LOS ANGELES – The UCLA football team guzzled protein shakes this summer because it needed to get bigger. The Bruins lifted four times a week because they needed to get stronger. They started every practice with inside run drills because they needed to get more physical.
They did it because they needed to beat Stanford. At 5 p.m. Saturday at the Rose Bowl, they’ll get their chance.
UCLA spent all offseason measuring itself to the Pac-12’s current heavyweight champion, determined become a viable contender by mirroring the conference’s top team. Coach Jim Mora said the team is more equipped to face the Cardinal than in previous years and now must finish the job by executing.