UCLA
UCLA is 9-0, No. 4 in the CFP rankings, and No. 40 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 8.8 points better than an average FBS team. Last game: won 34-20 at Minnesota in Week 10. The machine gives UCLA a 21% chance to make the playoff.
Week 11: vs Illinois, Friday, Nov 13: the matchup, unit by unit
Why UCLA is No. 40
- UCLA's rating is 8.8: the machine's estimate that UCLA is 8.8 points better than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 40 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
- It started the season at 0.5, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 8.3.
- The biggest weekly moves: +4.3 after Week 4 (W 54-3 at Maryland) and +4.2 after Week 1 (W 45-24 at California).
- Its record is 9-0. The 9 wins came by 19.4 points on average; the best was over No. 13 Oregon. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
- Its FBS opponents so far average No. 66 in the machine's ratings.
- Just above is No. 39 Northwestern (9.3); just below is No. 41 Clemson (7.9).
The rating, week by week
Strengths and weak spots
Head coach
Bob Chesney is in his 1st season at UCLA. This season: 9-0.
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Team stats
Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.
Passing
| Completions-attempts | 139-235 |
|---|---|
| Passing yards | 1968 |
| Touchdowns-interceptions | 10-7 |
| Yards per attempt* | 8.4No. 27 of 138 |
| Explosive pass rate | 14.8%No. 12 of 138 |
| Sacks allowed (rate) | 4.1%No. 41 of 138 |
Rushing
| Carries-yards | 362-1919 |
|---|---|
| Yards per carry | 5.3No. 22 of 138 |
| 10-plus-yard runs (rate) | 15.2%No. 45 of 138 |
| Stuffed at or behind the line (rate) | 14.1%No. 23 of 138 |
Scoring
| Points per game | 33.6No. 32 of 138 |
|---|---|
| Yards per play | 6.57No. 23 of 138 |
| Third-down rate | 46.0%No. 25 of 138 |
| Red-zone TD rate | 57.5%No. 92 of 138 |
| Giveaways | 13No. 105 of 138 |
Defense
| Points allowed per game | 14.1No. 8 of 138 |
|---|---|
| Yards per play allowed | 4.32No. 6 of 138 |
| Yards per pass attempt allowed | 5.8No. 9 of 138 |
| Yards per carry allowed | 2.7No. 8 of 138 |
| Sack rate | 5.3%No. 88 of 138 |
| Takeaways | 27No. 1 of 138 |
| Third-down rate allowed | 26.4%No. 2 of 138 |
Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Player leaders
The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).
Passing
- Ty Dieffenbach67-116, 986 yds, 6 TD, 2 INT
- Nico Iamaleava72-116, 982 yds, 4 TD, 4 INT
Rushing
- Wayne Knight128 carries, 789 yds, 13 TD
- Anthony Woods86 carries, 524 yds, 6 TD
- Jaivian Thomas57 carries, 271 yds, 4 TD
Receiving
- Semaj Morgan37 catches, 469 yds, 2 TD
- Brian Rowe Jr.20 catches, 352 yds, 1 TD
- Aidan Mizell9 catches, 325 yds, 3 TD
Tackles
- Jalen Woods74
- Samuel Omosigho59
- Ta'Shawn James45
Sacks
- Samuel Omosigho5
- Jalen Woods3
- Aiden Gobaira2.5
Interceptions
- Ta'Shawn James4
- Scooter Jackson3
- Jalen Woods2
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Who's playing
Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.
Throwing
- Nico Iamaleava5 games116 attempts50%
- Ty DieffenbachMost passes in the last game5 games116 attempts50%
Carrying
- Wayne Knight9 games128 carries45%
- Anthony Woods9 games86 carries30%
- Jaivian Thomas9 games57 carries20%
- Troy Leigber2 games7 carries2%
Catching
- Semaj Morgan9 games37 catches27%
- Brian Rowe Jr.9 games20 catches14%
- Wayne Knight7 games17 catches12%
- Aidan Mizell5 games9 catches6%
Tackling
- Jalen Woods9 games74 tackles14%
- Samuel Omosigho9 games59 tackles11%
- Ta'Shawn James9 games45 tackles8%
- Sahir West9 games34 tackles6%
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
The season, week by week
- Week 1 W 45–24 at California. The run game was the strength: 8.7 yards a carry, 4.1 more than California usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 2.
- Week 2 W 28–10 vs San Diego State. The pass defense was the strength: San Diego State got 2.5 yards an attempt, 4.1 under what it usually gains. The fewest yards an attempt it has allowed all season.
- Week 3 W 52–38 vs Purdue. The pass defense gave ground: Purdue got 13.9 yards an attempt, 7.0 over what it usually gains. Won the turnover battle by 3.
- Week 4 W 54–3 at Maryland. The pass defense was the strength: Maryland got 3.6 yards an attempt, 3.7 under what it usually gains. Won the turnover battle by 3.
- Week 6 W 17–15 at Oregon. The pass defense was the strength: Oregon got 4.9 yards an attempt, 2.6 under what it usually gains. The machine had Oregon by 9.6 (73%), so this was a win it did not see coming; UCLA won the turnover battle by 4.
- Week 7 W 17–7 vs Wisconsin. The pass defense was the strength: Wisconsin got 4.0 yards an attempt, 3.5 under what it usually gains. Lost the turnover battle by 2.
- Week 8 W 28–10 vs Michigan State. The pass defense was the strength: Michigan State got 4.4 yards an attempt, 2.3 under what it usually gains.
- Week 9 W 27–0 vs Nevada. The run defense was the strength: Nevada got 1.9 yards a carry, 2.5 under what it usually gains. Won the turnover battle by 4.
- Week 10 W 34–20 at Minnesota. The passing game was the strength: 18.9 yards an attempt, 12.2 more than Minnesota usually allows. Its most yards an attempt of the season.