UCLA 2015 football schedule: Bruins open Sept. 5 at Rose Bowl

Sept. 5, Virginia at the Rose Bowl, 12:30 p.m.

A 5-7 season didn’t get Cavaliers Coach Mike London fired. He might not be so lucky if that’s repeated. Bruins get an opener against a team that appears to have more questions than answers, perfect for breaking in a new quarterback.

Sept. 12, at Nevada Las Vegas, 7:30 p.m.

The tomato can doesn’t come to the Bruins, the Bruins are going to the tomato can. UNLV Coach Tony Sanchez is 1-0 versus UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. That was when Sanchez was coach at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High last year.

Sept. 19, Brigham Young at the Rose Bowl, 7:30 p.m.

The last time the Bruins faced the Cougars they came home with tails between their legs after a 59-0 whuppin’. That isn’t likely to happen again. However, BYU quarterback Taysom Hill is a handful and will test UCLA’s defense.

Sept. 26, at Arizona, time TBA

UCLA’s best defensive effort last season was against the high-octane Wildcats. Arizona was held to 255 yards and seven points. It had to gnaw at the Bruins to watch the Wildcats in the Pac-12 Conference championship game a month later.

Oct. 3, Arizona State at the Rose Bowl, time TBA

The Sun Devils’ defense has nine starters back and quarterback Mike Bercovici has a strong arm. UCLA needs to protect its quarterback as well as its midfield logo after messing with ASU’s Sparky likeness before last season’s game.

Oct. 15, at Stanford, 7:30 p.m.

The last UCLA football coach to win at Stanford was Karl Dorrell. Yes, it has been that long. The Cardinal has seven consecutive victories over UCLA. Last year, a Stanford victory in the regular-season finale kept the Bruins out of the Pac-12 title game.

Oct. 22, California at the Rose Bowl, 6 p.m.

A Thursday evening game at the Rose Bowl; Bruins’ fans should hit the freeways early. The Bears are hoping to climb to bowl eligibility this season. Some people consider Cal’s Jared Goff the top NFL quarterback prospect in the conference.

Oct. 31, Colorado at the Rose Bowl, time TBA

The Buffaloes are 0-4 versus UCLA since joining the Pac-12. No shock there. Colorado is 4-32 overall in Pac-12 play. But the resident doormats appear on the upswing. The Buffaloes rattled the Bruins last season, taking them to overtime.

Nov. 7, at Oregon State, time TBA

UCLA has not played Oregon State in football since 2012. A lot has changed. Coach Mike Riley left for Nebraska. Gary Andersen came in from Wisconsin. Pro-style offense is out. Spread offense is in. Corvallis remains a tough place to win.

Nov. 14, Washington State at the Rose Bowl, time TBA

Washington State Coach Mike Leach recently said the Cougars have the best football facilities in the Pac-12. To be fair, he doesn’t leave Pullman a lot. Leach’s teams are always pass-crazy puzzles. It’s hard to look good against them even when they’re bad.

Nov. 21, at Utah, time TBA

The Utes have been difficult for the Bruins. The teams have split their four games since Utah joined the Pac-12, and two of those games have been decided on the last play, including the Utes’ 30-28 win a year ago behind a backup quarterback.

Nov. 28, USC at the Coliseum, time TBA

Remember when the Trojans beat the Bruins, 50-0? That was in 2011, and the memory is fading. Los Angeles has been tilting toward Westwood since after that season, when UCLA hired Jim Mora as coach. USC will try to the rearrange the landscape.

—Chris Foster