UCLA @ Rice preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 9, 2006 ) Rice 16, UCLA 26

Expectations aren’t high as the Jim Mora era begins at UCLA with a game against Rice in Houston on Thursday. Mora, who served as coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks, takes over a team that has suffered back-to-back losing seasons. Making matters more difficult, the Bruins will start redshirt freshman Brett Hundley at quarterback and their top returning defender - linebacker Patrick Larimore - stunned the squad when he announced in the preseason he will quit the sport because of recurring concussions. A heavy underdog, Rice is 10-26 over the past three seasons in lightly regarded Conference USA. The Owls don’t give a hoot about UCLA’s rebuilding woes as they graduated 25 seniors and will field one of the youngest teams in all of college football. Rice has only eight seniors on its roster.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: UCLA -15.5

ABOUT RICE (2011: 4-8): The Owls allowed 400 points last season and will be tested by the Bruins’ spread offense. Offensively, it doesn’t bode well when your best player is a tight end, but senior Luke Willson is a Mackey Award finalist and will be junior quarterback Taylor McHargue’s top target. Willson had 39 receptions last season while fellow tight end Vance McDonald led the team with 43. McHargue split time at quarterback last year, throwing for 1,072 yards.

ABOUT UCLA (2011: 6-8): Climbing out of Southern Cal's shadow may be a priority for Mora, but the Bruins are light years away from reaching that goal. UCLA hasn’t been to a major bowl since 1998 and things don’t look like they’ll change this season. UCLA lost the inaugural Pac-12 title game to Oregon in December, but don’t be fooled by that. They only qualified because Southern Cal was ineligible. UCLA finished only 5-4 in the watered-down South Division and although its coaching situation seems to have improved, its roster is young and inexperienced. Mora replaced Rick Neuheisel, who went 21-29 in four seasons.

EXTRA POINTS

1. UCLA went 1-4 against non-conference foes last year and 1-6 on the road.

2. Bruins running back Johnathan Franklin returns to anchor the backfield. Franklin rushed for 1,003 yards and scored six touchdowns last season.

3. Rice returns five starters on defense and gets back the services of three players who missed all of 2011.

PREDICTION: UCLA 28, Rice 20