Tag: BIG Ten Conference

Going deep on UCLA and Iowa’s rushing offense and defense

UCLA and Iowa’s game could be decided by who can defend the run better.

The UCLA Bruins host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday night, putting the two programs on a collision course with Big Ten implications at the Rose Bowl.

On paper, UCLA and Iowa present an interesting matchup, particularly in the run game. Iowa boasts the 10th-ranked rushing offense in the country, tallying 222.3 yards per game behind tailback Kaleb Johnson, while the Bruins’ stout 11th-ranked run defense allows only 100.4 yards per game.

So, who will have the advantage on Friday night?

In many ways, the Bruins.

Iowa’s offense is built around the run, embracing their hard-nosed, old-school playstyle. When Iowa takes the lead, they can impose their will, run the ball, control the clock, and pile on the points.

That said, Iowa’s reliance on the run is also its greatest weakness. If the Hawkeyes fall behind, their inability to throw the ball makes them incredibly predictable and easy to defend. Averaging only 133.8 yards per game through the air, Iowa’s dismal passing offense ranks 129th in the country, with quarterback Cade McNamara completing only 60% of his passes.

If UCLA’s offense can jump out to an early lead, the Bruins can pressure McNamara and the Hawkeyes to throw the ball and take away their best attribute, potentially lifting them to a win.

Big Ten with four top ten teams in week 11 rankings

Four Big Ten teams are ranked within the top ten of both major polls ahead of week 11.

The Big Ten will enter week 11 of the 2024 college football season with four of the top ten teams in the country in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.

The Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Indiana Hoosiers are all ranked within the top ten in both polls.

Oregon is the consensus No. 1 team, with all 62 first-place votes in the AP Poll and 53 of 54 first-place votes in the Coaches poll. The Ohio State Buckeyes, fresh off a top-five win over then No. 3 Penn State, are the No. 3 team in both polls.

Penn State, after suffering its first loss of the season, dropped to No. 6 in the AP Poll and No. 7 in the Coaches poll, while Indiana made its top ten debut at No. 8 and No. 10 in each respective poll.

Outside of the four top-ten-ranked teams, the Big Ten has no other conference members ranked within the top 25 this week. The Washington Huskies were the only other program to receive votes in the AP Poll, while the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Illinois Fighting Illini all received votes in the Coaches Poll.

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UCLA Bruins surge in latest CBS College Football Ranking

UCLA and their Big Ten opponent moved up in the rankings.

The UCLA Bruins are finally hitting their stride this season as they enter the back half of the 2024 college football season. After starting 1-5, the Bruins have rallied to a 3-5 record and knocked off Nebraska for their latest win.

One notable college football ranking took notice.

After a slow start to the season, the Bruins climbed the CBS Sports College Football ranking, rising 14 spots from No. 90 to No. 76. Similarly, after their Big Ten beatdown of Wisconsin, the Bruins opponent this week, Iowa, jumped from No. 36 to No. 27.

Though the Bruins and the Hawkeyes are two very different programs, they share one thing in common: They are trending in the right direction at the right time of the season.

At 6-3, Iowa poses a threat to the Bruins’ two-game win streak. However, with UCLA hosting the Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl, Iowa will be coming into a hostile environment with a Bruins team looking to pick up their first win at home this season.

UCLA lands at No. 20 in College Sports Wire rankings

Bruins ranked in these predictions.

The 2024-2025 college basketball season has officially kicked off. On Monday, there were some big upsets, with North Florida beating South Carolina as one of them.

Gonzaga blew out Baylor in a strong showing by the future Pac-12 school.

The UCLA Bruins did what they were supposed to and took care of Rider in Westwood with no issues.

Andy Patton of College Sports Wire dropped his top-25 rankings on the opening day of the 2024-2025 college basketball season.

In those rankings, he had the UCLA Bruins at No. 20.

“Mick Cronin’s UCLA squad was a massive disappointment last season, but a retooled roster comprised of key returners Sebastian Mack and Dylan Andrews, along with transfer portal additions Tyler Bilodeau (Oregon State) Kobe Johnson (USC) and Skyy Clark (Louisville), should have this team at or near the top of the Big Ten standings.”

Fellow Big Ten schools Oregon (No. 21) and Indiana (No. 24) are right behind UCLA.

The Bruins began with an easy win over Rider in Westwood on Monday night, and they follow things up with a tough showdown against New Mexico in Las Vegas on Friday.

DeShaun Foster’s strong 5-word take message after UCLA’s win over Nebraska

Foster with a strong take here.

At the beginning of the season, questions swirled about whether or not DeShaun Foster was the right guy to be the head coach of the UCLA Bruins.

UCLA barely defeated Hawaii on the road in Week 1 before losing five in a row. However, UCLA has turned it around a bit with back-to-back road wins against Rutgers and Nebraska, which keeps the slim bowl hopes alive for at least another week or two.

