UCLA started its season with three wins but saw itself drop from its starting spot in the polls at No. 7 to as low as No. 12. But the Bruins’ 62-27 trouncing of the Arizona State Sun Devils Thursday seemed to convince the voters that their original assessment wasn’t too far off, as UCLA jumped back into the top ten of the AP poll, ranking No. 8.
UCLA’s first three weeks were anything but convincing though, as the team struggled somewhat against unranked and relatively lowly regarded opponents.
First was UCLA’s narrow 28-20 victory on the road over Virginia, followed by an even narrower 42-35 home win over Memphis. Voters continued to not get a complete sense of UCLA’s full potential in the third game, when redshirt junior quarterback Brett Hundley was injured and missed the majority of the game.
But in the Bruins’ fourth game, they were finally able to put together a complete performance, with all facets of their game excelling. Hundley had perhaps the most impressive and efficient game of his career, and junior cornerback Ishmael Adams returned two touchdowns – one interception and one kick return.
UCLA will look to maintain its top-ten ranking this week with a win over Utah on Saturday, which will be played at the Rose Bowl at 7:30 p.m. and televised on ESPN. A victory over the Utes would set up a huge showdown against No. 2 Oregon the following week in a game that could have major ramifications for UCLA’s College Football Playoff hopes.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.