UCLA vs. Stanford Complete Game Preview

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 28; 3:30 p.m. ET 

WHERE: The Rose Bowl; Pasadena, California

TV: ABC 

UCLA inched ever-closer to title contention, moving to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings in the wake of the Bruins' 38-20 rout of rival USC. 

UCLA also returned to the Top 10 of the Associated Press Poll for the first time since Week 1.

A spot in the playoff isn't possible with a Pac-12 title, and a Pac-12 title isn't attainable without a win over Stanford. And, as head coach Jim Mora was quick to point out following last week's win, the Pac-12 championship is his team's ultimate goal.

"If we can win Friday, we will have another shot to win the Pac-12 Championship," Mora said. "I don’t talk about that other stuff." 

He added UCLA's "world's got to end" with Stanford. In other words, this is a big one for the Bruins.  

Keys to Victory for UCLA

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Control the Line of Scrimmage

UCLA ground USC's offense to a virtual standstill Saturday, giving up just one offensive score for the first three-and-a-half quarters and holding the Trojans to 62 rushing yards. The Bruins also racked up a season-high six sacks—double their previous single-game high mark. 

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said the Bruins' success was not the result of a more aggressive blitz philosophy, but rather the linemen's ability to command at the point of attack. 

Defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa was especially tenacious. He won his matchup with tackle Zach Banner to produce two sacks and help contain the Trojans' run.  

"

Great job by #UCLA DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa on 4th-and-2 stop. Pushed massive USC RT Zach Banner backward to shut down Buck Allen in backfield

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 23, 2014"

Line control has played an integral role in UCLA's second-half resurgence on the other side of the ball as well. UCLA allowed 23 sacks through its first six games but just nine in the five outings since.  

Stanford has been among the nation's leading sacking defenses in recent seasons, as UCLA became well aware in last year's meeting. Cardinal defenders got to quarterback Brett Hundley for four of them. 

While Stanford lost seven starters from last year's stellar defense, the sacks still come in droves. With 35 on the year, only Utah and Washington have more among Pac-12 teams. 

Hundley said after the USC game that the Bruins line "played their butts off." The unit must do so again when faced with perhaps its stiffest challenge of the season's second half.  

Start Fast

In each of UCLA's last two contests—both multiple-possession wins—the Bruins came out firing. They scored two first-quarter touchdowns against both Washington and USC and went into halftime with 31 and 24 points in those games, respectively. 

Stanford is not equipped to duel UCLA in a shootout and is especially ill suited to playing catch-up.

The Bruins coming out with a quick attack that features a dash of running back Paul Perkins mixed with a diverse passing approach is vital. An early score should electrify the Rose Bowl crowd and put the tempo in UCLA's favor. 

Keys to Victory for Stanford

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Grind Down the Tempo 

During its reign atop the conference, Stanford preferred a more methodical approach from many of its Pac-12 counterparts. 

The Cardinal still play at a much slower pace but more out of necessity than in seasons past. 

Stanford would wear down opponents with a stifling defensive presence, then deliver an offensive haymaker with an explosive Stepfan Taylor or Tyler Gaffney rush, or a long pass to Ty Montgomery, who is out Friday with a shoulder injury. 

And indeed, in its six wins this year Stanford is averaging 35 points per game. Some of that same offensive firepower that supplemented an imposing defense in years past remains but has only emerged against inferior defenses such as Cal, Washington State and Oregon State. 

The Cardinal cannot keep pace with the Bruins if UCLA is scoring points. Expect a strategy similar to that which scored Stanford wins over Oregon in 2012 and 2013, with the defense swarming to Hundley and the offense sitting on possessions.

A combined score that does not exceed 40 points benefits the Cardinal.  

Shorten the Field 

Among the most effective weapons in Stanford's offensive arsenal is Montgomery—and not just at wide receiver. 

The Cardinal's pass-catching leader at 61 receptions for 604 yards is perhaps more dangerous setting up the offense on short fields with big returns both from punts and kickoffs. Montgomery is averaging almost 20 yards per punt return and has taken two back for touchdowns. 

His 25.2-yard per kickoff return average is second in the Pac-12 behind only USC freshman Adoree' Jackson. That makes his absence all the more concerning for the Cardinal on Friday. 

Stanford must find other ways to start in good field position, whether it be forcing turnovers or someone else stepping up on special teams. 

Freshman wide receiver Christian McCaffrey has breakaway speed that could be well-suited to the return game. 

The Cardinal offense is erratic, but starting on the UCLA side of the 50-yard line makes quarterback Kevin Hogan's job a whole lot easier.  

UCLA Players to Watch

USA TODAY Sports

OFFENSE

RB Paul Perkins

That UCLA only gained 74 rushing yards against Stanford a season ago is noteworthy. Equally as noteworthy is when the Bruins and Cardinal met: Week 7. 

UCLA was still seeking a reliable No. 1 ball-carrier after losing the heir apparent to 2012 All-American Johnathan Franklin, Jordon James, to an ankle injury. 

Perkins became a more integral part of the Bruins offense in the latter portion of 2013, and in 2014 he has emerged as the rusher to fill Franklin's massive shoes. 

Perkins enters the final week of the regular season leading the Pac-12 in rushing yards, having surpassed USC's Javorius "Buck" Allen in last week's win. Perkins can become the first Bruin to win the conference's rushing title since Karim Abdul-Jabbar in 1995 but must solve a Stanford defense allowing just 112.8 rushing yards per game on the season. 

