UCLA heads into its Week 8 matchup with Michigan State in a much cleaner place than the Spartans, at least when it comes to the injury report.
The Bruins had just eight players listed on the initial availability report, and several of them were already expected. Michigan State’s side looked far more crowded, with 17 players on the report entering the weekend. That group included starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and Jaziun Patterson, who is now the Spartans’ lead back after Cam Edwards suffered a season-ending injury weeks ago.
UCLA is not fully out of the woods, though. Seven Bruins are still unavailable, and the most significant name among them is Jordan Davis.
He is set to miss a second straight game, which matters for a team trying to shake off a sluggish rushing performance from last week. Losing a talented tackle does not make that job any easier.
The secondary is also short-handed, with Rodrick Pleasant and Tao Johnson out. That means the depth pieces in the defensive backfield will need to answer the bell, the same way safety Ta’Shawn James has done this season.
Bob Chesney and UCLA have repeatedly shown they can get backups ready when their moment comes, and those reserves have already stepped into starting roles and performed well. That trend appears likely to continue.
There is at least one encouraging sign for the Bruins on offense. Eugene Brooks left the Wisconsin game last week, and if he had been out again, it would have made life tougher for the run game. But the expectation is that Brooks will play, giving UCLA a better shot at getting the ground attack back on track.
Chesney and company would certainly like a few more of those missing pieces back soon, but the staff’s trust in the roster is clear. The message has been consistent: when someone is needed, the next man has to rise to the moment. So far, UCLA has not had anyone get exposed, and the Bruins do not seem to think that changes now as they chase a seventh straight win.
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The matchup also shapes up as an important one for the offenses broader development, with the passing game still trying to find its footing while the ground attack searches for room to operate again. If UCLA can get the offense moving against a Michigan State defense that should offer a better path than Wisconsin did, it would go a long way toward quieting the doubt that has followed the Bruins into this stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]