Tom Petty might as well have been singing about UCLA football’s latest ordeal when he uttered one of his most famous lines.
The waiting is the hardest part.
Those lyrics, written more than four decades ago in reference to a performer antsy to get on stage, will also apply to the Bruins (1-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) on Saturday as they wait … and wait … and wait for an 8 p.m. PDT kickoff against No. 8 Oregon (3-0, 0-0) at the Rose Bowl.
It will go down as UCLA’s latest start on the West Coast since 1990. Players can grab a leisurely breakfast at their Pasadena hotel, lie out by the pool and watch a full day’s worth of college football before boarding the team bus.
“A little hot tub, foam roll, but I don’t think it changes too much,” Bruins tight end Jack Pedersen said of his routine. “You just shift everything back a few hours and you just get ready. Put your cleats on, put your helmet on and go play, you know?”
Traditionally, late starts have led to weird things, sometimes favoring the underdog. But Oregon has reason to be filled with confidence in what will go down as both its first Big Ten game and its “Big Ten After Dark” debut.
The Ducks are 4-0 under coach Dan Lanning and have won 12 consecutive games when kicking off at 7 p.m. Pacific time or later. Oregon has also dominated its series against UCLA in recent years, winning the past four meetings and 10 of the last 11.
Here are four things to watch in a game that will be broadcast by Fox:
