Arizona football has a chance on Saturday to make a huge statement on a national stage when they take on the No. 9 UCLA Bruins on ABC at 5:00 pm.
Here’s a few thoughts to ponder in the next few days before you get up at 2:00 am on Saturday morning, hoping to get a good enough spot for College GameDay.
Have your best anti ASU sign ready.
Injury Issues
When Scooby Wright went down a few weeks ago against UTSA, Arizona fans were in disbelief.
Now, imagine your team had three guys who could be considered for First Team All Pac-12 selections, and then they all went down in a span of three weeks.
That’s what Westwood is dealing with right now.
After losing defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes to a knee injury and cornerback Fabien Moreau to a broken bone in his foot, the Bruins got even worse news on Tuesday.
UCLA head coach Jim Mora announced that Wildcat Killer Myles Jack is done for the year after suffering a knee injury in practice.
On paper, UCLA has more depth on defense than the Wildcats but it won’t be easy to replace the game experience of these Bruins.
Who Leads At the Half?
Rich Rodriguez and Mora joined the Pac-12 in time for the 2012 season.
So far during Rich Rod’s tenure at Arizona he has an impressive 24-2 record when the Cats lead at the half.
One of those losses was suffered last year at the Rose Bowl after the Cats led 7-3 at the break. UCLA’s defense dominated the game and held Arizona to 255 yards of total offense. The Bruins came out strong to start the third quarter and eventually won 17-7.
Arizona Wildcats
Up to this point during the Mora era in Pasadena, the Bruins are a perfect 27-0 when they are leading at the half.
With these harrowing stats, a halftime lead by the Wildcats would be greatly appreciated in the Old Pueblo on Saturday night.
Turnover Margin
The turnover battle cliche’ will be in full effect on Saturday night if you consider what the Cats have accomplished on defense since Jeff Casteel arrived in 2012. Since that time, the Cats have forced turnovers 24 times.
The Cats are 20-4 in those contests.
So far in 2015, Arizona leads the Pac-12 in turnover margin at plus four. The Cats defense has racked up five interceptions and one fumble recovery in their first three games.
The Bruins are dead last at minus two in this category. They have also had a hard time controlling the ball deep in enemy territory, turning the ball over a total of three times in the red zone.
Road Warriors Come Out and Play
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
When Jim Mora was hired at UCLA I didn’t know why the Bruins brass was putting so much stock into an ex-NFL coach with a losing record.
So far it looks like I don’t know what I’m talking about since UCLA is coming off two straight ten-win seasons and three straight seasons finishing with a record of 6-3 in the conference.
The most impressive thing about Mora’s tenure so far is his domination on the road.
He is 14-4 in true road games while at UCLA.
The next stat might scare you if you are an Arizona fan.
Cover your eyes.
With Mora at the wheel, the Bruins have won 11 straight games away from the Rose Bowl.
You can open your eyes for the next stat.
The Wildcats have at least one victory over an AP Top 25 team in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
40 Points
One number you may want to look for on the hometown scoreboard under the Wildcats is 40. The Cats have won 15 straight games when they reach that magic number.
This number has not been difficult for Arizona to reach in the past few years, but there might be a slight problem if certain high-octane players are not healthy and game ready.
As of Tuesday, recently injured Cayleb Jones, Samajie Grant and Trey Griffey were all listed on the two-deep chart for Saturday’s clash against the Bruins. If these guys are limited, look for David Richards to be Anu Solomon’s No. 1 option again.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jerrard Randall may also see more time on the field as a receiver. After his electric performance in the past two games, Rich Rod has stated that he wants to find a way to get Randall on the field more often.
The Bruins defense gives up nearly 150 yards rushing a game, so another 100-yard Nick Wilson game could be in the cards. The Cats are 9-0 when Wilson rushed for over 100 yards.
So far in 2015, the Bruins have given up 14 points a game. Combine that with last year’s anemic scoring at the Rose Bowl and 40 points could be a struggle to find.
This Wildcat fan will be surprised if Arizona fails to put up at least 40 points.
My prediction:
Arizona 45
UCLA 41
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