Arizona State @ UCLA preview
Rose Bowl
Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2012 ) UCLA 45, Arizona State 43
Arizona State hasn’t played in the Rose Bowl since 1996, but the No. 22 Sun Devils could go a long way in ending that drought with a road win in the venue Saturday against No. 14 UCLA. With their first win against the Bruins since 2010, the Sun Devils could guarantee themselves a spot in the Pac-12 Conference title game. Arizona State holds a one-game lead in the South Division over UCLA and USC with two games remaining, with a victory over the Trojans already in hand.
The Sun Devils are in the midst of a five-game winning streak – their longest since an eight-game run during the 2007 season – but they have had their hearts broken recently by the Bruins. UCLA has won three of the last four in this series – including the last two by a total of three points – and is looking for its first 6-0 finish at home since 2005. The Bruins enter this contest on a three-game winning streak and are 12-2 in Pasadena under coach Jim Mora.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Fox. LINE: Arizona State -2.5
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (8-2, 6-1 Pac-12): With two touchdowns in the win over Oregon State, Marion Grice became the 15th player in the conference since 1978 to score at least 20 touchdowns in a season and is two shy of tying the school record of 22. Robert Nelson was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after collecting two of the Sun Devils’ four interceptions against the Beavers, giving him six for the season – the most by an Arizona cornerback since 1987. Arizona State has six conference victories for only the fourth time in 36 seasons.
ABOUT UCLA (8-2, 5-2): Linebacker Myles Jack remained a two-way standout in the win, following up his 120-yard debut at running back in a Nov. 9 win against Washington with four rushing touchdowns against Washington to set a Bruins freshman record. In addition to becoming the 13th UCLA player to score at least four rushing TDs in a game, Jack added five tackles against the Huskies. The victory also gave Mora his 17th win in two seasons at the school, tying him with Tommy Prothro for the most during the first two seasons as Bruins coach.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Arizona State is one of only five teams in the nation to rank in the top 20 in total offense and total defense (Florida State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Baylor).
2. Five of the UCLA’s six touchdowns against the Huskies were scored by defensive players (DE Cassius Marsh lined up as a tight end and scored on a 2-yard pass.)
3. The Sun Devils have forced a turnover in 24 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak among all FBS schools.
PREDICTION: Arizona State 38, UCLA 34