INGLEWOOD–Staying close to home for the holidays, the UCLA Bruins will face the Boise State Broncos in the LA Bowl on Saturday, December 16 at SoFi Stadium. Finishing at a mark of (7-5), it was a roller coaster season for the UCLA Bruins and their head coach Chip Kelly.
These two teams do not have a large history together. In fact, they’ve only played each other once ever, in 1999. UCLA came out victorious in that game, 38-7. The Bruins have the opportunity to finish out the 2023 campaign on a winning note prior to moving to the Big 10 Conference next year.
NFL legend and charming party boy Rob Gronkowski will be hosting the Bowl game. Gronk is always the life of the party, so his presence combined with his love for the game of football and his inate ability to leave the fans happy makes him a great host.
Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk is an annual collegiate features the Mountain West’s No. 1 selection versus the Pac-12’s No. 5 selection.
In addition to the matchup, Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk hosts a series of events for the teams, their families, fans and locals in the week leading up to the game, as well as year-round activities that engage the local community.
Photo by Michael C. Floch.
The evening before game day, American Airlines Plaza hosts the Pep Rally with each school’s cheer team, mascots and a battle of the bands. Fans and students can attend, show their school spirit, and participate in games and activities. The Pep Rally is free and open to the public.
The Fan Fest begins on gameday and is free for ticketed guests. American Airlines Plaza will be transformed into an exciting pregame tailgate atmosphere and will feature music, food trucks, photo opportunities, both teams’ cheerleaders and bands, plus much more to rally fans before kickoff.
UCLA dropped three of their final four games, although the Bruins crushed crosstown rival USC 38-20 at the Coliseum. Head Coach Chip Kelly was on the hot seat, many people believing his days in Westwood had come to an end.
However, UCLA decided to retain Kelly for next season. It will be his seventh year leading the Bruins as Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn is departing to take the same position at USC.
Boise State (8-5) had a great second half of the season. Ending the season on a four-game win streak — including a 44-20 thumping of UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game.
If the Bruins are to win this contest, it’ll have to slow down the Broncos’ potent rushing attack featuring QB Taylen Green, thumper George Holani, and stud RB Ashton Jeanty.
Tune into the LA Bowl on Saturday, December 16 live from the immaculate SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is slated at 4:30 PM, and will air on ABC.
