PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Rhett Rodriguez, the son of former Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, could be in line to make his first career start this Saturday at UCLA after coach Kevin Sumlin praised his relief effort at Utah. Rhett Rodriguez won’t wow with his arm or physical skills, but he has a high football IQ, is likely to make the right pre-snap reads and then understand where to go with the ball.
–LB Colin Schooler has been Arizona’s best player all year, and he came up with an interception at Utah, giving him two for the season. The sophomore has a team-high 71 tackles, including 11.5 for loss, and is playing at an All-Pac-12 level.
–DE JB Brown, a sophomore, coming in off a game in which he had a sack, forced fumble and four tackles against Cal, made his first career start last week at Utah. Brown finished with three tackles, including two for loss.
–RB JJ Taylor, boosted by his 284-yard day against Oregon State, leads Arizona in rushing with 663 yards, averaging 5.6 per carry. Given his size (5-6, 184), he sometimes struggles in short-yardage situations, but he’s dangerous in space, especially with an excellent spin move.
SERIES HISTORY: UCLA leads Arizona, 24-16-2. The Wildcats snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bruins with a 47-30 victory last season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I was glad to get the opportunity. But at the same time, I didn’t play perfect, the whole team could have played a lot better. I wish it could have been in a better circumstance, I wish I would have helped the team win, but I was glad I had a little opportunity there.” — QB Rhett Rodriguez, after the loss at Utah.
