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1st Quarter Report
California is on the board, but we're still waiting on UCLA to respond. Sitting on a score of 6-0, California has looked like the better team, but there's still three more quarters to play.
California came into the contest with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.
Preview
The California Golden Bears will head out on the road to face off against the UCLA Bruins at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Rose Bowl. California is expected to lose this one by nine points, so we'll see if that gives them a bit of motivation.
Last Saturday, California was able to grind out a solid win over Stanford, taking the game 27-15. The victory made it back-to-back wins for California.
California got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jaydn Ott out in front who rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown. Trond Grizzell also deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, after a disappointing seven points in their last game, UCLA made sure to put some points up on the board against USC on Saturday. UCLA took down USC 38-20.
Among those leading the charge was TJ Harden, who rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown, and also caught a touchdown. Harden was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 58 yards. Ethan Garbers was another key contributor, throwing for 155 yards and three touchdowns.
UCLA's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. Laiatu Latu was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sacks himself.
Their wins bumped California to 5-6 and UCLA to 7-4.
The two teams pleased both fans and bettors in their last matchups by winning and covering the spread. Looking ahead, UCLA is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by nine points. Bettors picking California against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a three-game streak of failing to cover when playing as the underdogs on the road.
California came up short against UCLA in their previous matchup back in November of 2022, falling 35-28. Thankfully for California, Dorian Thompson-Robinson (who rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 189 yards and a touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
