PITTSBURGH PANTHERS NOTES:
Game Storylines
The 2022 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl marks Pitt’s 37th all-time postseason appearance and sixth under the direction of Coach Pat Narduzzi.
Pitt and UCLA will meet for the first time in 50 years. The Panthers and Bruins last played on Sept. 16, 1972, a 38-28 UCLA win in Pitt Stadium.
This will be Pitt’s fifth postseason trip to El Paso. The Panthers are 2-2 all-time in the “Sun City,” most recently dropping a 14-13 decision to Stanford in 2018.
Pitt enters the postseason riding a four-game winning streak. A victory over UCLA would give Pitt nine wins on the season and an enhanced Top 25 résumé.
Pitt last closed a year with at least five consecutive wins in 2001 (winning six straight, including the Tangerine Bowl).
A victory in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl would give Pitt a ninth win on the year and 20 over the past two seasons. The Panthers have not achieved 20 wins over a two-year span since 1981-82.
Since 2015, Pat Narduzzi has directed Pitt to 41 victories in ACC play, the second-highest win total during that span. Pitt trails only Clemson (60).
Pitt is 23-27 all-time against current members of the Pac-12, including 5-9 against UCLA.
Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates and UCLA head coach Chip Kelly were on the same New Hampshire staffs during the 1992 and 1994-97 seasons.
Pat Narduzzi was a defensive coach at Rhode Island from 1993-99, annually facing Kelly’s New Hampshire offensive units.
Pitt-UCLA History in Brief
Series Began: 1958
Series Overall: UCLA leads 9-5
At Pittsburgh: UCLA leads 4-2
At UCLA: UCLA leads 5-3
Bowl Series: 0-0
(First bowl meeting)
Last Meeting at Pitt: Sept. 16, 1972
(UCLA 38, Pitt 28)
Last Meeting at UCLA: Sept. 11, 1971
(Pitt 29, UCLA 25)
Current Series Win Streak:
UCLA has won 1 (1972)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak:
2 games (twice)
Longest UCLA Series Win Streak:
6 games (1964, 1966-70)
Largest Pitt Margin of Victory:
21 points (27-6, 1958)
Largest UCLA Margin of Victory:
56 points (63-7, 1968)
SERIES NOTES
This is the 15th meeting between Pitt and UCLA in a series that dates back to 1958…the Panthers and Bruins will be playing for the first time since 1972…UCLA leads the series, 9-5, and won the last meeting, 38-28, in Pitt Stadium…Pitt is 2-4 at home and 3-5 on the road against the Bruins…Pitt and UCLA met every year between 1958 and 1972 with the exception of the 1965 season…this is the first postseason encounter between the schools…Pitt owns a 23-27 record against current members of the Pac-12 Conference…the Panthers last played a Pac-12 team in 2018, a 14-13 loss to Stanford in the Sun Bowl.
SERIES GAME-BY-GAME
UCLA LEADS SERIES, 9-5
DATE H/A PITT UCLA
Sept. 20, 1958 A 27 6
Oct. 3, 1959 H 25 21
Sept. 17, 1960 A 7 8
Oct. 21, 1961 A 6 20
Oct. 20, 1962 H 8 6
Sept. 20, 1963 A 20 0
Sept. 12, 1964 H 12 17
Sept. 17, 1966 A 14 57
Sept. 23, 1967 H 8 40
Sept. 21, 1968 A 7 63
Sept. 20, 1969 A 8 42
Sept. 19, 1970 H 15 24
Sept. 11, 1971 A 29 25
Sept. 16, 1972 H 28 38
Games won by Pitt in bold
PITT vs. THE PAC-12
TEAM SERIES LAST MEETING
Arizona 1-0 1979 (Fiesta Bowl: Pitt won, 16-10)
Arizona State 0-1 1973 (Fiesta Bowl: ASU won, 28-7)
California 3-2 1966 (Cal won, 30-15)
Colorado 0-0 Never played
Oregon 2-2 1965 (Oregon won, 17-15)
Oregon State 1-1 2008 (Sun Bowl: OSU won, 3-0)
Stanford 2-2 2018 (Sun Bowl: Stanford won, 14-13)
UCLA 5-9 1972 (UCLA won, 38-28)
USC 4-6 1974 (USC won, 16-7)
Utah 0-3 2011 (Utah won, 26-14)
Washington 4-1 1979 (Pitt won, 26-14)
Washington State 1-0 1995 (Pitt won, 17-13)
TOTAL 23-27
TEAM NOTES
ACC EXCELLENCE:
Since taking over as Pitt’s head coach in 2015, Pat Narduzzi has directed the Panthers to 41 victories in ACC play, the second-highest win total during that span. The Panthers trail only Clemson (60).
