The undefeated University of California at Los Angeles Bruins (3-0, 0-0) will head to take on the undefeated University of Arizona Wildcats (3-0, 0-0) this week in a battle between two Pac-12 teams. The Pac-12’s leading rusher, Nick Wilson (434 yards, 5 TDs), and the leading rusher, Paul Perkins (429 yards, 3 TDs) will be featured in this game. It will air Saturday, Sep 26 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
In last week’s matchup, Arizona easily got past Northern Arizona 77-13. Nick Wilson had a great game running the ball in the victory, dashing 19 times for 143 yards and two TDs. Anu Solomon also had a great game with 285 yards and four TDs through the air. UCLA got a close victory over BYU 24-23 in its matchup. Paul Perkins had a huge game running the ball for the Bruins, dashing 26 times for 219 yards and one TD. Nate Starks had a great game as well, adding 81 yards and a TD on seven carries.
The Bruins take on the Wildcats as a four-point favorite this week. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently not available.
Sitting at 3-0 Straight Up (SU) and 2-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Wildcats will look to improve heading into Week 4. They are averaging 54.3 points per game, third-best in the nation. A focal point of Arizona’s offense is the running game, which ranks seventh in the country with 321 rushing yards per game. The Bruins might have a tough time putting up points against Arizona’s scoring defense, which gives up 21.7 points per game. It is critical for the Bruins to prepare for Arizona’s big-play defense. The Wildcats rank 14th in the nation with 1.7 interceptions per game. Concentration could be a key factor in this week’s game. The Wildcats hope to profit on UCLA’s mental lapses, which contributes to 76 penalty yards per game.
As for their opponent, the Bruins head into Week 4 with records of 2-1 ATS and 3-0 SU. Chances are UCLA will continue to rely on its run game, where its 240.3 rushing yards per game ranks 22nd in the nation. Moving on to the UCLA defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. UCLA, only allowing 9.4 yards per pass, has a good chance of shutting down its competitor’s aerial offense.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari
Notes
Arizona is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games.
Arizona is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games at home.
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing UCLA.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona’s last 7 games when playing UCLA.
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against UCLA.
UCLA is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona.
UCLA is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Arizona is 3-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
UCLA holds the upper hand in the passing game, according to overall FBS ratings. Its offensive passing game (ranked 62nd in the nation) will face the 94th-ranked pass defense of Arizona, while its 40th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 45th-ranked aerial attack of the Wildcats.
The Arizona rushing attack is ranked seventh nationally, while the UCLA run defense is only ranked 60th. The Bruins rushing game is ranked 22nd, compared to the 57th-ranked run defense of the Wildcats.
UCLA has allowed 14.0 points per game this year, which is ranked only 56th in the country. Arizona has put up 54.3 points per contest this year and is ranked second in FBS.
