New Mexico vs. UCLA
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Rose Bowl
TV/radio: Big Ten Network/790 AM
Records: New Mexico 1-1; UCLA 0-2
Line: UCLA by 15.5
Notable injuries
UCLA: OUT: DL Nico Davillier (personal reasons), WR Rico Flores Jr. (torn ACL, estimated return: October), DL Robert James III (undisclosed, season ending), DL Tyler Partlow (undisclosed), WR Jonah Smith (undisclosed, season ending), WR Carter Shaw (labrum), QB Pierce Clarkson (indefinitely suspended); PROBABLE: WR Kwazi Gilmer.
New Mexico: OUT: RB Darrion Bowers (undisclosed), OL Jordan Mora (undisclosed), WR Evan Wysong (undisclosed), CB Keith Reddix (undisclosed); QUESTIONABLE: WR Miles Johnson (undisclosed) TE Aldin Bibalegovic (undisclosed), WR Kaden Diop (undisclosed), WR Isaiah Blair (undisclosed), TE Marcus Vinson (undisclosed), RB Rei Iwai (undisclosed).
What’s at stake? There’s no actionable proof that UCLA coach DeShaun Foster’s seat would start to heat up should New Mexico bring the Bruins their third loss. However, a loss to the Lobos – in front of a Rose Bowl crowd that has yet to have its student boost from the quarter system beginning later this month in Westwood – could bring more unwanted attention to a program treading water as it searches for victory No. 1. Friday is a true must-win for program morale – and the Bruins’ dwindling outside hopes of a bowl game berth. For New Mexico, after keeping close with No. 24 Michigan in Week 1, a victory over UCLA in any circumstances would become an immediate top win in the Lobos’ history. But if the Bruins can avoid a shocker Friday night, then they could begin to stabilize a ship before it sinks.
Who’s better? Both teams are still searching for their identities entering Week 3. New Mexico, led by former Idaho coach Jason Eck, replaced much of the Lobos’ roster – adding 72 players compared to the Bruins’ 57 over the offseason. Although both teams are still trying to figure out who their big-play athletes are, UCLA should comfortably have the talent edge. It’s all semantics to compare star ratings from high school, but the Bruins boast one of the top quarterbacks from his recruiting class in Nico Iamaleava, along with a defense swimming with four-star transfers. Friday should be a game that Iamaleava could exploit, facing a defense that has struggled in its first two games. If UCLA wants to compete with much of the Big Ten, Iamaleava, coordinator Tino Sunseri and the rest of the offense need to prove that they can take over a game.
UCLA wins if: The Bruins play two halves. All of UCLA’s highlights through two weeks have arrived in the second half. Trailing by two scores has forced Sunseri’s hand into a more aggressive offensive approach: pass-based and less ‘elusive’ than what players had described in the fall. If the Bruins can get stops – as they should against the Lobos and their quarterback Jack Layne, who is far less mobile than Utah’s Devon Dampier and UNLV’s Anthony Colandrea – it should give the offense more room to strategically dismantle New Mexico from kickoff onward.
Prediction: UCLA 24, New Mexico 21. UCLA badly – oh, so badly – needs a win. It won’t be pretty as New Mexico is closer to UNLV’s talent level than most folks believe, but placing a “1” in the win column will be enough to allow the Bruins to breathe heading into the bye week and Big Ten play.
