This is the week the Bruins have been waiting for.
If UCLA wants to become the power program, the Bruins need to beat the power programs. There's a lot to prove as the No. 12 Bruins still have questions to answer after the last two games, and Texas might be in a state of disarray at the moment, but a win at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, could signal a changing of the guard.
Here's what to watch for Saturday afternoon on FOX.
The Texas Defensive Line
The UCLA offensive line has shown improvements, but this week will be a strong barometer of its current state. The Longhorns have a defensive front that is bigger and stronger than the last two UCLA has faced. They put tremendous pressure on the quarterback, already having registered 10 sacks on the season, costing North Texas and BYU a combined total of 69 yards -- good enough for third in the FBS.
The good news for UCLA is that center Jake Brendel is back to 100 percent, allowing Scott Quessenberry to move back to his natural right guard position. Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone isn't any more concerned with the matchup this week than in any other, but that doesn't mean he isn't worried about his offensive line.
"I worry every week," Mazzone said. "I don't care whether we're playing St. John Bosco or Texas, I worry about it every week. I think we're making progress. I think they came out and they improved and they were better than the day before."
The Longhorns are 15th in total defense and it starts with their defensive line.
PREVIEW: No. 12 UCLA vs. Texas
The Run Game
Texas' rushing defense isn't anything to write home about -- 163.5 yards per game and five touchdowns allowed -- which is exactly why the Bruins need to take the next step and fully establish the running game.
Redshirt sophomore Paul Perkins has steadily improved in the last two games. With a career performance against Memphis, it's clear that his workload is about to increase.
"I think our run game right now is still a work in progress," Mazzone said. "Usually we're a little bit further ahead at this point with our run game. It's like anything, the more touches he gets, the more run calls the offensive line gets, which I need to give them, I think that he can kind of start to develop a little bit more rhythm with our run game."
If the Bruins can take advantage of the Longhorns' run defense, they might finally be able to create some much-needed momentum with the run game.
New Faces
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes is still somewhat of a mystery. He was one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the country coming out of high school, but he's now being labeled a "project." He ran in high school, but the Longhorns haven't necessarily taken the reigns off of the sophomore yet.
UCLA Bruins vs. Texas Longhorns: Three things to watch
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Against BYU last week, he netted only seven yards on seven carries with a long rush of 14 yards. But the threat is still there, so the Bruins needed their own new face on the scout team in order to mimic the perceived skill set of Swoopes.
"We've got to be a little bit more contain-conscious, for sure. Thankfully we've got a guy here that is constantly threatening that," UCLA defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. "And we've got great look guys. Aaron Sharp, I don't know if there's a better guy to play him this week. He's athletic, he's fast, big arm, he's got a lot of similar tools."
