Can the UCLA Football once again find success on the road?
If the UCLA Football team wants to turn things around in 2017, they are going to have to get tough on the road, but it is easy said than done.
Willie Nelson sang that he couldn’t wait to get on the road again. It’s obvious that Shotgun Willie never played a football game at an opposing Pac-12 stadium. It is also obvious he didn’t have the problems UCLA Football has.
Since the inception of the Pac-12 Conference in 2011, visiting teams have compiled a 149-178 record.
Seven teams, including UCLA, are under .500 during this time. Cal, at 6-22, is bringing up the rear while Stanford and Oregon have the best road records at 21-6.
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Last season’s 0-4 road record in the Pac-12 was the worst for the Bruins. Add in the Texas A&M loss and an early win at BYU and their overall road record was 1-5.
This year the Bruins play five road games, including a Friday night matchup at Utah and another at the Coliseum. UCLA also travels up to Stanford where they have lost five in a row. They also have a pivotal non-conference road game at Memphis.
A Key to a Successful UCLA Season on the Road
One common factor in a successful road season appears to be a top-tier quarterback that can stay on the field. It may sound simple but players graduate, get hurt or leave for the draft.
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During Stanford’s best two seasons on the road, they were led by two successful quarterbacks. In 2011, the Cardinal went 4-0 away from Palo Alto with Andrew Luck. They matched that same record in 2015 with an experienced Kevin Hogan.
Marcus Mariota was the leader of Oregon’s offense during their most successful seasons on the road. In 2012 and 2014, Oregon went a combined 10-0 away from Autzen Stadium.
When UCLA had their best Pac-12 road record in 2014, Brett Hundley was the quarterback. The Bruins went 4-0, helped by the fact that they avoided playing at Stanford that year.
This year it will be Josh Rosen’s turn to try his luck with UCLA Football on the road. So far in his career, Rosen is 5-4 when playing away from The Rose Bowl.
It’s too early to tell if Rosen can take control of his team when not in Pasadena. Can he play like the 2014 Hundley or will we relive last year when Fafaul was thrown to the lions due to the injury to Rosen?
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Hopefully, as Rosen is walking out of the visitor’s tunnel this year, he’ll be whistling Willie Nelson’s tune, ready to get back on the road again.