The Pac-12 has been chaotic this season, with every team having trouble avoiding defeat in this competitive league. This week, the UCLA Bruins will look to avoid a second loss in league play when they travel to take on the Washington Huskies. In this contest, the question will be whether Washington can generate enough offense to make it past the Bruins to get to .500 on the year.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA has alternated wins and losses in each of their last five games, picking up a win over Arizona in their last time out. Heading into this game, UCLA is 2-0 on the road and 2-1 in Pac-12 play, with the Bruins being just one game out of first place in the Pac-12 South standings. A big reason for their success so far this year has been the balance of the UCLA offense, which has generated over 200 yards a game both through the air and on the ground.
This week, the challenge for UCLA will be moving the ball as effectively as they have for most of the year against a Washington defense that is better than they are used to. Washington is allowing under 20 points per game and under 150 passing yards per game. That could pose a problem for a UCLA offense that uses its running and passing games to set one another up and keep defenses off-balance.
Washington Huskies
Washington lost its last game, which took place two weeks ago, falling by a score of 27-24 against the Oregon State Beavers. The offense of the Huskies fell short once again in this game, as Washington was right near its season average of 25 points per game in the losing effort. This week, Washington is likely to need more points than they have been putting up in order to really push UCLA to the limit.
This has been a rough year for the Huskies, as they lost a game to FCS opponent Montana to go with their losses to Michigan and Oregon State. If not for an overtime win against one of the cellar dwellers of the Pac-12 in California, Washington could be looking at a 1-4 start to this season. But the Huskies still have a chance to win this game and should not be completely counted out as they look to bounce back here.
UCLA Will Continue Road Success
This week, the UCLA Bruins are likely to continue to win games away from home and move to 3-1 in Pac-12 play. UCLA is a slight underdog in this contest, coming in as a 1.5-point underdog against the spread. But UCLA has been so much better than Washington at moving the ball and putting up points that they should be favored in this matchup.
For Washington, the only chance they have in this game is to make it a low-scoring affair. Grinding out first downs on the ground to control the clock and limiting UCLA’s scoring chances are musts, as this team cannot afford to get into a shootout of any kind.