UCLA to Honor Navy SEALs with Awesome Helmets vs. Washington State

On Saturday against the Washington State Cougars, the 19th-ranked Bruins will wear a helmet to honor the United States Navy SEALS.

For reasons I can’t recall, I watched that game from a bar in the U. District and watched a replay the next morning on my Sony Betamax. Much more will be on the line than just individual accomplishments as both the Bruins and Cougars can’t afford another loss if they hope to win their respective divisions within the conference.

They are 7-2 and have the No. 1 pass defense in the Pac-12. The Bruins two weeks ago might have been susceptible to a stunner, but this UCLA team has gained maturity and composure over the course of the season, as evident from its shutout of Oregon State last weekend.

The Odds: UCLA is a 10 point favorite against Washington State. Josh Rosen has thrown for 2,563 yards and 18 touchdowns in his freshman year to lead the offense.

All right, enough about UCLA. I like Mora, but I continue to hold a grudge against him because he’s the only person who texted me and gave me grief after the Cougars lost the 2009 Apple Cup. “They don’t get a lot of credit, due to their offense”. This week we visit the great state of Washington to talk WSU Football with Britton Ransford from the great SB Nation site CougCenter.

But it is the defense’s marked improvement that has pushed Washington State toward the upper echelon of the Pac-12 North and off to a bowl game for just the second time in 12 years. That’s the same ASU team the Cougs beat last week at Martin Stadium 38-24. UCLA has also offered members of the armed forces one free ticket and up to eight more for half priced admission on Military Appreciation Day. Deon Hollins, who led UCLA with nine sacks last season, has been slowed by a knee injury, but fellow linebacker Aaron Wallace has helped pick up the slack with five sacks while defensive end Takkarist McKinley has recorded 3 1/2.EXTRA POINTS1. Colorado, as you know, is the 11th-best team in the Pac-12. UCLA’s Matt Mengel is slightly worse than our kid, by two-tenths of a yard with a 39.6-yard net average. They owned the line of scrimmage against a massive Cardinal front, looked to be the better-prepared team and flew around to the football, but couldn’t convert their scoring opportunities, which ended up being the difference in the game.

Nonetheless, the Cougs are as hot as any team in the conference, and UCLA looks vulnerable to me.