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UCLA Football vs. Stanford 2018: Three keys to victory

By Mike Crawford

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 17: Running back Joshua Kelley #27 of the UCLA Bruins looks over his shoulder as he heads for the end zone during the first second of a football game at Rose Bowl on November 17, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 17: Running back Joshua Kelley #27 of the UCLA Bruins looks over his shoulder as he heads for the end zone during the first second of a football game at Rose Bowl on November 17, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /
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Here are the three keys to victory for the UCLA football team as they take on the Stanford Cardinal in their final regular season game of 2018.

First-year head coach Chip Kelly and his UCLA Football team (3-8, 3-5) will close out the 2018 campaign on Saturday at noon when they host the Stanford Cardinal (6-4, 4-3 PAC-12) at the Rose Bowl.

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With the UCLA football team looking to finish their roller-coaster season on a high note, below are three keys to victory.

Don’t Sleep on Love

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Compared to his past seasons with the Cardinal, running back Bryce Love has had a quiet year.  So far this season, Love has rushed for just 580 yards (averaging 4.8 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.  Last season, Love carved the Bruins up like a Thanksgiving turkey by going off for 272 yards and one touchdown.  While Love may not be putting up Heisman-caliber numbers this season, he is going up against a Bruin defense that is allowing 206 yards per game.  Undoubtedly, Kelly and company will be (or should be), keeping an eye out for Stanford’s rushing attack.

Contain Costello

Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello has had a quality season and is arguably one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the nation.  The junior signal caller has thrown for 2854 yards (averaging 8.65 yards) 23 touchdowns and leads the Pac-12 with a 156.9 quarterback rating. The Bruins’ defense, on the other hand, is allowing an average of 236 passing yards a game. Costello’s favorite target is wide receiver JJ Arcega Whiteside who has posted 754 yards and 11 touchdowns.  On top of keeping a watchful eye out for Love, the Bruins are going to have their work cut out for them by trying to slow down Costello and the air game.

Run. The. Ball.

In last week’s marquee win over Southern Cal, UCLA’s Josh Kelley rushed for 289 yards and two touchdowns.  Heading into Saturday’s finale, Kelley has rushed for 1,188 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Stanford’s defense is not what it has been in past years, which bodes well for a Bruin offense that appears to be trending upwards.  As UCLA’s passing game has been largely unpredictable under both Wilton Speight and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Bruins would be wise to let Kelley loose in the Rose Bowl and see if he can duplicate last week’s stellar performance.

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Conclusion

A win over Stanford would mean a lot for Kelly and the Bruins.  As Bruin faithful know all too well, Stanford has had UCLA’s number for nearly a decade.  Should Chip Kelly find a way to snap Stanford’s 10-game win streak, the Bruins can close their 2018 season on a high note and set their sights on a promising 2019 campaign.