No. 7 UCLA gets its final nonconference test Saturday, and the Bruins have little room to coast.
Nevada comes to the Rose Bowl with a 3-4 record and a 2-2 mark in Mountain West play, while UCLA enters at 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten. Kickoff is set for 1:15 p.m., with the game on Big Ten Network and 790 AM. The Bruins are favored by 22.5 points.
Because this is a nonconference matchup, neither team has to submit an injury report.
The bigger picture for UCLA is hard to miss. After this game, the Bruins step into what the source describes as their toughest four-game stretch of the season, and they need to keep building momentum if they want to make a real push for their first College Football Playoff appearance. This one is supposed to be a tune-up, but only if UCLA handles it cleanly.
On paper, the Bruins have the clear advantage. They’re the more gifted team across the roster and should look sharper than they did in their last nonconference game, a Sept. 12 meeting with San Diego State.
Ty Dieffenbach, who has started against Wisconsin and Michigan State this season, could take a noticeable step forward in his third start at quarterback. Expect UCLA to lean on its ground game, especially against a Nevada front seven that has been described as middling.
Nevada does have some offensive ability. Former UCLA quarterback Luke Duncan will likely start for the Wolf Pack after guiding them to a 15-point win over San Jose State in his most recent outing. The Wolf Pack rank fifth in the Mountain West in total offense at 358.6 yards per game, so they’re capable of pushing the ball downfield.
Still, UCLA’s defense has been dominant all year, and Nevada is about to see the toughest challenge it has faced.
The key battle is Dieffenbach against Nevada’s pass defense. The quarterback has already handled some strong defenses and, through two starts, has looked more than serviceable.
Now he gets a Wolf Pack secondary that ranks among the best in the Group of Six and allows just 153.9 passing yards per game. That matters because Nevada may try to take away UCLA’s run game and force the Bruins to work through the air.
The projection here is simple: UCLA 38, Nevada 6. The Bruins are expected to cruise to their eighth straight win behind a big afternoon from Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods. And with Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and USC coming up, Bob Chesney’s team is expected to stay locked in rather than peeking ahead.
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