Pac-12 Football: UCLA Bruins vs Texas Longhorns Preview

The anticipation and excitement surrounding UCLA's game this weekend has lost a little steam with the Bruins opponent stumbling last week against BYU. Many had thought the Week 3 matchup between UCLA and Texas would possibly have playoff implications, but that is only the case for Jim Mora's team now that the Longhorns have already been defeated and by that, we mean they were pummeled.

So the nation may not be watching the undefeated Bruins take on the 1-1 Longhorns as closely, but the Advocare Cowboys Showdown in Arlington will still be nationally televised on FOX.

UCLA VS. TEXAS

UCLA has split six games against the Longhorns. Texas won the last meeting, 49-20, in a game played in the Rose Bowl in 2011. UCLA won the last two meetings in Austin, capturing a 34-12 decision in 2010 and a 66-3 victory in 1997. The Bruins also earned a 49-31 decision in the Rose Bowl in 1998. Texas won games played in the Coliseum in 1971 (10-28) and at Austin in 1970 (17-20).

What to Know About UCLA

Brett Hundley set a school record with the third 400-yard total offense effort of his career (422 yds) after completing a school-record-tying 33 passes for 396 yards and three scores against Memphis. He also tied the school record by achieving his 12th career 300-yard total offense performance. Thomas Duarte (110 yds) and Jordan Payton (104) became the first receiver duo to have 100-yard games in the same contest since Marcedes Lewis-108, Joe Cowan-109, Chris Markey-120 hit the century mark in 2005 game vs. Arizona St.

UCLA has won 9 of its last 10 non-conference matchups, losing to Baylor ('12). It has won all eight regular season non-conference games and split a pair of bowl games under Coach Mora. Redshirt senior LB Eric Kendricks led the team with 10 stops v. Memphis. He had 16 tackles at UVa and in the process moved to sixth on all-time school tackle list .... Named National Defensive Player of the Week by Walter Camp, Athlon Sports, FWAA/Bronko Nagurski ...First Bruin to have back-to-back 100-tackle seasons (106-'13/ 150-'12) since 1988-89.

UCLA lists nine players from the state of Texas on the roster...Its last game against a team from Texas was a loss in the 2012 Holiday Bowl to Baylor...Its last game played in Texas was a win at the Sun Bowl last season...It defeated Texas in its last trip to Austin in 2010...Texas won the 2011 rematch in the Rose Bowl. All-time series with UT is even at 3-3.

UCLA Offense Quick Hits

• QB Brett Hundley finished the 2013 season with one interception in his last 158 passing attempts and none in his last 77.He threw his first interception after 146 attempts v. Memphis. The school mark-199 by Drew Olson in 2005.

• UCLA is 9-4 in true road games (4-2 in '13 and '12) under Coach Mora...In 2012, the Bruins won as many as four road games in a season for the first time since 2002.

• In the last 23 games, UCLA has gone 17-6 with the six losses to Oregon (11-2 record in 2013), Stanford (3xs/11-3 record) Arizona State (10-4) and Baylor (11-2); four of the six losses have come in games played away from the Rose Bowl.

• The Bruins have started off each of the past two seasons with early win streaks - 2012 won first 3; 2013 won first 5

• UCLA played seven true freshmen (OL Najee Toran, DB Jaleel Wadood, DL Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, DL Matt Dickerson, LB Zach Whitley, LB Kenny Young, WR Mossi Johnson) in the opener at UVa. RB Nate Starks joined the list against Memphis. Last season, it established a school record by playing 18 true freshmen during the year. It also matched the school record of seven true freshmen position players starting in a game (2013 games at Oregon, vs. Colorado).

• Sophomore LB Myles Jack recorded a career-best 13 tackles at UVa. He became the first player in Pac-12 Conference history to be selected both Freshman Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year. He was also one of five finalists for the Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player. He has three rushing attempts this season, all vs. Memphis.

• UCLA is 17-3 under Coach Mora when scoring first, 10-0 when doing so at home; the Bruins are 19-0 under Mora when ahead at the half

• Hundley matched school record-holder Cade McNown's total of 12 300-yard total offense games after his 422 yard-effort against Memphis last week...He racked up a personal best 428 yards of total offense in 2013 vs. Cal.

• Most Career 300-yd total offense games- Cade McNown12, Hundley 12, Drew Olson 5, Tom Ramsey 5

• Hundley's completion percentage of .668 in 2013 was the highest by a Bruin starter since 1983 (Rick Neuheisel - .693). Hundley was the first Bruin QB to lead the team in rushing since Larry Zeno in 1964.

• Junior receiver Jordan Payton made a career-best eight catches at UVa and seven for a career-high 104 yards v. Memphis.

• DL Kenny Clark registered a career-best eight tackles in the opener at UVa.

Texas Longhorn Quick Hits

• Texas will be playing in AT&T Stadium for the second time when it faces UCLA Saturday. The Longhorns downed Nebraska, 13-12, in the 2009 Big 12 title game to advance to the BCS Championship.

• The Horns rank No. 15 nationally in total defense, surrendering an average of 261.5 yards over the first two games. The passing efficiency defense checks in at No. 4 in the FBS with a 62.42 rating. UCLA's Brett Hundley enters Saturday's game ranked No. 16 nationally in passing yards per game (319.0) and No. 26 in completion percentage (68.8).

• Texas has five interceptions already this season after posting 10 all of 2013. The Horns rank No. 9 nationally in turnovers gained (6).

• The Longhorns have combined for 10.0 sacks over the first two games and rank tied for fourth in the FBS (5.0 per game). Nine players have been involved in a sack this season and the defensive tackles are leading the way. Malcom Brown leads the team with 2.5 and Hassan Ridgeway is second with 2.0.

• The UNT offense never advanced to the red zone and did not convert a third-down opportunity until early in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game. The Mean Green were unable to convert their first nine attempts and ended the game 3-for-15. Last season, UNT ranked No. 20 in the FBS in third-down conversions (47 percent).

• The Texas defense forced North Texas into four interceptions, the most since the 2009 Oklahoma State game (Oct. 31). The Longhorns totaled 10 interceptions during the 2013 season. Dylan Haines, Jordan Hicks, Adrian Colbert and Demarco Cobbs each recorded his first career interception.

• UNT averaged 1.8 yards on 43 rushing attempts and its longest play was 8 yards.

• Five true freshmen have seen action this season: TE Andrew Beck, WR Armanti Foreman, RB D'Onta Foreman, DB Jason Hall and WR Lorenzo Joe. Other players who saw their first career action in the first two games included CB Antwuan Davis, LB Naashon Hughes, DE Logan Mills, DB Dylan Haines, FB Dominic Cruciani, OL Jake Raulerson, OL Darius James, WR Ty Templin and LB Trey Gonzalez.

• Two players on both offense (RT Marcus Hutchins, WR John Harris) and defense (DE Shiro Davis, S Adrian Colbert) started for the time in their careers in the North Texas game. On offense, C Jake Raulerson, RG Taylor Doyle and QB Tyrone Swoopes started for the first time vs. BYU. On defense, S Dylan Haines earned his first career start in the Cougars game.