Arizona @ UCLA preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2015 ) UCLA 56, Arizona 30

UCLA coach Jim Mora has owned Arizona since he took over as head coach four years ago; he'll try to improve to 5-0 against the Wildcats when they travel to the Rose Bowl for a Pac-12 game Saturday night. Mora has shown he can run up the score against Arizona, as he did in a 66-10 win in 2012 and a 56-30 victory last season, but also come out on top in a defensive battle, evident by UCLA's 17-7 victory at the Rose Bowl in 2014.

Mora will need to find a way to stop Brandon Dawkins, who is emerging as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation after rushing for 391 yards and seven touchdowns in three starts since taking over for the injured Anu Solomon. Dawkins totaled 176 rushing yards in last week's overtime loss to Washington, including a 76-yard touchdown run - the longest by a quarterback this season and furthest by an Arizona quarterback since 1972. Dawkins has also completed 61.7 percent of his 81 passes this season with three touchdowns and one interception, so UCLA's defense will need to be ready for any possibility. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen hasn't taken the steps forward many expected during his sophomore year - and his quarterback rating is reflective, sitting at 132 after finishing at 134.3 last season.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: UCLA -13.5

ABOUT ARIZONA (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12): The Wildcats may need to lean on Dawkins even more as running back J.J. Taylor broke his ankle last week; he was already filling in for injured starter Nick Wilson (ankle). Wilson's status for the UCLA game was still undetermined mid-week, so next up for the Wildcats would be either Zach Green or Tyrell Johnson, according to the team's depth chart. Johnson has run the ball only four times this season and had just four carries last season after getting 14 as a freshman two years ago, while Green has been handed the ball 15 times over the last two weeks alone, combining for 54 yards.

ABOUT UCLA (2-2, 0-1): UCLA's running backs are healthy but underperforming, totaling 204 rushing yards over the past two games. Soso Jamabo started strong for the Bruins this season, combining for 181 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first two games, but missed the third game against BYU for undisclosed reasons and was then held to 17 yards on seven carries in last week's loss to Stanford. Bolu Olorunfunmi, meanwhile, has seen his workload gradually increase; he had a season-high 11 carries for 51 yards against Stanford, so it will be worth watching how the rushers are deployed against Arizona.

EXTRA POINTS

1. UCLA opponents have combined to score 10 points in the first quarter this season.

2. UCLA DB Randall Goforth is averaging two passes defended per game, tied for third-best in the nation.

3. Arizona has intercepted five passes in the last three games and 10 over the last seven.

PREDICTION: UCLA 34, Arizona 24