Tempe, Arizona - Sun Devil Football returns home this weekend and will be looking to shake off a tough loss last weekend on the road as it takes on the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Oct. 8 in Tempe, Ariz. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Sun Devil Stadium on ESPN2 with Allen Bestwick on the call, alongside analyst Mike Bellotti and sideline reporter Kris Budden.
THE BRUINS- UCLA leads the all-time series against the Devils, 19-12-1, but it has been among the most hotly contested rivalries in the Pac-12 since 1992 with ASU holding an 11-10 advantage over the Bruins in that time. The road team has won each of the last five games in the series.
The 2016 Bruins enter with a 3-2 record with both losses coming to teams currently ranked in the Top 25 nationally (Texas A&M and Stanford). Sophomore quarterback Josh Rosen continues to climb the UCLA charts. He is now seventh in completions (405), remains eighth in passing yardage (5,183) and improved to ninth in touchdown passes (31) and total offense (5,158). Rosen posted the ninth 300-yard passing game of his career against Arizona, one behind Brett Hundley for second in UCLA history.
The Sun Devils will look to shake off the slow starts that have plagued them in recent weeks and will need to do so against a UCLA defense that has allowed just 10 first-half points in its last three contests. A strong first half could be key for both teams with UCLA 35-2 under Jim Mora when leading at halftime while ASU is 31-3 under Graham in that same time span.
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND - The Arizona State University Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame will welcome eight Sun Devil greats to its ranks Saturday at halftime. Six student-athletes from five different varsity sports, along with two former Sun Devil coaches, comprise the 2016 induction class. Nick Brunelli (Men's Swimming), Levi Jones (Football), Zach Miller (Football), Casey Myers (Baseball), Thom Ortiz (Wrestling), and Phelan Wright (Softball) along with two former coaches, John Cooper (Football) and Marty Pincus (Men's Tennis). Both Cooper and Pincus (posthumously) will be enshrined into the Hall of Distinction for coaches and administrators.
AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...
- Improve ASU to 13-19-1 against the Bruins in the series history.
- Give the Devils three victories in the last four games against UCLA and move ASU to winners of 7 of the last 11 games in the series. The Bruins lead the series just 13-12 since 1986 after ASU opened the series 0-6-1 from 1976-85.
- Improve ASU to 8-2 in regular season games since 2013 following a loss. ASU has lost consecutive regular seasons games just twice in the Todd Graham era (four straight in 2012 and threee straight last season).
- Move ASU to 25-14 in Pac-12 games since Todd Graham took over in 2012 and 20-10 in such games in the past three-plus seasons - with both marks leading the Pac-12 South in those respective time spans.
- Improve ASU to 25-6 at Sun Devil Stadium under Todd Graham.
- Move ASU to 5-1 through six games for the third time in Todd Graham's five seasons leading the Sun Devils.