Since 2015, Narduzzi is one of only two coaches with multiple victories over Clemson. He is 2-2 against the Tigers with wins in 2016 (43-42) and 2021 (27-17). The other coach is Alabama’s Nick Saban, who is also 2-2 against Clemson during that span.
Pitt’s 2021 ACC championship marked the first outright conference title in program history. Pitt twice shared the Big East championship (2004 and 2010).
WINNING STRETCH:
Dating back to the 2020 season, Pitt has won 22 of its past 30 games. That span includes a 3-1 mark to close the 2020 season, last year’s 11-3 record and an 8-4 mark this year.
It is Pitt’s winningest stretch since 2001-03, when Walt Harris’ Panthers went 23-7 over a 30-game span.
ALL-TIME BOWL HISTORY:
Pitt has played in 36 prior bowl games in its history, compiling a 14-22 record.
Pitt’s last bowl victory came in the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl, a 34-30 victory over Eastern Michigan at Detroit’s Ford Field.
The Panthers are making their fifth appearance in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl and have a 2-2 record in the game.
TOP 25 VICTORIES:
Under Pat Narduzzi, Pitt has defeated at least one Top 25 team in seven consecutive seasons.
The Panthers’ most recent victory over a nationally ranked foe occurred on Nov. 5, when they defeated No. 22 Syracuse, 19-9
BIG ACC WINS:
Pitt closed the regular season with an undefeated month of November (4-0), including lopsided road victories at Virginia (37-7) and Miami (42-16).
UCLA BRUINS NOTES:
THE MATCHUP
UCLA, ranked No. 18 in each of the three major polls following the end of the regular season, takes on Pittsburgh in the 89th Annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, to be televised by CBS at 11 a.m. PT. The Bruins will be making their fifth trip to El Paso, Texas (also 2013, 2005, 2000 and 1991). The Bruins feature the third-best total offense in the nation, churning out an average of 507.8 yards per game to go with the fourth-best rushing offense overall (246.3). Pitt owns the nation’s No. 17 total defense allowing an average of 319.7 yards per contest and the country’s seventh-best rushing defense (95.5). The Bruin IMG Radio Network will broadcast the contest, which will also be aired over Bowl Season Radio, SiriusXM and the Varsity App. The Bruins finished the regular season by posting their ninth victory of the season at California Nov. 25 and take aim at matching the school record for wins in El Paso. Nine previous UCLA teams have won 10 games in a season. The most recent team to reach 10 wins was the 2014 group, which went 10-3 after prevailing at the Valero Alamo Bowl.
