UCLA and BYU winning streaks

When it comes to ending long winning streaks, UCLA seems to have BYU’s number.

It was 23 years ago this month (Sept. 7, to be precise) that UCLA snapped the longest winning streak in BYU’s history — 25 games. That game was in Provo. The Bruins defeated the Cougars, 27-24 (the same score by which UCLA beat Tennessee in its 2008 season opener), a year after BYU claimed the national championship. It was the Cougars’ first loss since a 40-36 setback at Baylor in the 1983 season opener.

Last September, UCLA halted BYU’s 11-game winning streak at the Rose Bowl. Then, in December, the Cougars had a nine-game winning streak going into the Las Vegas Bowl against the Bruins and eked out a 17-16 win to extend the streak to 10.

Going into Saturday’s showdown, BYU owns a 12-game winning streak.

What does this all mean? No idea. But it’s interesting how often UCLA plays BYU when the Cougars are on a roll. Will the Bruins bury another BYU streak on Saturday?