UCLA
San Diego State
Football Set for Road Opener in San Diego
September 06, 2023 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium
Kickoff Time: 4:39 p.m. PT
Television: CBS
TV Talent: Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst), Justin Walters (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: TBD
SXM App: TBD
THE MATCHUP
The Bruins, who have compiled a 13-4 record in their most recent 17 outings, will take to the road for a matchup with San Diego State (2-0) Saturday. UCLA is looking for its fifth straight non-conference regular-season win in the contest and its first non-conference regular-season road win since the 2016 campaign. After last week's season-opening victory against Coastal Carolina, the Bruins have won their past seven games played in the month of September.
The Bruins have not played the Aztecs in San Diego since the 2005 season. SDSU notched its first win of the series in the most recent meeting of the two teams, a 24-13 decision at Rose Bowl Stadium in 2019.
Saturday's battle with the Aztecs will be televised by CBS, 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 and the Varsity App.
The Bruins opened the 2023 season with a 27-13 win over Coastal Carolina Sept. 2. It marked the third straight season-opening win for UCLA and the third straight season opener in which the Bruins limited their opponent to fewer than 20 points.
SERIES HISTORY
The Bruins and the Aztecs have met 23 times on the gridiron, with UCLA holding a 21-1-1 advantage. This is the first meeting held in San Diego since 2005. San Diego State won the most recent meeting of the teams, a 23-14 decision at Rose Bowl Stadium in 2019. UCLA had won the previous 19 meetings, with a tie in the 1924 contest, after opening the series with wins in 1923 and 1922. The Bruins own an 8-0-1 edge in series games played in San Diego.
AT A GLANCE
โข UCLA has not played at San Diego State since a win in the 2005 season. This is the first UCLA road regular-season non-conference game played since the 2019 season, when the Bruins lost at Cincinnati to open the campaign. UCLA's most recent non-conference road victory came at BYU (17-14) in 2016. Since that win, the Bruins have lost at Memphis in 2017, at Oklahoma in 2018 and to the Bearcats in 2019. UCLA did not play non-conference opponents on the road the following three seasons.
โข UCLA has won six of its past seven regular-season non-conference matchups and most recent four, including its season-opening win versus Coastal Carolina. UCLA recorded a non-conference sweep of its non-conference regular-season games in 2022, which was the first time it had done so since 2015.
โข UCLA is 13-4 overall in its past 17 games dating back to the 2021 season, 8-2 in its past 10 true road games and now 11-5 at Rose Bowl Stadium the past two-plus seasons.
โข UCLA had a road record of 3-1 in 2022 and won its final two such games at California (Nov. 25) and Arizona State (Nov. 5).
โข The Bruins have now won their past seven September games played since Sept. 25, 2021.
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.
โข Quarterback Ethan Garbers, who made his second career start against CCU, played 32 snaps and threw one scoring pass. He totaled 121 passing yards. Dante Moore came off the bench in the second quarter and took 30 snaps, connecting on consecutive passes for two scores through the air, albeit a quarter apart, as the first came in the second quarter and the second was in the fourth. He totaled 143 passing yards in the win.
โข WR J.Michael Sturdivant recorded his second career 100-yard receiving day and first as a Bruin, hauling in five passes for 136 yards that included a 62-yard scoring toss from Moore.
โข The Bruins forced three turnovers by CCU, which tied last year's UCLA single-game season high. A Bruin team most recently recorded more than three takeaways in a game at Washington State during the 2019 campaign (six). UCLA also turned the ball over three times to the Chanticleers and won -- a first since 2019, when the Bruins lost three fumbles at Arizona State.
โข In 2022's four losses, UCLA committed 11 turnovers and forced two.
TEAM NOTES
โข UCLA is 46-10-2 in games played against teams that currently comprise the Mountain West Conference.
โข UCLA ran 60 plays in its win against Coastal Carolina. That is the fewest number of plays in a game run by the Bruins since the 2021 team totaled 53 in a loss to Fresno State. UCLA had most recently run 60 plays or fewer and won a game in 2017 against Hawai'i (55 plays).
โข UCLA has now won 11 straight games when giving up less than 100 yards rushing. The Bruins gave up 56 rushing yards to Coastal Carolina. The Bruins held five 2022 opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing (California - 67, Washington - 65, Colorado - 51, Alabama State - 87 and Bowling Green - 37). The Bruins also held five opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in 2021 (Cal - 92, UW - 83, Stanford - 67, LSU - 49 and Hawai'i - 26).
โข The following defensive players made their first career starts as Bruins in the season opener against CCU: OLB Laiatu Latu, S Kamari Ramsey and DL Keanu Williams. The following offensive players started for the first time as Bruins versus the Chanticleers: OG Josh Carlin, OT Bruno Fina, WR Kyle Ford (two at USC), OG Spencer Holstege (31 at Purdue), RB Carson Steele (19 at Ball State) and WR J.Michael Sturdivant (12 at California).
โข One true freshman, QB Dante Moore, saw action in the opener against CCU.
โข Players who saw their first action as Bruins against CCU were RB Anthony Adkins, S Jordan Anderson, WR Kyle Ford, K Blake Glessner, DL Jake Heimlicher, OG Spencer Holstege, OT Khadere Kounta, TE Moliki Matavao, QB Dante Moore, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, P Will Powers, RB Carson Steele, WR J.Michael Sturdivant, OG Jake Wiley and DL Keanu Williams.
โข UCLA has advanced to secure a bowl bid in each of the past eight seasons it has opened with a win: 2022, 2021, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2009.
โข The Bruins have now won their past seven September games played since Sept. 25, 2021.