MEET THE BRUINS
Fifth-year head coach Chip Kelly was named UCLA’s head football coach Nov. 25, 2017. Kelly owns a collegiate record of 73-35 (0-0 versus Pittsburgh) compiled in four-plus seasons at UCLA and four more as head coach at University of Oregon (2009-2012). During that span in Eugene, Ore., his Duck teams captured first or a share of first in the North Division of the conference — including three straight outright championships from 2009-2011 — and made four appearances in BCS bowl games. Kelly guided Oregon to the national championship game (2010), two Rose Bowls (after 2011, 2009 seasons) and the Fiesta Bowl after the 2012 season. He was named the 2009 and 2010 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, 2010 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, 2010 Sporting News Coach of the Year, 2010 AFCA Coach of the Year and 2010 Associated Press Coach of the Year. UCLA has added six new assistant coaches to Kelly’s staff for 2022: Tim Drevno (OL), Jeff Faris (TEs), Chad Kauha’aha’a (DL), Ikaika Malloe (OLBs, special teams coordinator), Bill McGovern (defensive coordinator) and Ken Norton Jr. ILBs). Transfers who have joined the 2022 team include: WR Jake Bobo (Duke), WR Ryan Cragun (Pennsylvania), DB Jaylin Davies (Oregon), OL Liam Douglass (USC), DB Azizi Hearn (Wyoming), QB Sean Holland (Fordham), OL Jaylan Jeffers (Oregon), LB Laiatu Latu (Washington), WR Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (UCF), LB Darius Muasau (Hawai’i), DL Gabriel Murphy (North Texas), DL Grayson Murphy (North Texas), OL Raiqwon O’Neal (Rutgers), DL Gary Smith III (Duke) and DL Jacob Sykes (Harvard).
AT A GLANCE
• UCLA (9-3) is looking to win 10 games for the first time since 2014 while becoming the 10th team in school history to tie the school record for wins in a season (previously 2014, 2013, 2005, 1998, 1997, 1988, 1987, 1982 and 1946).
• UCLA most recently played in a bowl game at the December 2017 Cactus Bowl. UCLA’s most recent bowl win came against Kansas State in the January 2015 Alamo Bowl.
• UCLA and Pittsburgh have met 14 times on the gridiron, with UCLA holding a 9-5 edge … the most recent meeting came in 1972, when QB Mark Harmon led the Bruins to a 38-28 win.
• UCLA came in at No. 18 in the final regular-season AP Top 25 … UCLA was ranked every week during November and December, a program first since 2014.
• QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson is one of two players in the FBS who has thrown for at least 25 touchdowns and run for at least 11 more (also Oregon’s Bo Nix).
• UCLA is one of four teams in the country (also Tennessee, Oregon and Washington) averaging at least 500 yards of total offense per game in 2022. The Bruins have exceeded the 500-yard mark in a game seven times this season (541 at California, 513 against USC, 571 at Arizona State, 523 versus Stanford, 502 versus Utah, 515 at Colorado and 626 versus Bowling Green).
• The Bruins are the only FBS team to have eclipsed 2,900 rushing yards while throwing for more than 3,100 yards this season.
• Thompson-Robinson rates fifth in the nation with a completion percentage of .698, is seventh in points responsible for (226) and ranks 17th nationally in passing efficiency at 156.6.
• UCLA is fourth in the nation in rushing offense (246.3 yards per game) and has rushed for more than 200 yards in each of its last five games and nine times overall this season … a UCLA team most recently rushed for more than 200 yards in nine games during the 1995 campaign … the last time one did so in nine regular season games was 1976 (10 plus a bowl game).
• Thompson-Robinson needs to throw for 285 yards to move past current all-time school passing yards leader Cade McNown (1995-98), who threw for 10,708 yards in his Bruin career. Thompson-Robinson finished the regular season with 10,424 passing yards, moving past Brett Hundley (2011-14) and into second place during the USC game.
• This season, Thompson-Robinson has become the program’s all-time leader in total offense (12,236 yards), completions (844), touchdown passes (86), quarterback starts (47) and touchdowns accounted for (113).
• DB Stephan Blaylock and OL Atonio Mafi each played in his 55th career game at California to up the school record for games played.
• RB Zach Charbonnet leads the nation in all-purpose yards (168.00 per game) … he had a streak of 10 straight Pac-12 games played with at least one score and eight straight with 100 yards gained snapped against USC … he leads the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game (135.9) and has eight 100-yard rushing games this season … he is the only Pac-12 performer averaging more than 100 yards a game on the ground this season … he is averaging 6.97 yards per carry this season, which is fourth in the nation.
