The UCLA Bruins will look to defend their home field on Saturday against the Washington State Cougars at 3:00 p.m. ET at Rose Bowl. UCLA will really need to gear up for this challenge, as Washington State will be their toughest opponent yet.
UCLA started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Utah. They fell 14-7 to the Utes last Saturday. Having soared to a lofty 59 points in the game before, UCLA's point total in this one was quite the letdown.
The team lost despite holding Utah to a paltry 219 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to UCLA's ability to keep the quarterback under presure: the team laid him out four times before it was all said and done. Leading the way was Kain Medrano and his two sacks.
Meanwhile, Washington State is still undefeated this season after their matchup against Oregon State last Saturday, but Oregon State came as close as anyone has to beating them. Washington State had just enough and edged Oregon State out 38-35. The win was just business as usual for Washington State, who after four games remain undefeated this season.
Washington State's victory was a true team effort, with three players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cameron Ward, who threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns while completing 82.4% of his passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. It was a true group effort though, as the team also got help from Josh Kelly, who picked up 159 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Washington State's win bumped their season record to 4-0 while UCLA's loss dropped theirs to 3-1.
Looking ahead, UCLA is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by four points.