The (8-3) UCLA Bruins will travel to Berkeley, CA, for a Pac-12 matchup against the (4-7) Cal Golden Bears on Friday. The two schools have met annually since 1933, but are playing for one of the last times as conference rivals, as UCLA is set to join the Big Ten in 2024. It is the second-longest uninterrupted rivalry game in college football. The Golden Bears are 10.5-point spread underdogs at home, and the game total is 60.5 points.
UCLA endured its toughest loss of the 2022 season last week vs. crosstown rival USC, falling 48-45. The Bruins led 14-0, but the Trojans rallied, racking up a season-high 648 yards of total offense. Although it was just its first win over a ranked opponent, USC is headed to the Pac-12 title game with an opportunity to make a better impression on the College Football Playoff committee. The Bruins will now have to make a concerted effort not to come out with a deflated performance against California in their regular season finale.
In the loss to SC, Trojans QB Caleb Williams (503 total yards, 3 TDs, and one INT) outdueled Bruins QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (390 total yards, 6 TDs, and four turnovers) in the first matchup between two Black quarterbacks in the history of the Crosstown Showdown. It was a historic rivalry game, but one that UCLA will have to put behind it immediately to salvage what has been a fine season.& #13;
The Bruins are top ten in points scored (40.0), rushing yards (236.8), and total yards per game (504.9), with the 34th-ranked passing attack (268.1 yards per game). Thompson-Robinson has been electric (3,238 total yards and 33 total TDs), and the running game has dominated, with Zach Charbonnet leading the way (1,240 rush yards and 13 TDs). It's been especially exciting for Big Ten football fans, who will now welcome not one but two stellar programs to the conference in two seasons.
AN ABSOLUTE DART! 55-YARD TOUCHDOWN! ??
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??: @FOX#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/xbTTuBD1WG— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) November 20, 2022