MOST RECENT MEETINGS
In the most recent meeting of the programs, UCLA followed up a season-opening 20-17 win against two-time defending national champion Nebraska with a 38-28 verdict over Pittsburgh on Sept. 16, 1972. Quarterback Mark Harmon opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run. The Bruins racked up 406 rushing yards on the day while running for five scores. They held off a Pitt rally after jumping out to a 24-0 halftime advantage. James McAlister (1 yard) and Rob Scribner (63 yards) found the end zone in the first half, while Kermit Johnson (60 yards) and Gary Campbell (3 yards) crossed the goal line in the second. Efren Herrera added a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter to complete the Bruin scoring.
TEAM NOTES
• UCLA has captured wins in eight of its past 10 games played away from Rose Bowl Stadium.
• UCLA (6,094) has reached the 6,000-yard mark in total offense for just the fourth time in school history … 6,531 yards in 2012 is the school record … it had most recently reached the 6,000-yard mark for a season in 2015 (6,055).
• UCLA (3,138) has surpassed the 3,000-yard mark in rushing offense for just the fifth time in school history … 4,403 yards in 1973 is the school record … it had most recently reached the 3,000-yard mark for a season in 1976 (3,978).
• UCLA has 3,138 passing yards and 2,956 rushing yards. No other FBS team had reached both totals through the end of the regular season.
• UCLA is averaging 507.8 yards of offense this season … the school record for a season is 487.25, set in 1998.
• This would be the seventh season out of nine that a Chip Kelly-coached team has averaged better than 200 yards rushing for a season … it would be the fifth time one of his teams has ranked among the top 10 rushing offenses.
• UCLA is averaging 39.6 points per game … it has averaged 40 points per game for a season twice before — 42.7 in 1973 and 40.8 in 1954.
• Top-20 Bruin NCAA rankings: Total Offense – third (507.8 yards per game), Rushing Offense – fourth (246.3 yards per game), Completion Percentage – fourth (.698), 3rd Down Conversion Pct – sixth (.510), Scoring Offense – 10th (39.6 points per game), Team Passing Efficiency – 15th (156.77), Tackles For Loss Allowed – 18th (4.25 per game).
• UCLA has forced at least one turnover in 13 of its past 15 games … the Bruins have forced a total of one turnover in their three 2022 losses … UCLA is +27 turnovers in wins and -29 in losses overall under head coach Chip Kelly… in 2021, UCLA was +5 in turnovers for the season, but committed seven of its 14 turnovers in its four 2021 losses … in its four 2020 losses, UCLA committed 12 of its 13 turnovers on the season.
• UCLA’s turnover margin is +8 in games it has won this season and -5 in losses.
• The Bruins are ranked third in the NCAA (second in Pac-12) in total offense (507.8 yards per game) … UCLA compiled 626 yards of total offense in its win against Bowling Green, the most since it racked up 657 in a 2019 comeback win at Washington State. Three times in Coach Kelly’s Bruin tenure has one of his teams recorded 600 or more yards (also 609 at USC in 2021).
• UCLA is rated 88th in the nation (sixth in Pac-12) in total defense (399.8 yards per game) … it held BGSU to 162 yards of total offense in the opener (39 rushing, 125 passing) … it marked the first time UCLA held a team under 200 yards since its 2020 game against California (176). The last time a UCLA defense limited an opponent to fewer than 162 yards of total offense was 2008, when Arizona State gained 122 yards (21 rushing, 101 passing).
• UCLA has scored eight touchdowns of 50 or more yards this season after producing three in 2021. Against BGSU, the the Bruins registered a Dorian Thompson-Robinson 68-yard run, a 52-yard catch and run by Keegan Jones from Thompson-Robinson and a 50-yard strike from Ethan Garbers to Josiah Norwood.The Bruins added a 70-yard pass play from Thompson-Robinson to Logan Loya against Utah. Kazmeir Allen raced 72 yards against Stanford and 75 more at Arizona State. Hudson Habermehl scored on a 51-yard pass play versus Arizona. Allen caught a 55-yard scoring pass against USC.
• UCLA was listed No. 18 in the final College Football Playoff rankings Dec. 4. It was the program’s 16th appearance in the ranking. The highest UCLA has ever been placed in the CFP rankings is No. 8 (Nov. 25, 2014).
