PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson remained behind center for the duration of last Friday’s game, despite veteran Wilton Speight returning from a Week 1 back injury. The true freshman Thompson-Robinson finished 17-of-35 passing with a touchdown and was sacked three times.
–RB Joshua Kelley was used sparingly Weeks 1 and 2, and did not play Week 3, but kick-started the UCLA run game at Colorado with 124 yards. Kelley also caught three passes out of the backfield.
As coach Chip Kelly seeks a full-time answer in the run game, the UC Davis transfer Kelley should continue to see a heavier workload.
–LB Tyree Thompson started the season opener against Cincinnati, called on to help fill the void injured Josh Woods left in the linebacker corps. He had little impact at Oklahoma or against Fresno State but came on for eight tackles to lead the Bruins against Colorado.
As UCLA prepares to face the two-pronged rushing attack of Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed, Thompson should again factor into the run-stopping efforts.
–DE/LB Keisean Lucier-South is UCLA’s top pass-rushing threat and a key to slowing Washington’s offense. The Huskies have struggled most this season when QB Jake Browning faces consistent and effective blitz.
SERIES HISTORY: UCLA leads Washington 40-31-2. The Bruins are 10-3 since 2001 but have faced the Huskies just twice since Chris Petersen became head coach in 2014. UCLA won in Seattle in 2014, 44-30, and also lost there last season, 44-23, after quarterback Josh Rosen was knocked out of the lineup.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “For me, that doesn’t matter, because I know the season isn’t over. I know that we can bounce back. I have confidence in my teammates, coaches, everybody. We look to control what we can control, and we have (Washington) next week, so we just got to keep hammering at it and fixing all the little details,” — Center Boss Tagaloa on the program’s worst start since 1971.