UCLA’s game against ASU will feature reunion with Devin Lucien

Devin Lucien is coming back to the Rose Bowl this Saturday. He’ll just be wearing different colors.

The former UCLA receiver left the program back in March, a few months after he expressed dissatisfaction at his role in the Bruins’ offense. He later landed at Arizona State, eligible to play immediately because he had completed his undergraduate degree.

A perennial camp standout, Lucien never caught more than four passes in a game through three seasons as Bruin, and finished 2014 with 225 yards and two touchdowns on 29 receptions.

As a Sun Devil, he totaled 147 yards on 13 catches in his first three games. Limited by a hamstring injury, he is probable to play against UCLA at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Whether he does or not, the Bruins don’t seem concerned.

“It’s a game,” said UCLA receiver Jordan Payton. “I’m not there for the friendships. I’m there for the win.

“He’s called a couple of times, a couple of our players. He’s a good guy. I’ve known him for so long, since middle school. You always wish the best for your friends — I guess, when you’re not playing them.”

Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone also wasn’t perturbed by the chance that Lucien could pass off any insider information on UCLA’s schemes. The 58-year-old said that making tweaks to signals and to the playbook is part of what the Bruins need to do on a regular basis anyway, due to the familiarity that conference opponents build against each other over the years.

“What Devin can tell them, they can turn the film on and see,” Mazzone said. “Hell, we don’t even know our own signals. I don’t know how they’re going to figure them out. We can barely figure them out.”