With the bye week in the rearview mirror and four regular season games remaining, No. 25 UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) will look to extend its win streak to three games for the second time this year.
The Bruins started the season with three consecutive wins and hope to finish the year in a similar fashion.
But this weekend, they’re just hoping to avoid another large-scale altercation like the one that took place last year against Arizona at the end of the first half. A fan dressed as a referee ran onto the field, sparking a sideline-clearing brawl that led to suspensions for six UCLA players.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Shaquelle Evans was suspended for one game following the squabble, but insisted that this year’s team would not fall victim to such a great lapse in discipline.
“This team has a different mentality, we’re not worried about the other team. There won’t be any tussles or anything like that,” Evans said.
“If they want to start something they’ll get the penalty and we’ll be backing off, acting disciplined.”
Coach Jim Mora emphasized the game’s implications for later in the season, specifically for keeping UCLA in the bowl-game hunt.
“I think they’re excited about the opportunity to play on Saturday night, it’s a big game with implications down the road, and they’re excited to be in that position,” Mora said.
UCLA has not won a bowl game since 2009, when it defeated Temple 30-21 in the EagleBank Bowl.
Fair is fair
Freshman kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn got the positive reviews he’s been waiting for after some early-season turbulence. Fairbairn has struggled with field goals and extra points but was clutch against Arizona State, which Mora hopes will become a pattern.
“He’s been the same guy every day. That’s why we felt very confident on Saturday that he’d put it through. He comes out here, works to get better. When you work hard, and your teammates support you, you gain confidence,” Mora said.
Mora added that confidence only develops through experience and playing time.
“Especially in a position like that, where it just comes down to you, you can’t hide,” Mora said.
“We haven’t sent him to the voodoo doctor to talk about confidence or anything like that; he’s a confident kid.”
Punt return musical chairs
The Bruins are looking at other options for punt returner after redshirt freshman running back Steven Manfro muffed three punts in as many games.
“Steven feels awful about what’s happened the last three weeks. His judgment was not what it should have been. It’s not an excuse for him, and he would never make an excuse, but it’s not for a lack of trying with that kid,” Mora said.
“We had a number of guys out there today, we had Shaq Evans back there, we had (freshman) Randall Goforth, we had (freshman) Ahmaad Harris, Steven, (redshirt junior) Damien Thigpen, we had a lot of guys back there. We have not decided who’s going to return punts for us.”
Going way back
Redshirt senior defensive end Datone Jones and the UCLA defense will have their hands full against Arizona. The Bruins will be particularly concerned with quarterback Matt Scott, who does not hesitate to take off running when plays break down.
Jones and Scott are both SoCal natives, and the UCLA defense will try to use that, along with Scott’s similarity to redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley, to its advantage.
“I knew him in high school, he’s a great quarterback. Fast guy, puts the ball on the money everytime, makes plays with his feet,” Jones said.
As for the Wildcats’ spread offense, that’s another system that’s becoming more and more familiar to UCLA’s defense every day in practice.
“We see a spread all the time, we just have to go out there and execute. We’re excited for Saturday night,” Jones said.