UCLA football (1-5, 1-2 Pac-12) will return from its bye week to face Stanford (3-3, 2-2) on Thursday. The Bruins have fallen to the Cardinal 11 straight times – is this the week the streak ends, or will the Cardinal walk away triumphant once again? Here is this week’s scouting report by Daily Bruin staff writer Jack Perez – who wonders which person allowed a Power Five game to be played on a school night.



Stanford’s offense

Base formations: Pro/Shotgun

Run-pass percentage: 49% run, 51% pass

Strength: Limited turnovers

Weakness: Lack of explosion

X-factor: QB play

The status of Stanford’s quarterbacks is still unknown, which may cause a headache for UCLA.

Last season under K.J. Costello, the Cardinal marched into the Rose Bowl and topped the Bruins for the 11th straight season. Costello finished the game with 344 yards passing and five touchdowns on the way to a 9-4 season.

However, Costello is probably out and backup Davis Mills is questionable for Thursday’s showdown as well. If both do not play, third-string Jack West will start after he finished off Stanford’s win over Washington on Oct. 5.

Mills has played in five games so far and has done well to limit mistakes and control games. He has five touchdowns to one interception and has thrown for 890 yards on 71 completions. West has yet to throw a pass this season as the Cardinal ran on every play in the last 10 minutes against the Huskies.

With their quarterbacks at less than 100%, the Cardinal may choose to lead on their skill positions to propel them. Leading the backfield is Cameron Scarlett, who has handled the bulk of rushing duties to the tune of 564 yards on 127 carries.

Wide receivers Michael Wilson, Connor Wedington and tight end Colby Parkinson lead Stanford in the passing game. The three have a combined 833 yards on 76 catches and five touchdowns.

The Cardinal have only scored 11 offensive touchdowns this season, averaging fewer than two per game. If the Bruins’ defense is successfully able to continue that trend, they may give their offense a fighting chance away from home.

Stanford’s defense

Base defense: 3-4

Blitz tendency: Medium

Strength: Rushing defense

Weakness: Passing defense

X-factor: LB Casey Toohill

The Cardinal defense has been inconsistent this year and has a chance to improve against a struggling offense.

One area the unit has excelled in so far has been stuffing the run game.

The team has only given up 119.8 yards per game on the ground, good enough for a tie for 36th in the nation. In last year’s game against the Bruins, the Cardinal held the home team and redshirt senior Joshua Kelley to 62 yards rushing.

However, their passing defense is lacking at the moment. They are currently 110th in yards allowed through the air and are allowing 13.3 yards per completion. The team is also middling in quarterback pressure, ranking 57th in the nation with 14 sacks through six games.

Toohill has four sacks and six tackles for loss already on the season, leading the defense in both categories. Against a Bruin offense that has given up 15 sacks and lots more quarterback hurries, Toohill will be in the backfield in both the rushing and passing game.

The Bruins have struggled offensively for much of the season. Their ability to run the ball may be negated by the Cardinal, so it will be up to the quarterback – whether it is sophomore Dorian Thompson-Robinson or redshirt sophomore Austin Burton – to try to pull off a Bruin upset.