UCLA Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Stanford in Week 4

Both Stanford and UCLA football are coming off tough losses to Group of Five schools. Will the Bruins or Cardinal manage to rebound in their Week 4 clash?

Last Saturday was filled with upsets. The day began with UCLA falling 48-45 at Memphis, and ended with Stanford’s 20-17 collapse at San Diego State. For the Bruins, it was their first loss of the season. For the Cardinal, the defeat against the Aztecs pushed them below .500 in the season standings.

Now the two teams meet in Week 4, with both teams looking for a rebound victory after tough losses to Group of Five opponents on the road. The Bruins head north to the Bay Area to take on Stanford. The Cardinal have won nine straight against UCLA dating back to 2009, including a victory in the 2012 Pac-12 championship game.

Last year this game ended in a 22-13 Cardinal victory at the Rose Bowl. But the two teams are at vastly different points than they were last year, and UCLA will arrive at Stanford Stadium confident in their chances of ending the losing streak. It will all come down to how well their defense performs against a strong Stanford running game.

David Shaw’s team already has a loss in conference play after falling 42-24 in Week 2 at USC. UCLA is just opening up conference play with its first Pac-12 game of the year. Will the Cardinal make up ground in the Pac-12 North, or will it be Jim Mora’s team that keeps pace in the Pac-12 South?

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s game between Stanford and UCLA:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 23
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Stanford, Calif.
Venue: Stanford Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

If UCLA is going to pull off the upset as a one-touchdown underdog on the road, they will need their front seven to step up and play much better than they have in their first three outings of 2017. The Bruins are ranked 122nd in the FBS in rushing defense, as they are giving up an average of 275 yards per game so far this year. Bryce Love is going to get yards against the Bruins, but they will need to keep him out of the endzone on Saturday night to have a chance at victory.

The Bruins also need Josh Rosen to rebound from his hot-and-cold performance at Memphis last weekend. Though he threw for 463 yards and four scores, Rosen also tossed his first two interceptions of the season in the loss to the Tigers. Jim Mora will need Rosen to be less cavalier with the football against a dangerous Stanford defense.

For Stanford, the Cardinal offense needs much better play from Keller Chryst at quarterback. After starting the year 14-of-24 for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Rice, Chryst has regressed each week. In the San Diego State game, Chryst was just 9-of-20 for 73 yards and a pair of interceptions. He doesn’t need to be perfect, but Chryst needs to be more effective throwing the ball to beat UCLA.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review

Point Spread: Stanford -7.5
Over/Under: 63.5

Prediction

Before the season, I predicted that Stanford would win its 10th straight against UCLA in an 11-point victory at home. The oddsmakers are still plenty confident in the Cardinal, despite a defense that has been susceptible to big plays and an offense that is becoming increasingly one-dimensional. There is little reason to be as confident in that preseason pick.

Instead, look for this to be a back-and-forth #Pac12AfterDark thriller in the South Bay. Bryce Love is going to rip off several long touchdown runs to give Stanford a first-half lead. Love will finish with over 200 rushing yards on the night, but UCLA will chip away at the lead after halftime.

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Josh Rosen will once again be the hero for the Bruins as he leads a comeback victory. The two teams will trade touchdowns in the final quarter, with the Bruins scoring last to secure the upset on the road. Rosen will hit Darren Andrews for the winning score in the final minute as coverage breaks down for the Cardinal.

Final Score: UCLA 31, Stanford 27

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