#10 Washington (4-1) vs. UCLA (0-4)
Saturday, October 6th @ 4:30 p.m. PST
Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, California)
Line: Washington -21.0
TV: FOX
Radio: KOMO
The Huskies will face off against the UCLA Bruins tomorrow afternoon in Pasadena, California at Rose Bowl Stadium.
Last week the Huskies faced a stiff test at home in #20 BYU and they passed with flying colors in a resounding statement win.
This week, a winless opponent awaits the Huskies as they travel on the road, which marks the first of three roads games in the month of October.
The Bruins enter the contest trying to find their true identity as a program with hopes of getting their first breakthrough win of the season.
While the Huskies are heavy favorites in this game, the coaches and the players are not taking UCLA lightly.
“I think they’re improving, is what I think. We all get how hard it is to be new, to be a new staff, putting your system and how you do everything. We know a lot of these guys at UCLA, not only the coaches but also the players that they have. You can see them improving. They’re playing a lot of young guys. Each week they’re getting a little bit better. Obviously, the respect we have for Chip and his staff. Those are smart guys. They’ll stick to their process and their script and those guys will continually get better.” Head coach Chris Petersen said earlier this week.
If the Huskies were to win this game, it would be a “tone-setter” for the rest of the month of October while gaining full confidence in winning on the road.
KEY PLAYERS: WASHINGTON
QB – Jake Browning
Jake Browning is firing on all cylinders right now and last week he became the all-time leader in school history for passing yards in surpassing former Husky QB Cody Pickett.
RB – Myles Gaskin
Myles Gaskin has been ramping up his output the last few games with an average of 103 yards per game. The multidimensional back is the heart and soul of the offense.
DB – Myles Bryant
Myles Bryant is the “nickel” specialist for the Husky defense and last game he led the team with 7 tackles and earned the defensive player of the week from Husky coaches.
KEY PLAYERS: UCLA
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a freshman who has completed 52.7% of his passes for 3 TD’s and 2 interceptions while averaging 165 passing yards per game.
RB – Joshua Kelley
Joshua Kelley is an explosive running back who is coming off a great game against Colorado where he had 124 yards on the ground on 12 carries.
DB – Darnay Holmes
Darnay Holmes is an ultra-talented player in the secondary who is on the Paul Hornung Award Watch list and is also a threat on special teams as an elite playmaker.
GAME NOTES
– The Washington Huskies have not beaten the UCLA Bruins on the road at Rose Bowl Stadium since 1995 when Damon Huard led the Huskies to a 38-14 victory.
– Chris Petersen is making his first appearance as a head coach at Rose Bowl Stadium.
– UW has allowed just one pass TD this year, and that came on the first drive of the first game (vs. Auburn)
– Including Washington (4-1), the teams the Bruins will face in their first five games of the season own a combined record of 21-2 going into this week’s action — Cincinnati (5-0), Oklahoma (5-0), Fresno State (3-1), Colorado (4-0).
– UCLA enjoys a 9-game edge in the series, with 40 wins, 31 losses and two ties in 73 all-time games against Washington.
PREDICTIONS (Cascadia Sports Staff)
Mazvita Maraire (3-0)
Chris Petersen makes his first visit to the Rose Bowl and watches his team play the role of rude guests in their game with the undermatched UCLA Bruins. Huskies ground game proves too much for Bruins.
Washington 28 – UCLA 0
Jeff Wright (3-0)
I’m getting lots of feedback from Husky fans and angst about this game because it’s the true definition of a “trap game” this week. The Huskies are facing an 0-4 team on the road at Rose Bowl Stadium where the Huskies haven’t defeated UCLA since 1995. What follows is a showdown against the Oregon Ducks the following weekend at Autzen Stadium. I think this team learned their lesson last year at Arizona State and they are not overlooking the Bruins. The team will be fully focused on the task at hand and handle their business. They will settle in around the end of the first quarter and never look back. They will make a statement on the road, and set the tone for the rest of the month of October where they play 3 out of 4 games on the road. In the end, the Huskies simply have too much talent, experience and too much to play for! “Coach Elite Pete” , has historically fared well against Chip Kelly throughout his head coaching career. I call it for the “Road Dawgs”!
Washington 42 – UCLA 10
