With bowl game season coming up, Kansas State football is set to face the University of California, Los Angeles in the Cactus Bowl on Dec. 26 in Phoenix.
Here is how the UCLA Bruins played in the 2017 season.
UCLA finished fourth in the Pac-12 South Conference and had an overall record of 6-6, which was noticeably highlighted by the Bruins not being able to win a single away game.
The Bruins started their season off strong with a win over SEC opponent Texas A&M, 45-44. UCLA miraculously came back from a 44-10 deficit.
The Bruins continued their at-home win streak with a dominating victory over the University of Hawaii, which earned the Bruins a national ranking of 25th in the Associated Press Top 25 for week three of the college football season.
Although UCLA’s season was starting to look good as the Bruins had climbed into the rankings, they were handed their first loss against the 19th-ranked University of Memphis, 48-45, on Sept. 16.
The following week, the Bruins faced yet another loss to Stanford for their Pac-12 conference opener, leaving their record at 2-2.
As the Pac-12 season continued into October, the Bruins racked up wins against the University of Colorado and the University of Oregon. In the same month, the Bruins also suffered losses to the University of Arizona and the University of Washington. Their record sat at 4-4.
On Nov. 3, the Bruins were set to face the University of Utah, but without starting quarterback Josh Rosen due to a concussion.
Rosen is a current NFL prospect and has had a notable career at UCLA even though his career has been riddled with injuries, including a shoulder sprain that ended his 2016 season early. So far in the 2017 season, Rosen has thrown for 3,717 yards and 26 touchdowns despite missing the Utah game.
Another notable aspect of UCLA’s season was the firing of six-year head coach Jim Mora on Nov. 19. The firing came after the Bruins lost to their in-state rival, the University of Southern California, for the third year in a row.
Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch is currently serving as interim head coach for the remainder of the season even though UCLA has already appointed a new head coach for next season.
On Nov. 25, UCLA announced the hiring of former Oregon coach Chip Kelly as the new head coach.
The Bruins ended their Pac-12 season with a win against the University of California, Berkeley. They became bowl game eligible and will face K-State the day after Christmas.
