UCLA vs. Bowling Green Week 1: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds

The Bruins and Falcons are going head-to-head in the heat, kicking off their 2022 college football seasons.

The 2022 college football season has begun, and the Bruins and Falcons will be the latest teams to take the field Saturday.

WHO: UCLA vs. Bowling Green

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 3

TIME: 11:31 a.m. PT

LOCATION: Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

TV: Pac-12 Networks – Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Lincoln Kennedy (analyst)

STREAMING: fuboTV (Start your free trial)

RADIO: AM 1150, Sirius Ch. 108, XM Ch. 198, SXM App 960 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline reporter)

SPREAD: UCLA -23.5 (-118), Bowling Green +23.5 (-110)*

MONEY LINE: UCLA (-2500), Bowling Green (+1050)*

OVER/UNDER: O 56.5 (-118), U 56.5 (-110)*

UCLA was in the receiving votes section of the preseason AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 42 and No. 40, respectively. Bowling Green is not ranked and did not receive votes.

In the Pac-12 preseason media poll, UCLA was picked to finish in fourth. In the MAC preseason media poll, Bowling Green was picked to finish fifth out of six teams in the East division, but one pundit had them pegged as division champions.

UCLA went 8-4 in 2021, and is 18-25 in its four years under coach Chip Kelly. The Bruins retained 58% of their production from last season, with quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, running back Zach Charbonnet, safety Stephan Blaylock and defensive end Bo Calvert highlighting the returning talent.

Thompson-Robinson threw for 2,409 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions on 62.2% completion last season, and he is entering his fifth year as the Bruins' starter. Charbonnet rushed for 1,137 yards while splitting carries with Brittain Brown, who has been replaced by Keegan Jones, and receiver Jake Bobo hauled in 74 passes for 794 yards back at Duke.

Calvert recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks, leading all returning Bruins in those categories. North Texas transfer edge rushers Gabriel and Grayson Murphy are drawing most of the attention after racking up 27.0 tackles for loss and 16 sacks for the Mean Green a year ago, while Hawaii transfer linebacker Darius Muasau put up over 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons for the Rainbow Warriors.

UCLA scored 36.5 points per game in 2021 while allowing 26.8. The Bruins picked up 226.2 yards per game through the air, plus another 220.1 on the ground.

Bowling Green went 4-8 in 2021, and is 7-22 in its three years under Scot Loeffler. The Falcons retained 92% of their production from last season – more than anyone else in the country – with quarterback Matt McDonald, running backs Nick Mosley and Jaison Patterson, linebacker Darren Anders and defensive end Karl Brooks highlighting the returning talent.

McDonald threw for 2,555 yards yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 60.1% completion last season, and he is entering his fourth year as the Falcons' starter. Running back Terion Stewart stepped away from the team at the last second, but Mosley and Patterson still combined for 703 yards and four touchdowns as true freshmen a year ago.

Anders stuffed the stat sheet a year ago, recording 124 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a pick six, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, but it's Brooks who leads returning players with 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Safety Jordan Anderson picked off three passes and defended another five, while cornerback Deshawn Jones Jr. had three interceptions of his own.

Bowling Green scored 21.4 points per game in 2021 while allowing 30.7. The Falcons picked up 214.8 yards per game through the air, plus another 103.5 on the ground.

UCLA has never played Bowling Green head-to-head, nor have they played any team currently in the MAC.

*Odds via Action Network

Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube

Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated