Buffaloes at a glance
Record: 3-1, 0-1 Pac-12
Last week: Lost to Washington, 37-10
Statistical leaders
Passing
Steven Montez, So.: 90-for-128, 1,029 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT
Rushing
Phillip Lindsay, Sr.: 90 att., 446 yards, 4 TD
Steven Montez, So.: 42 att., 105 yards, 1 TD
Michael Adkins II, Sr.: 9 att., 25 yards
Receiving
Shay Fields, Sr.: 24 catches, 293 yards, 2 TD
Bryce Bobo, Sr.: 23 catches, 230 yards, 2 TD
Devin Ross, Sr.: 18 catches, 272 yards, 1 TD
Tackles
LB Drew Lewis, Jr.: 44 tackles (12 solo)
LB Rick Gamboa, Jr.: 36 tackles (10 solo)
DL Leo Jackson III, Sr.: 27 tackles (22 solo)
Where they rank
How the Buffs rank nationally:
Offense
Scoring: 87th (26.2)
Rushing: 89th (141.5)
Passing: 43rd (272.3)
Total: 65th (413.0)
3rd downs: 50th (43.1%)
Red zone: 62nd (84.6%)
Defense
Scoring: 20th (16.0)
Rushing: 65th (142.3)
Passing: 45th (199.5)
Total: 40th (341.8)
3rd downs: 26th (29.8%)
Red zone: 10th (62.6%)
Team
Penalties: 85th (7.25)
Turnover margin: 59th (even)
3 questions facing CU
1. How will the Buffs respond to their first loss?
CU came into this year with a lot of confidence and a goal of winning the Pac-12. A humbling loss to Washington last week showed the Buffs have some work to do. They certainly aren’t out of the Pac-12 race, but the Buffs can’t afford to fall to 0-2 in conference play. They’ll need to brush off last week and be at their best to beat the Bruins.
2. Can the offense bust loose?
Everybody is still waiting to see the high-powered, explosive offense that CU said it would be this year. Playing one of the worst defensive teams in the country ought to help. UCLA is allowing 43.3 points per game and has really struggled against the run. If the Buffs can’t run the ball or score points in bunches this week, there will be cause for concern going forward. This is also a big game for quarterback Steven Montez, who needs to bounce back after throwing three interceptions a week ago.
3. Will the Buffs be able to slow down Josh Rosen?
The UCLA quarterback is leading the country in passing yards and touchdowns, but CU may have the best pass defense the Bruins have seen. Over the past two years, CU has had a knack for making really good quarterbacks look average, including Washington’s Jake Browning twice.
Bottom line: This game is huge for the Buffs’ chances of achieving their goal of winning the Pac-12. Win this one and they can get some momentum going forward. Lose it, and they’ll fall to 0-2 in conference, creating potentially a massive hill to climb over the next two months.
Bruins at a glance
Record: 2-2, 0-1 Pac-12
Last week: Lost to Stanford, 58-34
Statistical leaders
Passing
Josh Rosen, Jr.: 131-for-200, 1,763 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT
Rushing
Soso Jamabo, Jr.: 19 att., 146 yards, 2 TD
Bolu Olorunfunmi, Jr.: 29 att., 140 yards, 1 TD
Brandon Stephens, So.:7 att., 60 yards
Receiving
Darren Andrews, Sr.: 32 catches, 457 yards, 7 TD
Caleb Wilson, So: 32 catches, 425 yards, 1 TD
Jordan Lasley, Jr.: 19 catches, 320 yards, 3 TD
Tackles
DB Jaleel Wadood, Sr.: 22 tackles (14 solo)
LB Krys Barnes, So.: 21 tackles (13 solo)
LB Josh Woods, Jr.: 21 tackles (16 solo)
Where they rank
How the Bruins rank nationally:
Offense
Scoring: 9th (45.0)
Rushing: 103rd (120.0)
Passing: 1st (451.8)
Total: 5th (571.8)
3rd downs: 31st (44.4%)
Red zone: 39th (90.0%)
Defense
Scoring: 124th (43.3)
Rushing: 129th (307.5)
Passing: 55th (217.3)
Total: 124th (524.8)
3rd downs: 84th (40.0%)
Red zone: 85th (87.0%)
Team
Penalties: 122nd (10.0)
Turnover margin: 113th (minus-1.25)
3 questions facing UCLA
1. Can the defense slow down the Buffs?
Through the first four weeks, UCLA has had one of the most porous defenses in the country. Already this season, they’ve given up 44, 48 and 58 points. Teams have had success throwing the ball and running the ball against the Bruins. They’ll have to find a way to keep CU’s scoring down.
2. Will the run game support Josh Rosen?
Last year, the Bruins had the second-worst run game in the country. This year, they rank 103rd in rushing. Last week, Jamabo ran for 100 yards – the first 100-yard game by a Bruin since 2015. Still, they had just 115 as a team. Getting the run game going will open up the passing game a bit for Rosen, who is playing at a high level.
3. How will Rosen attack the Buffs?
The junior quarterback and potential first-round NFL draft pick in 2018 has carved up the opposition this year. He’s thrown for at least 463 yards in three different games, and at least three TD passes in every game. If he’s able to find some holes in the CU secondary, he can have another great day.
Bottom line: Much like CU, this is a huge game for the Bruins. They don’t want to fall to 0-2 in the Pac-12. They also don’t want to take a three-game losing streak into next week’s bye. The Bruins have to take advantage of playing at home, where they are 2-0 this year.
Contact staff writer Brian Howell at howellb@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/BrianHowell33.