After the win in Lincoln on Saturday, Foster had a short but strong message, per Bruin Report Online.

“Martin hired the right guy.”

Martin Jarmond, the UCLA Athletic Director, had to move quickly once Chip Kelly suddenly left to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. That prompted in bringing back Foster, who briefly left for an assistant job with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Foster was hired just days after Kelly’s departure, although the move was questioned by many at that time.

However, despite a rough start, UCLA is gaining momentum and has managed to pull off two road wins in the Big Ten.

Photos of UCLA’s big win over Nebraska

This was a big win for UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins got the second straight Big Ten Conference win with a road victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Bruins squeaked out a hard-fought 27-20 win on the road as they suddenly have shown signs of life after a 1-5 start to the season.

UCLA had a 13-7 lead at halftime and then scored 14 third-quarter points to extend the lead.

Ethan Garbers played well again, throwing for 219 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the game as Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola struggled, throwing for 177 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

UCLA not only gets a tough road win, but their slim bowl chances stay alive for the time being.

Here are photos from the win on Saturday.

What Matt Rhule said about UCLA’s Big Ten move ahead of Nebraska clash

Matt Rhule shared about UCLA’s move.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are hosting the UCLA Bruins this weekend in Lincoln. 

As such, this marks the first meeting between these programs since UCLA moved to the Big Ten Conference.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, who is in his second year with the program, spoke about UCLA’s move to the Big Ten and what it means, per Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire.

“Even me coming here last year, and it’s your first time in the Big Ten. Learning the structures, learning the personalities, learning the towns, learning the travel, learning the style of play, the weather. All of those things matter. When you go into a new conference, you’re trying to figure out who wins in this conference. The unique thing here is we’ve all joined a new conference…We’re probably going to have a USC or UCLA game every year, and that can be a cool thing in recruiting. We’re trying to do that, I’m sure they’re trying to figure it out. USC is recruiting kids here in Lincoln and Omaha. It just changes the footprint of everything…Just college football in general is changing.”

It will be an interesting meeting between the two programs on Saturday.

Ex-USC DB dishes on UCLA-Nebraska showdown

Ceyair Wright knows about UCLA.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers face the UCLA Bruins this weekend in Lincoln. However, this is the first time these teams have met in nearly a decade, and it marks the first-ever Big Ten clash between the two.

So, Nebraska and UCLA are not as familiar with one another. However, Nebraska defensive back Ceyair Wright, who was at USC previously, does have experience going up against the Bruins.

Ahead of the game, Wright spoke about facing UCLA, per Evan Bredeson from Cornhuskers Wire. 

“They are a fundamentally sound team. They have a good quarterback and receivers. The running backs should be a great test for us. I’m excited to compete against them. I’ve grown up playing against a lot of the team. It’s a good test for our team.”

Wright knows UCLA from his Trojans days, so perhaps he can offer some insight. On the other hand, the program looks much different with DeShaun Foster as head coach.

All in all, UCLA looks to win another game after defeating Rutgers prior to the bye. 

Nebraska OC says UCLA defense is ‘very physical’

The Nebraska OC isn’t taking UCLA lightly.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers suffered a tough loss to Ohio State. Now, they host the UCLA Bruins in an interesting Big Ten battle in Lincoln.

Ahead of the game, Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield shared his thoughts on the UCLA defense, and he shared some kind words, per Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire.

“I think their record is very deceiving because they’ve played some really good teams. They have the same record against common opponents as we have. You watch them on defense, they’re very long, they’re very athletic, they’re physical. They can cause some headaches. We’re trying to figure out what they do, especially on third down, but it’s just a really impressive defensive unit as far as team speed, physicality and athleticism that you see on tape.”

The UCLA team in general has had a brutal schedule, although recent games against Minnesota and Rutgers have been a breath of fresh air compared to Penn State, Oregon, and so forth.

Still, even despite UCLA’s losing record, the Nebraska OC is not taking them for granted.

UCLA rolls by Cal State LA in tune-up game

The Bruins had no issues here.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team had an exhibition game against Cal State Los Angeles on Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion.

It was a good chance for Mick Cronin to tinker with lineups, especially with all of the new faces in Westwood this season.

UCLA got the easy win, 100-64, as Oregon State transfer Tyler Biloedeau led the way with 24 points in an impressive debut.

It is no surprise to see Bilodeau play well, and Cronin spoke about his output after the game.

“As you can see, Tyler Bilodeau can score. He can score at Oregon State and he can score here.”

UCLA is expected to be a major factor in the Big Ten Conference and they are No. 22 to begin the season in the polls. They start the regular season on Monday night at home against Rider and then play New Mexico in Las Vegas before a stretch of Boston, Lehigh, Idaho State, Cal State Fullerton, and Southern Utah.