UCLA Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Cal in Week 13
UCLA football will be playing its first game without Jim Mora in Week 13 against Cal. Here’s everything you need to know for the Pac-12 matchup.
What a year it’s been for the UCLA Bruins. To start the season, they mounted a 34-point second-half comeback to beat Texas A&M and it looked like they actually had what it took to compete in the Pac-12. Then the Memphis loss happened. Five losses later, and four wins, and the Bruins are heading into the last week of the season just hoping to make a bowl.
Oh yeah, and Jim Mora was let go following the team’s loss to USC in Week 12.
Josh Rosen leads the offense as probably the most prolific passer in college football. He has 3,515 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with plenty of weapons in the passing game, led by Jordan Lasley, Darren Andrews, Caleb Wilson and Theo Howard. The run game has been mediocre, though.
The Cal Golden Bears, too, are looking to become bowl eligible with a win on Friday. The winner of this game will be headed to a bowl game while the loser will be licking its wounds heading into the offseason. Cal actually has a head coach for 2018, though.
The Golden Bears are led by sophomore quarterback Ross Bowers who has 2,797 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air with 12 interceptions. However, big star in recent weeks has been junior running back Patrick Laird. He has three 100-yard performances in the past four games, totaling 949 yards and eight touchdowns on the year. He could give UCLA’s defense fits.
Here’s how you can watch Friday’s UCLA vs. Cal game:
Date: Friday, Nov. 24
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pasadena, Calif.
Venue: Rose Bowl
TV: FOX Sports 1
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go
Keys to Victory
Staying focused is the main thing for UCLA. There’s still a chance the Bruins can make a bowl, so they need to win, even if they aren’t with the head coach that got them there. It’s never easy to play games after a head coach is let go and you could tell it had an affect on Rosen, possibly more than anyone on the team. He needs to go out and show that this isn’t going to bring him down and remain motivated to reach postseason play.
Cal needs to feed Laird early and often against this lackluster UCLA defense. The rush defense is one of the worst in college football, allowing 288 yards per game on the ground. Laird is coming off three 100-yard performances in four weeks, including 153 last week and 214 against Oregon State. Defensively, obviously keeping Rosen in check is the most crucial key to victory. If the Golden Bears can hold him under 300 yards, anything is possible.
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Prediction
Neither defense will show up to play in this one — shocker. Fortunately for UCLA, the Bruins just have too much firepower on the offensive side of the ball for the Golden Bears. Although Cal has weapons like Patrick Laird and Vic Wharton III for talented gunslinger Ross Bowers, he’s been known to throw some interceptions and he will on Friday. A couple of second half picks will be the difference as Cal’s defense won’t be able to slow down Josh Rosen. Expect 400 yards from the Bruins’ gunslinger.
Final Score: Cal 34, UCLA 38