yards: 387 - Brett Hundley, 2013 Sun Bowl vs. Virginia Tech
Rushing Attempts: 33 - Gaston Green, 1986 Freedom Bowl vs. BYU
Net Rushing Yards: 266 - Gaston Green, 1986 Freedom Bowl vs. BYU
Longest Rush: 86 - Brett Hundley, 2013 Sun Bowl vs. Virginia Tech
Rushing Touchdowns: 4 - Eric Ball, 1986 Rose Bowl vs. Iowa
Passing Yards: 340 - Cade McNown, 1999 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Passes Attempted: 50 - Brett Hundley, 2012 Holiday Bowl vs. Baylor
Passes Completed: 28 - Wayne Cook, 1994 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Touchdown Passes: 4 - Rick Neuheisel, 1984 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois
Receptions: 14 - J.J. Stokes, 1994 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Receiving Yards: 180 - Freddie Mitchell, 2000 Sun Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Touchdown Receptions: 2 - Craig Bragg, 2004 Las Vegas Bowl vs. Wyoming, Karl Dorrell, 1984 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois and Wally Henry, 1976 Rose Bowl vs. Ohio State
Longest Pass Play: 78 - Patrick Cowan to Brandon Breazell, 2006 Emerald Bowl vs. Florida St.
Points: 24 - Eric Ball, 1986 Rose Bowl vs. Iowa
Touchdowns: 4 - Eric Ball, 1986 Rose Bowl vs. Iowa
Interceptions: 2 - Don Rogers, 1984 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois and Bob Stiles, 1966 Rose Bowl vs. Michigan State
Punts: 9 - Chris Kluwe, 2003 Silicon Valley Classic vs. Fresno State and Larry Cox, 1966 Rose Bowl vs. Michigan State
Punting Average: 47.8 - Kevin Buenafe, 1981 Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Michigan
Punt Returns: 5 - Lupe Sanchez, 1984 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois
Punt Return Yardage: 89 - Craig Bragg, 2002 Las Vegas Bowl vs. New Mexico
Longest Punt Return: 74 - Craig Bragg, 2002 Las Vegas Bowl vs. New Mexico
Kickoff Returns: 6 - Roosevelt Davis, 2015 Foster Farms Bowl vs. Nebraska and Wally Henry, 1976 Liberty Bowl vs. Alabama
Kickoff Return Yardage: 178 - Al Hoisch, 1947 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois
Longest Kickoff Return: 103 - Al Hoisch, 1947 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois
All-Purpose Yards: 266 - Gaston Green, 1986 Freedom Bowl vs. BYU
Field Goals: 3 - Kai Forbath, 2007 Las Vegas Bowl vs. BYU and John Lee, 1985 Fiesta Bowl vs. Miami
TEAM
Overall Record: 16-20-1
Points: 50, 2005 Sun Bowl vs. Northwestern
Most Points Allowed: 51, 1995 Aloha Bowl vs. Kansas
Fewest Points Allowed: 3, 1991 Hancock Bowl vs. Illinois and 1989 Cotton Bowl vs. Arkansas
Total Offensive Plays: 84, 1984 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois
Total Offensive Yards: 538, 1999 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Rush Attempts: 55, 1989 Cotton Bowl vs. Arkansas and 1986 Rose Bowl vs. Iowa and1978 Fiesta Bowl vs. Arkansas
Net Yards Rushing: 423, 1986 Freedom Bowl vs. BYU
Passing Yards: 418, 1999 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Passes Attempted: 50, 2012 Holiday Bowl vs. Baylor
Passes Completed: 28, 1994 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Interceptions By: 4, 1984 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois
First Downs: 31, 1994 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Punts: 11, 1966 Rose Bowl vs. Michigan State
Punting Average: 47.8, 1981 Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Michigan
Penalties: 15, 2014 Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Kansas State
Penalty Yards: 143, 1981 Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Michigan
Touchdowns: 7, 2005 Sun Bowl vs. Northwestern (6, 2013 Sun Bowl; 1986 Rose Bowl vs. Iowa; 1984 Rose Bowl vs. Illinois
