By the numbers countdown to kickoff: 5 days

Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey (5) runs past UCLA defensive back Ishmael Adams (1) for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey (5) runs past UCLA defensive back Ishmael Adams (1) for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Countdown the days to UCLA’s season-opener against Texas A&M with key stats facing the Bruins this year.

10 receiving touchdowns by Thomas Duarte last year, which led the team
9 returning starters on defense
8th in the Pac-12 in rushing defense last year
7 second-half turnovers for Josh Rosen last year
6 different starting combinations on the offensive line in 2015

5 STRAIGHT LOSSES TO STANFORD UNDER JIM MORA

For another season, we ask: Is this the year the Bruins vanquish the Cardinal?

Under head coach Jim Mora, UCLA has never beaten Stanford. It’s five straight losses in four years.

The Bruins are so committed to the cause that they’ve shaped themselves to specifically beat Stanford. They pledged to get bigger to stop the run. The focus on power running was geared to help the offense control the clock and help the defense get used to facing such a bruising scheme.

“It’s time to beat Stanford this year, so I’m glad we’re making the changes we’re making,” linebacker Kenny Young said. “It’s going to help us a lot.”

UCLA’s struggles against the Cardinal even predate Mora. The Bruins haven’t beaten Stanford since 2008. The eight-game losing streak is the longest losing streak UCLA has against any one conference opponent at any time. The next such streak was a seven-game slide against USC from 1999-2005. The final two USC wins of that streak were later vacated.

With Kevin Hogan gone, the door is ajar for another team to snatch the top spot in the conference, although the Cardinal were still voted the media favorites to win the league. They do after all still have Christian McCaffrey, who ran for 243 yards against the Bruins last year.