The weather around Los Angeles has been mild recently, overcast and barely reaching 80 degrees.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, Baton Rouge will be in the mid-90s Saturday with an abundance of humidity when the UCLA football team travels to No. 16 LSU for their 12:30 p.m. showdown.
It’s just one more element added to an environment that’s already difficult for opposing teams. Tiger Stadium is often regarded as the most difficult place to play because of its die-hard fans and the noise they generate.
“These are the games you come to college for,” Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster said. “I told them, ‘You don’t really get these types of atmospheres in the NFL. When you go to college stadiums, fans are going to be rowdy, it’s going to be exciting. But if you want to play big-time ball, this is a great opportunity.’”
It’ll be the first time the Bruins (1-1 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) play a game in Louisiana and the first time they play LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC) since Zach Charbonnet rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown in the Bruins’ 38-27 upset of the then-No. 16 Tigers in the Rose Bowl in 2021.
But UCLA has started its games as mildly as the weather in Los Angeles lately, which is not ideal against a team like LSU, which has scored a collective 80 points against its last two opponents after dropping its season opener to USC on Sept. 1.
“We’re out here steady, chopping wood, getting ready for this next opponent,” UCLA offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy told reporters.
“Getting ready to go home – I’m originally from New Orleans – go down there to Bayou Bengal land, play against these Tigers who are playing some damn good ball. Our job is to start figuring things out and start conducting our business.”
The Death Valley game will be a harsh primer for what’s next: an inaugural Big Ten Conference schedule that also includes a trip to Penn State’s intimidating Beaver Stadium and the longest road trip of the season to Rutgers.
UCLA arrived at Hawai’i early enough to tour the stadium prior to their Aug. 31 season opener – a schedule Foster said he’s going stay consistent with while in Baton Rouge. The Bruins will first see the stadium when they arrive Friday instead of Saturday morning.
“The kids, this is a different era,” Foster said. “They like to Instagram and post stuff at the stadium. I don’t really want that on game day. It’s good that they’re able to get it out the night before.”
Showing up at Tiger Stadium early could also create some familiarity and help the Bruins embrace an over-the-top environment.
“We always feel like we’re out there to prove we are what we know we are,” Bruins defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili Kaufusi said. “And every game is proving that, whether it’s home or away, and I think that’s the thing I love so much about this team.”
When LSU has the ball
The Tigers came back from a 16-0 deficit to beat South Carolina 36-33 in its last outing thanks to two rushing touchdowns by Cade Durham, two passing touchdowns from Garrett Nussmeier and another rushing score from Josh Williams.
LSU has the fifth-ranked passing offense in the SEC with an average of 302.3 passing yards per game. Nussmeier has completed 81 of 116 passes for 895 yards and 10 touchdowns with just two interceptions in three games.
His top three targets have been wide receivers Aaron Anderson (223 yards) and Kyren Lacy (222 yards) and 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end Mason Taylor (160 yards).
UCLA’s defense continues to be led by linebacker Kain Medrano, who leads the Big Ten in tackles per game with 6.5 and tackles for loss per game with two. The defense as a whole has held opponents to 267 passing yards a game and has collected five sacks.
When UCLA has the ball
The Bruins’ offense is still trying to find its identity as neither the passing nor the run game has established itself yet. UCLA has recorded just one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown in two games.
“Sometimes without any bad luck, you won’t have any good luck at all,” Bieniemy said. “Sometimes that bad luck stings a little, but you’ve gotta go through this growing phase.”
T.J. Harden is the main ball carrier with 63 total yards on 21 carries and Keegan Jones, known for his speed, has gotten six touches for 27 yards. Jalen Berger, another fast running back, appeared in a game for the first time this season at the end of last week’s 42-13 Big Ten-opening loss to Indiana at the Rose Bowl. His presence could add another wrinkle to UCLA’s offense.
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The Tigers rank seventh in the SEC with seven sacks. Defensive ends Bradyn Swinson and Sai’vion Jones have accounted for six of those sacks and Swinson has logged an additional four tackles for a loss of 28 yards.
UCLA (1-1 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) at LSU (2-1 overall, 1-0 SEC)
When: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
TV/Radio: ABC Ch. 7/1150 AM