UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 11th 2023

UCLA is bowl eligible, although any chance to make the Pac-12 Conference title game is most likely gone as a result of an anemic offense.

The Bruins (6-3, 3-3) get a chance to regroup after a loss to Arizona last Saturday, and play host to Arizona State (2-7, 1-5) Saturday night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

UCLA fell behind 14-0 in the first half against Arizona last Saturday despite its elite defense and couldn’t recover. The Bruins trailed by a touchdown going into the fourth quarter then lost 27-10 as quarterbacks Ethan Garbers and Dante Moore both were injured in the defeat. The Bruins turned to Kent State transfer Collin Schlee, who also appeared to be ailing late in the game.

The painful defeat dropped UCLA from the College Football Playoff rankings this week.

Garbers and Moore were limited early in the week but both participated in practice Wednesday, with Garbers reportedly showing a limp following a right foot injury Saturday. Schlee and fellow QB Chase Griffin each took part in all practices this week.

“It’s definitely hard, especially being an offensive lineman,” UCLA center Duke Clemens said, per the Orange County Register. “You kind of put that on yourself. You wish you could keep these guys (quarterbacks) up and things like that, but I guess that’s the nature of the game.”

The Sun Devils know all about injuries. They have had at least 29 players miss time due to injuries in head coach Kenny Dillingham’s first season, which is a major reason for the struggles for the team on the field.

Arizona State had shown signs of improved play with a 15-7 loss at then-No. 5 Washington on Oct. 21, followed by a 38-27 home win over Washington State, the first conference victory of the season. But last Saturday, ASU was crushed 55-3 at then-No. 18 Utah and lost quarterback Trenton Bourguet to a left leg injury early in the game.

Jacob Conover took over, but the Sun Devils managed just 83 yards of total offense.

With Bourguet still ailing mid-week, Conover could get the start against UCLA. He is the fourth quarterback to play for Arizona State this season.

“Some fluke things happen and we’re not getting muscular issues, we’re getting elbows popping out of a joint. It’s unfortunate but it is what it is,” Dillingham told the Arizona Republic.

–Field Level Media

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