Crosstown Rivals Clash Saturday at Rose Bowl
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium
Kickoff Time: 5:05 p.m. PT
Television: FOX
TV Talent: Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Allison Williams (sideline)
Local Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG College): AM 1150
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
SiriusXM/SXM App: Ch. 84
National Radio Talent (Westwood One): J.P. Shadrick (play-by-play), Ryan Leaf (analyst)
THE MATCHUP
UCLA, ranked No. 16 by the Associated Press and coaches this week, will host No. 7/6 USC Saturday for a Pac-12 battle featuring two of the nation's highest-scoring teams. The contest will be televised by FOX, beginning at 5 p.m. PT. UCLA was rated No. 12 in the latest College Football Playoff selection committee listing Nov. 8. The two teams have split the past 10 meetings while UCLA holds an 11-8 edge in series games played in the Rose Bowl. The Bruin IMG Radio Network will broadcast the contest, which will also be aired over SiriusXM and the Varsity App. Westwood One provides national radio coverage.
Last week, the Bruins dropped a 34-28 decision to Arizona — despite Zach Charbonnet rushing for 181 yards and three scores — snapping an eight-game home field win streak over the past two seasons. Two weeks ago, UCLA defeated Arizona State 50-36 in Tempe, Ariz. for its seventh win in its last nine Pac-12 road games. The Bruins ran for 402 yards, the most since 2010. In its last home contest, UCLA dealt Stanford a 38-13 decision. Zach Charbonnet accounted for 259 all-purpose yards, including a career-high tying 198 yards on the ground. The previous week, UCLA saw its nine-game win streak stopped at Oregon in a 45-30 verdict. Charbonnet ran for 151 yards, Jake Bobo caught eight passes for 101 yards and Dorian Thompson-Robinson generated 300 yards of offense.
AT A GLANCE
• In 2022, the Rose Bowl is celebrating its 100th year of hosting some of the world's major sports and entertainment events.
• The Bruins and Trojans have split the past 10 meetings in the series. The winner of the UCLA-USC game has scored 34 or more points in 10 of the last 11 contests.
• UCLA has won 11 of its past 13 overall games ... it has won eight of its past nine home games (six of seven in 2022 and the last two in 2021).
• The 8-2 record to date is UCLA's best start to a season since the 2014 squad also started 8-2. The UCLA school record for wins in a season is 10, which has been achieved nine times (last in 2014). The last time UCLA, now 5-2 in Pac-12 play, finished a conference season with two or fewer losses was in 2005 (6-2). UCLA has twice played in the Pac-12 Championship Game — in 2011 and 2012. The Bruins captured the Pac-12 South championship each year.
• UCLA's last win over an AP top-10 ranked opponent came in a 34-12 decision at No. 7 Texas in 2010.
• With 181 yards last week versus Arizona, Zach Charbonnet became UCLA's ninth ball carrier to record back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons (1,145 in 2022 and 1,137 in 2021).
• RECORD WATCH: DB Stephan Blaylock and OL Atonio Mafi each played in his 53rd career game against Arizona to match the school record held by multiple players. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (11,569) needs 145 yards of total offense to move past Brett Hundley (2011-14) for the all-time school record. Thompson-Robinson (104) needs three touchdowns accounted for to move past Hundley, who had 106, for the all-time school lead. Thompson-Robinson (800) needs 38 completions to pass Hundley for the all-time school lead. Thompson-Robinson (9,926) needs 41 passing yards to pass Hundley for second on the all-time school list.
• The Bruins are one of six teams in the country (Tennessee, North Carolina, Oregon, Ohio State and Georgia) averaging more than 500 yards of total offense per game in 2022. UCLA has exceeded the 500-yard mark in a game five times this season (571 at Arizona State, 523 versus Stanford, 502 versus Utah, 515 at Colorado and 626 against Bowling Green).
• UCLA is the only team in the country that has exceeded 2,400 rushing yards and 2,600 passing yards this season.
• RB Zach Charbonnet leads the nation in all-purpose yards per game (176.88) ... he has rushed for at least one touchdown in each of the past 10 Pac-12 games he has played ... he has run for at least 100 yards in each of the past eight Pac-12 games he has played for a total of 1,229 yards on 168 carries (7.3 yards per run) and 14 touchdowns ... he leads the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game (143.13) ... he is the only Pac-12 performer averaging more than 100 yards a game on the ground this season.
