UCLA heads into Minneapolis with a few familiar absences and one encouraging name back in the mix as the Bruins get set for a Week 10 conference matchup against the 5-3 Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The initial availability report already spells out some of the damage. Ashton Sanders and Ryan McCulloch will both be out, adding to the season-long injury issues that have taken a toll on UCLA’s offense. The Bruins are also down Davis for the second straight week, a notable hit since he has arguably been their best offensive lineman this season.
That absence matters most if UCLA wants to get its ground game rolling the way it did earlier in the year. Davis would have been a major piece of that plan, and without him in the starting lineup, the Bruins may have to lean more heavily on Ty Dieffenbach to move the offense through the air.
There is at least one positive development on the injury front. Brian Rowe, who was hurt against Nevada last week after hauling in a sideline catch to keep the chains moving, is listed as probable active. That gives Dieffenbach one of his top targets back for a tough road test.
UCLA has been forced to patch things together all season, especially in the wide receiver room, but Bob Chesney and the Bruins have managed to work through the setbacks so far. They’ll need that same approach again if they want to keep the win streak alive and move to 9-0 on the road.
In Other News...
UCLA Showed Its Ceiling But One Problem Still Looms
UCLA opened the season by taking down No. 5 Arizona, a result that should send the Bruins climbing in the next AP poll and immediately sharpened the conversation around what this team can become. For long stretches, they looked like a group with real upside, especially in the first half, when the pace and execution suggested they could hang with one of the nations best and maybe more.
The harder part came after halftime, when Arizona found its footing and turned the game into a test of composure rather than talent. UCLA still finished the job, but the Bruins also left the kind of reminder that good teams usually need early in the year: the ceiling is high, yet the consistency and shot-making have to improve if they want to live up to it over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Opener May Have Revealed A New Rotation Answer
UCLAs season-opening win over Arizona offered more than an encouraging result, it gave Mick Cronin a first look at how this roster might function when the minutes start to settle in. Nine players contributed, and the Bruins coach leaned into the value of basketball IQ and defined roles, not just scoring, as he assessed a group that looked comfortable sharing the load from the jump.
One of the more intriguing byproducts was the way the backcourt and wing rotation began to sort itself out in real time. Starting point guard Trent Perry praised Sergej Macura for playing with no hesitation in limited minutes, a useful sign for a team that will need reliable pieces whenever the lineup gets shuffled. For UCLA, the bigger question now is how those minutes are distributed once the roster is whole again. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Playoff Race Just Got A Lot More Complicated
The first College Football Playoff rankings brought a jolt to UCLAs unbeaten season, and not the kind the Bruins were hoping for. Even with a spotless record and a No. 5 spot in the AP poll, the committee put UCLA at No. 8, a reminder that style points and rsum strength matter as much as wins in the eyes of the selection group.
For UCLA, the path forward is now a lot less forgiving. The Bruins still have a chance to climb, but theyll need to keep stacking victories while making their case against a schedule that leaves little room for error, especially in a conference the committee views as highly competitive. Every remaining game now carries extra weight, because the margin for moving up could be slimmer than the record suggests. [Read more 🡒]