It’s been an up and down season for the UCLA Bruins. Every time they think they have something going, they suffer a frustrating loss, hence the 3-3 record.
The team will now be entering Saturday night’s game full of uncertainty. The status of QB Josh Rosen (319 passing YPG, 10-5 TD-INT), who exited last week’s 31-27 loss to Arizona State with a leg injury, is still up in the air. The Bruins cannot afford to lose Rosen if they want to play a bowl game.
If the sophomore playcaller is unable to suit up, the next guy in line is Mike Fafaul. The junior stepped in last week and was only 3-of-11 for 44 yards and two INTs. Fafaul simply has to be better and smarter in his throws; the team has no running game to save an awful QB play – running backs Soso Jambo and Nate Starks are only adding up for 63 yards per game together, with a pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry.
The Bruins defense will also have to step up in Rosen’s potential absence. The pass defense has been relatively strong this season. They’re allowing the lowest QB rating in the Pac-12, which could be decisive against a pass-happy Cougs team.
The Bruins are 1-4 SU (0-5 ATS) in their last five road games.
After shockingly dropping their first two games, the Washington State Cougars have now won three straight, outscoring opponents 149-55 during the span. With Luke Falk playing very well of late (he has back-to-back 350-plus yard games), the winning streak will likely be extended. The Cougars’ 43.8 points per game is ninth-best in the country.
The junior QB, with his 370 passing YPG average, will look to take advantage of the Bruins’ good pass defense. Expect him to throw the ball to his two favorite targets, River Cracraft and Gabe Marks, who are also the team’s leaders in receptions and receiving yards. The duo has given the cougars 59 receptions, 618 yards, and seven touchdowns this season.
As for the defensive unit, look for them to have an impactful game. If they can limit Stanford’s ultra-skilled RB Christian McCaffrey to 40 total yards, they sure can do that to the Bruins’ suspect offense.
The Cougars are 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 games at home.
