UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Basketball Upcoming Matchup, Keys to Football Win

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast reviews a pair of Bruins contests on Friday night. Men's basketball travels to a neutral site to play a recent conference champion and the football squad must achieve a few keys to earn their third-straight win.

Oct 19, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Jalen Berger (0) catches a pass for a touchdown as Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Abram Wright (11) pursues during the second half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

UCLA Bruins athletics has a jam-packed Friday night in a pair of sports in hopes of a couple of big wins. The men's basketball squad will travel to a neutral sight in Nevada to battle New Mexico while the football team will be home for another Big Ten battle against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, Bruins on SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh previews the upcoming basketball bout with the Lobos and recognizes a few keys to victory for the football team that looks to earn another win in conference play:

Bruins basketball head coach Mick Cronin and his group will travel to Henderson, Nev. to play the New Mexico Lobos on a neutral court, seeking to start the season 2-0. They earned a dominant 35-point win over Rider University in their season opener and will match up against a much better team.

The Lobos are coached by Richard Pitino, son of legendary coach Rick Pitino. They were winners of the Mountain West tournament last season, earning a spot in the national tournament. Pitino's group started the season with a slim seven-point win over Nicholls.

A few players to watch for the Lobos start with senior center Nelly Junior Joseph. The Benin City, Nigeria native was a certified beast in the season opener, scoring a team-high 28 points with 16 rebounds and three blocks. He went to the free throw line 12 times and made 10 of those.

Bruins center Aday Mara will have his hands full with Joseph in the paint this Friday night. Expect a hard-fought battle from the bigs. Whoever is more physical and can establish a stronger presence will give their team a massive advantage in that aspect of the game.

On the gridiron, the Bruins will stack up against one of the nation's top running backs. Hawkeyes junior running back Kaleb Johnson is second in the country in rushing yards (1,279) and tied for second in rushing touchdowns (19).

He is the key to victory for the Hawkeyes as their passing offense ranks dead last in the Big Ten, averaging a measly 133.7 yards per game. If the Bruins backers and front four can bottle up Johnson and keep him to under 100 yards on the ground, their chances of an upset improve exponentially.

The Bruins will also require another strong performance from their senior quarterback, Ethan Garbers. The fourth-year quarterback has led his team to back-to-back wins, combining for 602 yards, six touchdowns, and 104 rushing yards in that two-game span.

Garbers will have to pass the ball often due to the fact that the Bruins have the worst rushing attack in the conference (73.9 ypg). If he is able to pick apart this Hawkeyes defense with his arm and at times, his feet, the Bruins could be staring down a third-straight win in the Big Ten.

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