• Eleven true freshmen have seen action for the Bruins this season. Two saw action in the opener: RBs T.J. Harden and
Carsen Ryan. Nine more saw action in Game 2 against Alabama State: P Chase Barry, WR Jadyn Marshall, RB Jack Pedersen, WR Braden Pegan, DB Kamari Ramsey, WR Elijah Rodriguez, DB Clint Stephens, DB Croix Stewart and LB Jalen Woods.
• The following 10 players made their first starts as Bruins against BGSU: WR Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, WR Jake Bobo, OT Raiqwon O’Neal, DB Devin Kirkwood, LB Grayson Murphy, LB Gabriel Murphy, LB Kain Medrano, DB Azizi Hearn, LB Darius Muasau and DL Jay Toia.
• TE Hudson Habermehl made his first start against Alabama State. CB John Humphrey made his initial start at Colorado. DL Dovid Magna started for the first time versus Washington. DL Gary Smith III made his first Bruin start versus Stanford. WR Logan Loya was part of the starting lineup for the first time at Arizona State. DB Alex Johnson made his first career start against Arizona.
• Seeing their first action as Bruins in the Alabama State contest were QB Chase Artopoeus, K Joseph Firebaugh Jr., LS Beau Gardner, RB Christian Grubb, DL Hayden Harris, OL Jaylan Jeffers, DB D.J. Justice, K Ari Libenson, RB Deshun Murrell, LB Erich Osteen, DL Quintin Somerville, TE Sam Summa and true-freshmen RB Jack Pedersen, WR Braden Pegan, DB Kamari Ramsey, WR Elijah Rodriguez, DB Clint Stephens, DB Croix Stewart, LB Jalen Woods and P Chase Barry. In the opener, versus BGSU, 16 players saw their first action as Bruins off the bench: DL Jacob Sykes, LB Hayden Nelson, DL Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi, TE Grant Norberg, DL Gary Smith III, OL Benjamin Roy Jr., LB Carson Schwesinger, LB James Dinneen, DB Kaleb Tuliau, DB Isaiah Newcombe, DB Jaylin Davies, QB/holder Sean Holland, WR Ryan Cragun, LB Laiatu Latu and true-freshmen RBs T.J. Harden and Carsen Ryan.
DTR BACK FOR MORE
• Over the past 14 games, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson has completed passes at a .699 clip (285-408) while throwing for 3,396 yards, 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions … he has run 136 times for 779 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns.
• Thompson-Robinson is rated fifth in the nation (second in Pac-12) in completion percentage (.698) and 17th (third in Pac-12) in passing efficiency (156.6). Last season, Thompson-Robinson paced Pac-12 players in total offense (274.4 yards per game), passing efficiency (153.9), passing yards per completion (13.7) and points responsible for per game (16.5).
• With his 21 completions at California, Thompson-Robinson moved past Brett Hundley (837 from 2011-14) and became the all-time school leader with 844.
• Thompson-Robinson started his 47th career game at Cal to up his school-leading total for all-time quarterback starts.
• Thompson-Robinson became the school’s all-time leader in touchdowns accounted for (passing, receiving and rushing) on a 1-yard run in the second quarter against USC. That touchdown was the 107th of his career, which moved him past Hundley, who totaled 106 touchdowns in his Bruin career. Thompson-Robinson finished with six touchdowns accounted for against USC. He enters the bowl game with a career total of 113.
• Thompson-Robinson became UCLA’s all-time leader in total offense against USC, as he moved past Hundley (11,713). Thompson-Robinson became the first Bruin to reach the 12,000-yard mark in total offense at Cal and finished that game with 12,236 career yards of total offense.
• Thompson-Robinson has elevated to second on the school list in career passing yards (10,424), with school leader Cade McNown (1995-98) currently at the top of that list at 10,708 … Thompson-Robinson (86) is the all-time school leader for touchdown passes. He moved past Hundley (75) in this year’s Utah game.