OT Conor McDermott 

Conor McDermott has played a huge part in UCLA's resurgent offense, taking over at starting left tackle midway through the campaign. 

McDermott is once again vital to the Bruins' game plan, this time tasked with protecting Hundley's blind side against the tenacious blitz Stanford employs. 

Look for McDermott to be up against defensive end Henry Anderson in most situations.

DEFENSE

DT Kenny Clark 

Kenny Clark may not get the recognition that comes with racking up sacks as fellow defensive linemen Odighizuwa and Eddie Vanderdoes have in recent weeks. But make no mistake, Clark's efforts in the middle have made UCLA's uptick in sack production possible. 

The Stanford offensive line is not the behemoth it's been in seasons past, having given up 22 sacks on the year. The Cardinal also rank No. 85 nationally in rushing offense. 

Clark will play a key role in bottling up the Cardinal's running efforts, and the Bruins' collective ability to bottle up the ground game will leave Hogan prone to pressure. 

LB Eric Kendricks 

Stanford's inconsistent offense is in part due to uncharacteristic turnovers. The Cardinal have given away the ball 20 times on the year to rank near the bottom of the conference.

UCLA can control the game’s tempo by generating more turnovers, and few Bruins are quite as adept at garnering takeaways as linebacker Eric Kendricks.

Kendricks has a team-high three interceptions on the year, the most recent a diving play against USC’s Cody Kessler.

"

Eric Kendricks one handed interception to change the complexion of the game.#UCLAFootball #bruinrevolution ... https://t.co/xmhKqmeJ6E

— julian chwang (@ChwangJulian) November 23, 2014"

Kendricks has also forced a fumble and could have an opportunity for another. Stanford leads the conference in lost fumbles this season.

Stanford Players to Watch

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

OFFENSE

RB Remound Wright 

Remound Wright isn't a workhorse back in the vein of previous Stanford ball-carriers Toby Gerhart, Taylor or Gaffney, but he is coming off a monster game of four touchdowns and 92 yards. 

It's perhaps no coincidence that Wright's two best individual games came in two of the Cardinal's highest-scoring Pac-12 contests. Stanford is at its best when it balances a persistent run with a methodical passing attack. 

Wright's ability to get going is crucial for Stanford to mount a consistent offensive strategy. Otherwise, it could be another long day for the Cardinal on that site of the ball.  

WR Devon Cajuste 

Along with Montgomery, Devon Cajuste has been the stalwart of Stanford's receiving corps the last two seasons. 

Cajuste missed time in 2013 but was in the lineup for the Cardinal's win over UCLA, and the big-bodied Cajuste presented a real matchup problem for the Bruins. He caught 11 passes that day. 

DEFENSE

LB Blake Martinez 

Blake Martinez emerged as the latest in Stanford's recent line of star linebackers. Martinez is leading the Cardinal in tackles with 92 and interceptions with three, and he has 4.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries.  

Martinez has established himself as a true jack-of-all-trades for the Cardinal defense, not unlike UCLA’s Kendricks.

DT David Parry

Stanford’s aggressive defensive front builds off David Parry, the veteran in the middle with 26 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks on the year.

Parry is among the conference’s best interior lineman and could pose problems for the UCLA offensive front. The Bruins’ most significant blocking struggles earlier in the season came from pressure up the middle.

If Parry is able to break through into the backfield consistently, it could spell trouble for Hundley.

What They're Saying

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

UCLA 

Kendricks on having the opportunity to clinch the Pac-12 South against Stanford: 

"We like to take the one-game-at-a-time mentality...but I'd be lying if I said that this game wasn't very important to me because of what [Stanford has] done to us in the past. Emotions are high. I'm ready for the challenge and can't wait."

Hundley on Stanford: 

"Stanford is a good team, no matter if they've lost how many ever they've lost, they're still a good team...It's going to be a tough game for us Friday." 

Stanford

Head coach David Shaw on getting to bowl eligibility, via GoStanford.com: 

"It was good to see us get that sixth victory. We'll try to get one more and see what happens next week. But we love the fact of being bowl eligible." 

Hogan on the offense working in tandem successfully vs. Cal, via the Contra Costa Times: 

"

We wanted to establish the running game and take advantage of what the defense presented, take advantage of the numbers. That set up the play-action. We were able to convert some key third downs, and we finished in the end zone.

"

Prediction

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The 2014 season has featured a number of firsts for UCLA. 

Its win at Cal on Oct. 18 was the program's first there since 1998. Saturday's rout of rival USC gave UCLA its first streak of nine-plus-win seasons in history.

And reaching the first Pac-12 Championship Game held in Levi's Stadium is contingent on this collection of Bruins winning their first game over Stanford.

Should UCLA knock off the two-time reigning conference champion, it would mark the program's first win in this series since 2008.

The 2008 win is notable because it was the last before Stanford began to establish itself as a force in the conference. This Friday should bring a changing of the guard, with UCLA snapping its losing skid to the Cardinal and staking claim as one of the preeminent programs in the Pac-12. 

Don't get too full on your Thanksgiving meals, Bruins fans. You'll want to have room to devour a Pac-12 South title. 

Prediction: UCLA 28, Stanford 17  

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited. Statistics courtesy of CFBstats.com.