UCLA is hosting BYU at the Rose Bowl for the first time since Sept. 8, 2007. The Bruins won that game 27-17, with Kahlil Bell (36) running for 79 yards and a touchdown. (Steve McCrank/Staff)
A ranked opponent is coming to the Rose Bowl. And if the national pecking order stays the same, No. 19 BYU might be the only one to visit UCLA in 2015.
None of the four conference teams the No. 10 Bruins will host this fall are currently ranked in the Associated Press poll, making the Cougars one of the more intriguing draws for fans not willing to leave the Southland for college football. Here’s how the two teams stack up.
When UCLA has the ball
For all the ability freshman quarterabck Josh Rosen has shown through his first two college games, UCLA has an offense that needs to establish itself on the ground. With reigning Pac-12 rushing champion Paul Perkins, that usually isn’t a problem.
BYU’s defense should give the Bruins’ backfield some resistance. The Cougars have a physical front seven that includes linebacker Harvey Langi and defensive lineman Bronson Kaufusi. Through two games, the unit has held opposing teams to just 2.79 yards per carry, a top-25 figure. However, the loss of nose tackle Travis Tuiloma may eventually cost the defense a good chunk of yards. The junior, whom head coach Bronco Mendenhall called his best defensive player, injured his knee in BYU’s season opener and will be out for at least another month.
If the Cougars still try to stack against the run, look for Rosen to find a nice groove again. He threw only one touchdown at UNLV, and he’s now up against a defense that looks vulnerable through the air. Although BYU has four interceptions this season, it has also allowed 28 passes of at least 10 yards. That ranks 121st nationally.
UCLA has settled for field goals too often in the red zone, converting for touchdowns on just four of 10 tries inside the opposing 20-yard line. The Cougars could help them turn that number around; they’ve given up touchdowns on five of six red-zone chances this season.
Edge: UCLA, slightly
When BYU has the ball
Tanner Mangum doesn’t look like a guy who spent the past couple years on a Mormon mission in Chile. If he’s rusty from his time away from football, the 22-year-old hasn’t shown it through his first two games — saving BYU with a Hail Mary and a last-minute touchdown pass.
And along the way, he’s made his style of play clear: Mangum loves the deep ball. The true freshman is the only one in the country who has connected on two passes for at least 70 yards. He has only 24 completions, but six of them have gone for at least 30 yards. Only four other FBS quarterbacks have more, and three of them have more than 60 attempts compared to Mangum’s 35.
In other words, UCLA’s secondary needs to be on top of its game. Even with nickel back Ishmael Adams suspended after his arrest on suspicion of robbery, this should be an above-average defensive backfield. It’s just that it hasn’t seen much work.
When the Bruins traveled to UNLV last weekend, the Rebels lost starting quarterback Blake Decker for most of the game after he injured his hamstring on an awkward slide. Backup Kurt Palandech was a nonfactor through the air, notching just four passing yards on 14 attempts.
Mangum is a different challenge. The Cougars don’t have much power left on the ground (117th nationally with 3.14 yards per carry) after tailback Jamaal Williams withdrew from school, but their quarterback can keep plays alive and shoot for big targets in Mitch Mathews (6-foot-6) and Nick Kurtz (6-foot-5).
However, BYU has given up seven sacks, more than all but six other FBS teams. If UCLA can knock Mangum around and keep him from airing it out downfield, bottling up the other parts of the Cougars’ offense will be manageable.
Edge: UCLA
On special teams
BYU had to replace a Ray Guy semifinalist in Scott Arellano, and is now using junior Jonny Linehan as its punter. Through two games, the rugby player ranks top-30 nationally with a 43.46-yard average. His first punt of the season rolled to the 12-yard line, and he’s also unleashed 64- and 77-yard kicks (with a bit of wind assistance).
Kicker Trevor Samson is reliable, but the Cougars don’t try to stretch out his range too much. He is 14 of 16 on his career attempts, hitting 41- and 35-yarders this season. He’s never tried anything longer than 45 yards, but is three of four from 40 yards and out.
The Bruins haven’t been as potent on kick and punt returns without suspended defensive back Ishmael Adams — getting decent gains but never really threatening for the end zone — but they remain a top-10 coverage unit nationally.
Edge: Even
Prediction: UCLA 35, BYU 24. This is a tough team that could jump on the Bruins if they aren’t ready, but the Cougars have taken some major losses on both sides of the ball. BYU is outperforming expectations right now, and last-minute heroics aren’t exactly a sustainable winning formula.