NCAA Football Arizona WildcatsUCLA Bruins

Arizona vs. UCLA: Game Preview With TV Schedule

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By @Connormuldowney

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As one of a select few teams who have come out of nowhere to surprise folks this season, the Arizona Wildcats are emerging as an elite Pac-12 team and Rich Rodriguez has them playing at a high level. The Wildcats have their toughest stretch of the season upcoming.

Quite the opposite of Arizona, the UCLA Bruins have disappointed this season, going 6-2 through eight games after being ranked in the top 10 to start the year. Okay, so the record isn’t bad, but the Bruins have won just one game by more than a score.

Arizona’s offense has been spectacular this season despite having such a young core of position players. The Wildcats rank eighth in passing yards, 42nd in rushing yards and 13th in points per game thus far in 2014. Freshman Anu Solomon has been one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football, passing for 2,430 yards, 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 64 percent of his passes. Solomon has developed a solid bond with sophomore wide out Cayleb Jones who leads the team with 46 catches for 670 yards and seven touchdowns. Veteran Austin Hill is second out of all receivers with 408 yards and four touchdowns on 29 receptions. Freshman Nick Wilson rounds out the solid backfield, leading the run game with 592 yards and seven touchdowns while senior Terris Jones-Grigsby has 406 yards and three scores on the year. Solomon, a dual-threat, has added 191 rushing yards of his own.

Brett Hundley has been widely considered one of the top-three quarterbacks in the entire nation this year and it’s due to the fact that he has a strong arm coupled with the ability to tuck and run with the ball, if need be. Hundley leads the 34th-ranked pass and rush offense with 2,056 yards, 14 touchdown passes and four interceptions as well as 415 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. The junior quarterback trails only sophomore Paul Perkins who has 993 yards rushing and five touchdowns on an impressive 6.7 yards per carry. Jordan Payton has become Hundley’s favorite target, connecting with the QB 47 times for 664 yards and six touchdowns. Thomas Duarte is second on the team with 329 yards and two scores on 18 catches while Eldridge Massington is third with 311 yards and two scores on 19 catches. Junior wide out Devin Fuller gets targeted a ton as well, catching 38 passes for 297 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, UCLA has been far less than spectacular this season. Many though the Bruins would be solid on this side of the ball this season, but they have underperformed, ranking 87th in total yards allowed and and even less impressive 89th in scoring defense. Arizona is clearly known more for its offense, ranking 81st in scoring defense as well as 98th in total yards allowed. Who wouldn’t want to be at the Rose Bowl for this huge Saturday evening matchup?

Arizona will travel to UCLA to take on the Bruins at 10:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 1. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.

PREDICTION: Arizona 37, UCLA 30

Want to see the Wildcats take on the Bruins in week 10? Check out ScoreBig for tickets.

Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].

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