This Saturday, the Arizona Wildcats are hoping to patch up the holes in a defense that has allowed an average of 38.22 points per contest. They will hit the road for the second straight week as they head to Rose Bowl at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The UCLA Bruins will be strutting in after a win while the Wildcats will be stumbling in from a defeat.
Arizona has to be hurting after a devastating 45-20 loss at the hands of the Utah Utes last week. Arizona was down 31-10 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. QB Jayden de Laura wasn't much of a difference maker for Arizona; de Laura fumbled the ball twice with only 159 yards passing.
Meanwhile, UCLA was able to grind out a solid victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils last week, winning 50-36. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson was a one-man wrecking crew for UCLA, passing for two TDs and 169 yards on 20 attempts in addition to rushing for two TDs and 110 yards and catching one pass for 42 yards. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Thompson-Robinson has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season.
The Wildcats have to know they'll be fighting an uphill battle given the 19.5-point spread they are up against. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the squad has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
Arizona is now 3-6 while the Bruins sit at 8-1. UCLA is 6-1 after wins this season, and Arizona is 2-3 after losses.