The UCLA football team will face its first big test of the season Friday night against No. 15-ranked Washington in a Pac-12 Conference showdown of unbeaten teams at the Rose Bowl.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN.
Here are five things to watch in what should be a measuring stick in a number of areas:
1. UCLA’s defense vs. explosive Washington offense
The Bruins (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) have had a bit of a bend-but-don’t-break look at times through four games thus far. The numbers can be a bit deceiving given the quality of opponents to this point.
The Huskies (4-0, 1-0) have plenty of firepower to test that small sample size even further. UW has scored 39 or more points in all four of its games, including a 40-22 home win over Stanford last Saturday night. Its average margin of victory is 25 points.
UCLA’s conditioning late in games could be a factor. The Bruins have outscored opponents 78-21 in the second half this season. UCLA gave up its first fourth-quarter points of the season when Colorado scored a late touchdown in the Bruins’ 45-17 road win last Saturday.
“With the high-tempo practice that we have, it really prepares us for the game,” Bruins defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi said of the team’s conditioning late in games.
In its last two fourth quarters, UW has been outscored both times by a combined 29-13 margin against Stanford and Michigan State.
2. Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. leads college football in passing
All eyes will be on the Huskies’ left-handed signal caller.
Thus far, Penix Jr. has been among the league’s breakout stars, throwing for a nation-leading 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns to just one interception while completing 64.3 percent of his passes.
Applying pressure on him may be a bit of an issue.
The Bruins have been hit by injuries along the defensive line each of the past two weeks. Martin Andrus Jr. is already out for the season and Jay Toia missed all but the first four minutes against Colorado.
The rotation up front could be down to four players, if Toia is unable to play, but Havili-Kaufusi said the group is used to being shorthanded even going back to previous seasons.
“I’ve noticed throughout my time here that we’ve really been short throughout the season,” said Havili-Kaufusi, who has battled injuries to both knees and a shoulder over the course of his four-year career. “That’s something I feel like our group is prepared for.”