• Dorian Thompson-Robinson rates third nationally with a completion percentage of .710 and 14th in passing efficiency at 160.1.
LAST MEETINGS
In last year's meeting in the Coliseum, Dorian Thompson-Robinson totaled 349 passing yards and accounted for six touchdowns to lead UCLA past USC 62-33.The Bruins' 62 points were the most scored by UCLA in the crosstown series, which began in 1929.Thompson-Robinson completed 16 of 22 passes, threw four touchdowns and rushed for 46 yards and two more scores. As a team, the Bruins finished with 609 total offense yards. Kazmeir Allen scored three touchdowns – two through the air and a 100-yard kickoff return late in the third quarter. Zach Charbonnet added 167 rushing yards. UCLA's 29-point margin marked the Bruins' largest against USC since a 34-0 win in 1954.
In the most recent meeting of the programs at the Rose Bowl, which occurred in 2020, Thompson-Robinson completed 30 of 36 passes for 364 yards and four scores. The Bruins took the lead on a Nicholas Barr-Mira field goal with 52 seconds remaining, but USC rallied with a late score to record a 43-38 victory. Greg Dulcich accounted for career highs in catches (eight) and receiving yards (167) while scoring a touchdown. Thompson-Robinson added 50 yards rushing. Defensively, Mo Osling III had a then-career high of 12 tackles.
TEAM NOTES
• UCLA has won eight of its past nine home games (six of seven in 2022 and the last two in 2021).
• UCLA has 2,640 passing yards and 2,400 rushing yards. No other FBS team has reached both totals through 10 games this season.
• Top-20 Bruin NCAA rankings: Completion Percentage - fourth (.708), Total Offense - fifth (504.0 yards per game), 3rd Down Conversion Pct - sixth (.520), rushing offense - eighth (240.0 yards per game), scoring - 11th (39.5 points per game), Team Passing Efficiency - 12th (159.99), and Tackles for Loss Allowed - 16th (4.20).
• UCLA has forced at least one turnover in 10 of its past 12 games ... it has not forced a turnover in the two games it has lost this season ... UCLA is +25 turnovers in wins and -26 in losses overall under head coach Chip Kelly... in 2021, UCLA was +5 in turnovers for the season, but committed seven of its 14 turnovers in its four 2021 losses ... in its four 2020 losses, UCLA committed 12 of its 13 turnovers on the season.
• UCLA is averaging 39.5 points per game ... it has averaged 40 points per game for a season twice before — 42.7 in 1973 and 40.8 in 1954.
• The Bruins are ranked fifth in the NCAA (second in Pac-12) in total offense this week (504.0 yards per game) ... UCLA compiled 626 yards of total offense in its win against Bowling Green, the most since it racked up 657 in a comeback win at Washington State Sept. 22, 2019. Three times in Coach Kelly's Bruin tenure has one of his teams recorded 600 or more yards (also 609 at USC in 2021).
• UCLA is rated 69th in the nation (fourth in Pac-12) in total defense (378.8 yards per game) entering the week ... it held BGSU to 162 yards of total offense in the opener (39 rushing, 125 passing) ... it marked the first time UCLA held a team under 200 yards since its 2020 game against California (176). The last time a UCLA defense limited an opponent to fewer than 162 yards of total offense was 2008, when Arizona State gained 122 yards (21 rushing, 101 passing).
• UCLA has scored seven touchdowns of 50 or more yards this season after producing three in 2021. Against BGSU, the the Bruins registered a Dorian Thompson-Robinson 68-yard run, a 52-yard catch and run by Keegan Jones from Thompson-Robinson and a 50-yard strike from Ethan Garbers to Josiah Norwood.The Bruins added a 70-yard pass play from Thompson-Robinson to Logan Loya against Utah. Kazmeir Allen raced 72 yards against Stanford and 75 more at Arizona State. Hudson Habermehl scored on a 51-yard pass play versus Arizona.
• UCLA has captured wins in seven of nine Pac-12 road contests over the past two-plus seasons.
• UCLA was listed No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings with last Tuesday's announcement. It was the 12th overall appearance by the Bruins in the rankings. The highest UCLA has ever been placed in the CFP rankings is No. 8 (Nov. 25, 2014).