The pick: Why No. 13 Washington State will beat UCLA

LOS ANGELES – Cameron Ward has a lot to look forward to on Saturday. Washington State’s star quarterback has a chance to play at the Rose Bowl.

He gets the challenge of facing UCLA’s defense, which has blossomed into one of the country’s sturdiest.

Ward also gets to play in front of the most family and friends he has all season. He’s from West Columbia, Texas, a small town about an hour outside Houston. That makes WSU’s game in Pasadena a manageable trip for his loved ones to be in attendance on Saturday afternoon.

Here’s guessing Ward will make them proud by playing his best game all season.

“So it’ll be good to play in front of them since a year ago, last year at USC,” Ward said, “So I’m excited for that.”

Against the Bruins’ defense, Ward may not be able to record the gaudy numbers he did in WSU’s win over Oregon State, but he’s shown maturity and smart decision-making this season. That might give him the edge he needs to post another encouraging outing.

He’ll have to be wary of UCLA edge Laiatu Latu, an excellent pass rusher, and he’ll need a little extra from his offensive line . If he has time, he’ll find receivers like Josh Kelly and Kyle Williams downfield against a UCLA secondary that has been similarly excellent.

But Ward hasn’t found a defense that can stop him entirely. UCLA will not be the first.

The pick: Washington State 27, UCLA 21