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Know Your Opponent: UCLA Football vs Stanford Cardinal

By Michael Chavez

Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal team prepares to enter the field prior to a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal team prepares to enter the field prior to a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal team prepares to enter the field prior to a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal team prepares to enter the field prior to a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Prediction

The Bruins have a well documented struggle with the Cardinal as of late. If they are going to win the PAC-12 the road goes through Stanford. UCLA hasn’t looked like world beaters this season but there was tons of improvement on both sides of the ball last week against BYU. That kind of success can carry over from week to week and carry a season.

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Don’t get me wrong, the Cardinal offense will be able to move the ball. They’ll be able to score points and they will be able to make life difficult for Rosen and company. Stanford will be the toughest remaining team on UCLA’s schedule by a mile and the Bruins will have to overcome the penalties, poor execution and the coaching mishaps that have plagued them in years past if they are going to get this monkey off their back.

The Bruins won’t just take a page from Stanford’s playbook but will take it to the Xerox machine. A heavy dose of the run game that leads to play-action pass will be the key to taking pressure off a UCLA offensive line that hasn’t quite found it’s way yet. Rosen has the ability and the pass catchers to make a little magic happen if he can only get the time.

Defensively UCLA knows the Cardinal do not want to wind up in a shootout but they should equally be as worried about ground warfare. If UCLA can slow the Cardinal running game and win time of possession for their offense, they will go a long way in helping to secure a win.

Next: UCLA Football: Mique Juarez Could Return After Six Week Excused Absence

In what turns out to be a much closer game than most anticipate, the Bruins finally knock off the Stanford Cardinal and get that much closer to a PAC-12 championship proving pundits, fans, media and myself wrong about this season’s ceiling.