Can UCLA keep winning? Five things to watch against Michigan State
Was it just a coincidence or a fundamental change?
A week after a massive upset by Penn State, UCLA was able to get some answers about the direction of its season.
A road game against an opponent with plenty of urgency of their own should tell the Bruins whether they’re on their way to redemption or just picking up speed down a road that leads nowhere.
Michigan State (3-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) needs a win as bad as UCLA (1-4, 1-1) given it’s staring down the conference standings on a team that has lost its first four games this season.
Spartans coach Jonathan Smith, a Pasadena native and Glendora High School graduate whose name was among those linked to the vacancy at UCLA, may only need to win this game to help secure his future with his current team after compiling an 8-9 record about halfway through his sophomore season.
Meanwhile, the stock of UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper and offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel — let’s dispense with the official and derogatory player title, please — could reach new heights with a second straight win.
Skipper equated Neuheisel’s success in his debut play-calling to giving players answers before testing, which was even more impressive considering Neuheisel only had two days to install his new scheme after replacing late offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri.
What could UCLA’s offense look like after a full week of prep work? Here are five things to watch when the Bruins take on the Spartans at Spartan Stadium at 9 a.m. PDT in a game televised on the Big Ten Network: