The UCLA Bruins begin their march toward bowl eligibility as they travel to Husky Stadium in Seattle to face the Washington Huskies. The Thursday night contest is the second Thursday night nationally televised game this season for the Bruins. The 5 p.m. kickoff will be televised on ESPN, with Rece Davis, Craig James, and Jesse Palmer on the call, and Jenn Brown on the sidelines.
UCLA is 4-5 on the season, including 2-4 in the Pac-10, needs two wins in their final three games to be bowl-eligible. After Washington, the Bruins also travel to Arizona State and host USC. The Bruins beat Temple in the EagleBank Bowl last season, and have played in a bowl game in seven of their previous eight seasons.
The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Huskies, 38-29-2, and have won the last three meetings between the two teams. The last win by Washington was in 2006, a 29-19 home win. UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel is 3-0 against Washington in his career, including 2-0 while at UCLA.
Washington, also at 2-4 in conference, faces an even more difficult path to bowl eligibility. At 3-6, they must win their final three games to achieve the requisite six wins on the season. After hosting UCLA, they travel to California and Washington State.
For more UCLA football news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Bruins Nation.