The Associated Press
No. 14 Arizona (6-1, 3-1) at No. 25 UCLA (6-2, 3-2), 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Line: UCLA by 6 1/2.
Series Record: UCLA leads 21-15-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Two Pac-12 South contenders meet when UCLA attempts to interrupt its season of perceived underachievement while avoiding its first three-game home losing streak in 43 years with a win over the Wildcats, whose last two losses to the Bruins were momentum-killers for their seasons.
KEY MATCHUP
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez vs. UCLA coach Jim Mora. One of the nation’s top offensive minds takes on a longtime NFL defensive coordinator for the third time since they joined their Pac-12 schools. Although he has concocted another prolific offense capable of chewing up the Bruins’ inconsistent defense, RichRod has lost in his first two shots at Mora, whose beleaguered defense could use a stop — both on the field and in a rough season overall.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arizona: LB Scooby Wright. A week after getting three sacks and forcing three fumbles in a dynamite performance against Washington State, the do-everything defender will be on the same field as UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks in a matchup of the Pac-12’s top two tacklers.
UCLA: RB Paul Perkins. He needs just 4 yards to become the 13th UCLA tailback with a 1,000-yard season, but the Bruins’ offense really needs a strong game from the Pac-12’s second-leading rusher to wear down Arizona’s front seven — and to keep the Wildcats’ turbocharged offense off the field.
FACTS & FIGURES
Arizona native Brett Hundley, whose father lettered for the Wildcats, is one touchdown pass away from tying Cade McNown for the UCLA career record. … Arizona has never beaten a ranked UCLA team on the road. … The Bruins went 0-5 at the Coliseum in 1971. They haven’t lost three straight home games in any arena or season since then, but they’ve dropped back-to-back games against Utah and Oregon heading into this one. … The Wildcats have won their first three road games for the first time since 2010, and their only remaining game away from Tucson is at Utah on Nov. 22. … UCLA two-way star Myles Jack rushed for 120 yards on six carries at Arizona last season.
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