Tag Archives: 2016 season preview

By the numbers countdown to kickoff: 1 day

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UCLA football head coach Jim Mora talks to the media after practice. Photo by Brad Graverson // Daily Breeze

UCLA football head coach Jim Mora talks to the media after practice. Photo by Brad Graverson // Daily Breeze

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 head coach Jim Mora
4 different players attempted at least one punt last year
3 home losses to unranked teams in the past two years
2 straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons for Paul Perkins

1 LOSS IN THE MONTHS OF SEPTERMBER AND AUGUST FOR MORA

Under Mora, the Bruins are quick out of the gates. UCLA owns a 15-1 record in the months of August and September during the past four seasons. The one loss was to Oregon State at home in 2012, Mora’s first year.

It’s possible that UCLA’s academic calendar contributes to the hot starts. UCLA doesn’t start school until the end of September because the school is on a quarter system. Semester-system schools, like USC, start class in late August. Continue reading “By the numbers countdown to kickoff: 1 day” »

By the numbers countdown to kickoff: 2 days

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Running back Soso Jamabo bursts through the line during UCLA's Spring Showcase. Photo by Michael Owen Baker

Running back Soso Jamabo bursts through the line during UCLA’s Spring Showcase. Photo by Michael Owen Baker

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 head coach Jim Mora
4 different players attempted at least one punt last year
3 home losses to unranked teams in the past two years

2 STRAIGHT 1,000-YARD RUSHING SEASONS FOR PAUL PERKINS

A year after leading the conference in rushing, Paul Perkins followed it up with another 1,000-yard season for the Bruins in 2015. He claimed the Pac-12 rushing title with 1,575 yards and had 1,343 yards last year.

UCLA had not had consecutive 1,000-yard rushers since DeShaun Foster ran for 1,037 and 1,109 yards in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Continue reading “By the numbers countdown to kickoff: 2 days” »

Countdown to kickoff: 3 days

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Fans react to Washington State's victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl in 2015. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

Fans react to Washington State’s victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl in 2015. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

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 head coach Jim Mora
4 different players attempted at least one punt last year

3 HOME LOSSES TO UNRANKED TEAMS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS

Jim Mora brought UCLA toward the top of the conference, but the Bruins have not reached that top step, in part because they’ve been hamstrung by head-scratching home losses.

Three times in the past two years, a top-25 UCLA team entered a home game only to get knocked down by an unranked opponent.

In 2014, it was Utah. In 2015, it was Arizona State and Washington State. UCLA lost to Utah and Arizona State as a top-10 team, being ranked eighth and seventh, respectively, at the time of the games. The loss to Washington State came as the No. 18 team in the nation. Continue reading “Countdown to kickoff: 3 days” »

UCLA season preview links: Bruins aiming high

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UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen threw three interceptions against BYU, but the Bruins held on for a 24-23 win at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. (Keith Birmingham/Staff)

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen threw three interceptions against BYU, but the Bruins held on for a 24-23 win at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. (Keith Birmingham/Staff)

UCLA has a lot of goals this season. The first is a place in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Josh Rosen went a few steps further; he wants a national championship.

Summer in college football is full of hope and hyperbole. The Bruins made theirs about hard work too.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON UCLA’S UPCOMING SEASON

Other links from our UCLA season preview package

Another call for questions on this week’s pre-game Q&A. Answers will be posted Thursday.

By the numbers countdown to kickoff: 4 days

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UCLA punter Austin Kent (Photo by Stan Lim, Staff Photographer)

UCLA punter Austin Kent (Photo by Stan Lim, Staff Photographer)

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 head coach Jim Mora

4 DIFFERENT PLAYERS WHO ATTEMPTED A PUNT LAST YEAR

The Austin Kent era of UCLA punting can’t come soon enough for the Bruins. After struggling through two years with Matt Mengel on punting duties, the freshman from North Carolina will try to revitalize UCLA’s punting game.

Mengel was 10th in the Pac-12 in punting last year with a 40.1 yards per punt average. The only punters ranked lower were Oregon’s Ian Wheeler and Washington State freshman Zach Charme. In 2014, Mengel averaged just 40.2 yards per punt. Continue reading “By the numbers countdown to kickoff: 4 days” »