UCLA’s rise has become impossible to ignore. After knocking off Oregon, the Bruins moved to 5-0 and climbed to No. 12 in the latest national rankings, setting up a Week 7 matchup at the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.
The Badgers come in at 4-1 and rested last week on a BYE, but they’ve still stacked together four straight wins since their Week 1 loss to Notre Dame. Now they face a UCLA team that looks built to test them in a very specific way.
Wayne Knight has been central to UCLA’s start. He’s totaled 548 yards on 71 carries, averaging 7.7 yards per rush, and he has already scored 11 touchdowns, with 10 on the ground and one through the air. If Wisconsin can’t slow him down, the Bruins’ offense could keep rolling.
That’s where the matchup gets interesting. Wisconsin’s secondary has been its calling card, as the Badgers lead the nation in opponent EPA per pass.
But UCLA’s strength is on the ground, where the Bruins rank fourth in EPA per rush and 15th in rush success rate. That puts them in position to attack Wisconsin where it has been most vulnerable.
The Bruins also bring a defense that has been just as sturdy as their offense has been efficient. UCLA ranks inside the top 10 nationally in both adjusted opponent EPA per play and opponent success rate.
Given that combination, the best play here is to keep backing UCLA. The Bruins have the momentum, and the matchup points their way enough to support a win and a cover.
In Other News...
Wisconsins Fast Start Has Fans Debating Whos Delivering And Who Isnt
Wisconsins 4-1 start and 2-0 mark in conference play have done more than boost the mood around Camp Randall. They have also sharpened the conversation about which players have helped drive the early success and which ones still have room to come around as the season settles in. Through five games, the Badgers have seen some clearly positive surprises emerge from roles that were not always expected to produce this much so soon.
Jacob Harris, Gavin Lahm and Sebastian Cheeks have stood out as players outperforming expectations, while PJ Wilkins, Justus Boone and Abu Sama III have not quite matched the level Wisconsin has needed from them yet. Those kinds of early-season judgments are never final, especially this early in the year, but they do matter for a team trying to keep building on a strong start and sort out where the biggest gains still have to come from. [Read more 🡒]
Colton Joseph Has Extra Motivation For Wisconsins Biggest Road Test
Colton Joseph has a built-in storyline for Wisconsins trip to UCLA, and it starts with the setting as much as the opponent. The quarterback said he is excited to play in his home state and experience the Rose Bowl for the first time, a neat twist for a Badgers team heading into one of its biggest road tests of the season. Coming out of the bye week, Joseph also pointed to the work the offense put in during the break, with the offensive line spending time preparing for the challenge ahead.
Wisconsin has a little extra edge after being left out of the AP Top 25, and Joseph said the group understands the importance of responding on the road. UCLAs defense will demand clean football, and ball security came up as a major point of emphasis in his media availability. With family support in the stands and a familiar backdrop for him personally, Joseph enters the game with more than just a conference matchup on his mind. [Read more 🡒]
Why Wisconsin Suddenly Has A Real Shot At No. 12 UCLA
UCLA enters this matchup riding plenty of momentum under new head coach Bob Chesney, sitting at 5-0 and newly ranked No. 12 after taking down No. 13 Oregon. For Wisconsin, the timing of a bye week gives the Badgers a chance to reset before facing a team that has looked every bit like a top-15 contender, especially on the ground. The Bruins have leaned on a rushing attack that has been one of the more productive parts of their early-season success, which makes this a particularly interesting test for a Wisconsin defense built to resist exactly that kind of pressure.
The wrinkle, of course, is at quarterback. Nico Iamaleavas knee injury leaves UCLA scrambling to adjust behind center, and the burden now shifts to less experienced backups in a game that suddenly looks a lot less straightforward. Wisconsins path to making this one close gets clearer if its run defense holds up and forces UCLA into uncomfortable spots, but the Badgers also have to take advantage of a rare opening against a team that was rolling just days ago. [Read more 🡒]