UCLA ends nonconference play in good standing, heads into ‘stacked’ Pac-12

The preliminaries are over. On to the main event.

UCLA wrapped up its nonconference schedule with a game against Brigham Young on Saturday night. The Bruins can next turn their attention to Pac-12 Conference play.

What to make of the Pac-12 this season was the subject of debate after the first two weeks. Conference teams have had their struggles.

But UCLA running back Paul Perkins scoffed at the suggestion that the conference is down this season.

“It’s stacked from top to bottom,” Perkins said. “All teams in the Pac-12 are lethal. Don’t read too much into what has gone on the first couple of weeks.”

Perkins and the No.10 Bruins will open conference play at No. 20 Arizona on Sept. 26.

UCLA has enjoyed success using nonconference games as prep work for Pac-12 play. The Bruins were 11-0 in nonconference regular-season games under Coach Jim Mora before Saturday. They averaged 40.9 points in those games.

Some of that was rolled up against the likes of New Mexico State, Nevada and Nevada Las Vegas, but there were also two victories over ranked Nebraska teams.

“These games groom us for conference play,” linebacker Myles Jack said. “They let us know where we stand.”

UCLA bounced into Pac-12 play last season, beating Arizona State, 62-27, in the conference opener.

It was part of a trend for the Bruins under Mora. UCLA has a 13-2 record against Pac-12 South Division teams since 2012.

USC, picked to win the division this season, was ranked sixth through two weeks this season. Arizona State, picked to finish second, lost to Texas A&M and then struggled to victory against Cal Poly.

UCLA was picked to finish third.

The Bruins’ efforts to win the division have most recently been derailed by North Division teams.

The Bruins have won only five of their last 12 regular-season games against the North under Mora. Five of the seven losses have come against Oregon and Stanford, top national teams at most of those times.

Yet, the Bruins also were batted around by an average Stanford team last season, losing, 31-10. That loss cost UCLA a spot in the Pac-12 championship game. Arizona went instead.

“We know the Pac-12 is crazy,” UCLA nose tackle Kenny Clark said. “That’s why we have to keep building our confidence in these nonconference games.”

Easy victories this season over Virginia, 34-16, and Nevada Las Vegas, 37-3, were good starting points for freshman quarterback Josh Rosen. And the defense confirmed it had improved from the unit that gave up 28.1 points per game last season.

The nonconference schedule also gave the Bruins the chance to fix the unexpected. UCLA lost tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, a key member of the defense, in the season opener. Eli Ankou and Matt Dickerson, his replacements, will have had two games to get acclimated to increased playing time before conference play begins.

“You want to make sure you have all your Ts crossed and your I’s dotted by the time you get to the Pac-12 because it’s so tough,” receiver Jordan Payton said. “You build and mature and win.”

chris.foster@latimes.com

Twitter: @cfosterlatimes