• Thompson-Robinson has 11 rushing touchdowns this season … the UCLA single-season leaders are John Sciarra (1975) and Gary Beban (1965), with 14 each … Thompson-Robinson has rushed for 631 yards this season … Jeff Dankworth (1976) holds the school mark at 815. Thompson-Robinson has 27 career rushing scores. Beban is first on that list with 35.
• Thompson-Robinson rushed for a career-high 120 yards at Arizona State for his third-career 100-yard rushing game. He now has 1,812 rushing yards and sits second on the all-time UCLA quarterback rushing list. Sciarra (1972-75) is first at 1,813.
• UCLA is 15-4 in games Thompson-Robinson has run for at least one touchdown.
• Thompson-Robinson’s year-by-year passing efficiency: 2022 – 156.6, 2021 – 153.9, 2020 – 156.3, 2019 – 134.9, 2018 – 122.3 … the Bruin starting quarterback who most recently posted a higher rating than Thompson-Robinson’s 2020 mark of 156.29 for a full season was Drew Olson in 2005 (161.6). The school record for a season is McNown’s 168.6 mark in 1997.
ON OFFENSE
• UCLA is one of four teams nationally averaging more than 500 yards of total offense per game (507.8) this season. Head coach Chip Kelly had three Oregon teams accomplish that feat (2012 – 537.4, 2011 – 522.8 and 2010 – 530.7).
• UCLA has 3,138 passing yards and 2,956 rushing yards. No other FBS team had reached both totals through the end of the regular season.
• WR Jake Bobo is tied for sixth in the league with seven touchdown receptions … he is 10th in the Pac-12 in both yards per game (65.75) and receiving yards (789) … he caught a season-high eight passes (UCLA career high) at UO, adding 101 receiving yards and a touchdown … it was his second 100-yard game of this season (also 142 against Washington) … he had a total of three touchdown catches in his four-year career at Duke. Bobo had two scoring catches each against Utah and UW. He is averaging 14.6 yards per catch on his 54 receptions as a Bruin for the season.
• WR Kazmeir Allen is second on the team with 49 catches on the season … Allen hauled in 10 receptions against Bowling Green to become the 24th Bruin to make at least 10 catches in a game.
• RB Zach Charbonnet will aim to tie the school record (set in 2012 by Johnathan Franklin) with a ninth 100-yard rushing game in the Sun Bowl.
• Against USC, TE Michael Ezeike became the first Bruin to reel in three touchdown passes in a game since 2017, when Jordan Lasley also caught three against the Trojans.
• UCLA’s average of 6.08 yards per rushing attempt leads the Pac-12 … its 34 rushing scores are second in the league.
• UCLA enters the bowl game ranked third in the nation in total offense (507.8 yards per game), fourth in rushing yards per game (246.3) and 39th in passing offense (261.5 yards per game).
• Ezeike became the 15th UCLA player to score a touchdown this season with his scoring catch at Arizona State.
• After rushing for 352 yards at California, UCLA has surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark in nine of its 2022 games (also USC – 204, Arizona – 219, ASU – 402, Stanford – 324, Utah – 212, Colorado – 249, Alabama State – 220 and Bowling Green – 269).
• UCLA failed to record a rushing touchdown against USA to snap a streak of 23 straight games with at least one rushing score. It has rebounded to run for a touchdown in each of the next nine games.
• WR Matt Sykes caught his first pass of the 2022 season for a 24-yard touchdown at CU. It was his first career scoring reception. Sykes also caught a career-high four passes in the game.
• UCLA compiled 626 yards of total offense in the win against BGSU. It was the third time a Chip Kelly-coached Bruin team has hit the 600-yard mark and was the most since the 2019 Bruins’ 657-yard performance at Washington State.
ON DEFENSE
• LB Laiatu Latu has 9.5 sacks for the season, which is the most by a Bruin player since Takkarist McKinley was credited with 10.0 in 2016 … Latu is tied for 11th in the nation (second in Pac-12) in sacks per game (0.79) … he recorded a careerbest 3.0 sacks at Colorado … he is tied for second in the Pac-12 (tied for 11th in nation) in fumbles forced per game (0.25).
• UCLA’s defense is yielding 5.71 yards per play, which is the fourth lowest rate among Pac-12 Conference schools.
• DB Mo Osling III ranks atop the team with 82 tackles this season (No. 12 in Pac-12 at 6.83 per game) … he recorded a career-high 15 tackles at Oregon … he has been credited with 59 tackles across the past seven games.
• LB Darius Muasau is second on the team in total tackles with 77 this season (tied for 14th in Pac-12 with 6.42 per game) … he made his second interception of the season against Stanford … he had eight stops with his first pick and a forced fumble in the win versus Utah and was credited with a season-high 12 tackles at Arizona State (also hit double digits with 10 against South Alabama) … he had a total of 14 games with 10 or more stops over his final two seasons playing for Hawai’i.
• The Bruins enter the bowl game ranked 88th in the nation (sixth in Pac-12) in total defense (399.8 yards per game).
• DB Stephan Blaylock started his 43rd straight game at California. OL Craig Novitsky (1990-93) owns the school record with starts in 46 consecutive games.
• Defensive trends … Rushing Defense: 2017 – 287.4 yards per game, 2018 – 199.4, 2019 – 145.5, 2020 – 135.7, 2021 – 124.2 and 2022 – 124.2; Rushing Yards Per Carry: 2017 – 5.8, 2018 – 4.6, 2019 – 4.3, 2020 – 3.6, 2021 – 3.8 and 2022 – 3.7; Yards Per Play: 2017 – 6.3, 2018 – 6.0, 2019 – 6.7, 2020 – 5.4, 2021 – 5.5 and 2022 – 5.7.
• UCLA has held five 2022 opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing … it limited Cal to 67 yards rushing, Washington to 65, CU to 51, Alabama State to 87 and Bowling Green to just 37 this season … the Bruins held five opponents under 100 yards rushing in 2021: 92 by California, 83 by UW, 67 by Stanford, 49 by LSU and 26 by Hawai’i … the Bruins have won each game.
• UCLA has won 44 straight games overall and 63 straight regular-season games in which it has held its opponent to fewer than 20 points. Its last loss came at the hands of BYU, 17-16, in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. Its last regular-season loss was a 16-14 decision at CU in 2003.
• UCLA surrendered just 162 yards of total offense to BGSU in the 2022 opener. The last time a Bruin defense had held an opponent under 200 yards was in 2020 against California (176). The 162-yard total was the lowest by a Bruin opponent since ASU gained 122 in a 2008 contest.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• K Nicholas Barr-Mira totaled nine points at California to bring his career scoring total to 243 points, which is 12th on the all-time Bruin scoring list … he is 15 of 21 on field goals in 2022 after going 2-3 at Cal, 1-1 versus USC, 0-1 versus Arizona, 1-2 versus Stanford, 3-3 at Oregon, 0-1 against Utah, 1-1 versus Washington, 1-1 at Colorado, 4-4 versus South Alabama, 1-1 against Alabama State and 1-3 versus Bowling Green in 2022 … he has connected on 35 of 49 career fieldgoal attempts (.714) … the 35 field goals is ninth on the all-time school list (he connected on a career-best 49-yard field goal in this year’s game against USA).
• Barr-Mira is fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring (8.42 points per game) and fourth with 15 field goals made.
• UCLA’s total of 24 punts this season is the second-lowest mark by any team in the nation this season.
• K R.J. Lopez has recorded touchbacks on 57 of his 86 kickoffs (66%) in 2022 … the 57 touchbacks are the most by a Pac-12 kicker to date this season … in 2021, he had 52 touchbacks which tied for the Pac-12 lead.
• UCLA has blocked 22 kicks (extra points, field goals or punts) since the start of the 2012 season. In 2021, Bruins Martell Irby and Ale Kaho got their hands on punts, with Kaho’s immediately recovered for a touchdown and Irby’s leading to a UCLA offensive scoring drive.
