Bruins look for another win, without a doubt

The no-respect motto is a recurring theme with the UCLA football team.

Bruins players seemed genuinely offended — regardless of whether the lack of respect was real, created to inspire them, or possibly imagined — before they played California last week.

“There were definitely some doubters out there,” linebacker Aaron Wallace said.

Coach Jim Mora said he didn’t know where that feeling was coming from. “They didn’t express that to me,” he said of his players.

Get the latest in sports with our free newsletter >>

He must have missed safety Randall Goforth’s postgame speech/rant that included, “ … everybody continue to doubt us....”

Where the doubt was coming from was unclear. Coming off losses to Stanford and Arizona State, the Bruins were three-point favorites against Cal, even though the Golden Bears came into that game nationally ranked.

And the poor-us theme seems even more misplaced this week, with No. 24 UCLA ( 5-2 overall, 2-2 in Pac-12 Conference) a 23-point favorite in Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl against Colorado (4-4, 1-3.).

“I don’t believe our guys look at the line; I’m pretty sure they don’t bet,” Mora said. “We don’t read the clippings. We don’t read the line. We look at the film. We evaluate schemes and try to figure out the best way to play them. I don’t even think [who’s favored] enters into our players’ minds.”

Actually, the “no one believes in us” gripe was there before even the first game. Linebacker Deon Hollins addressed it at the Pac-12 media days in July when he said, “People look at us and, for whatever reason say, ‘It’s UCLA, they’re OK. They are going to show a little bit, but then they are going to fall off the map.’”

That Rocky Mountain-sized chip around Westwood has been there for years. Mora has fostered it. And the theme goes public when the Bruins hit rough patches, usually in October. Of UCLA’s 13 losses under Mora, seven are in October.

UCLA is 4-0 against Colorado since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 in 2011. After Colorado, which just ended a 14-game conference losing streak with a victory over Oregon State, the Bruins face Oregon State and Washington State, which typically reside near the bottom of the conference standings.

UCLA might be best served by focusing on how to fortify a defense that has lost three top-line starters for the season and has linebackers Hollins (knee) and Isaako Savaiinaea (ankle) who may or may not play against Colorado.

The Bruins gave up an average of 286 yards rushing in their first three conference games before facing a Cal offense that emphasized passing.

“We match up well against passing teams,” Wallace said.

Colorado does a little of both. Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau has thrown for nine touchdowns and run for five.

Liufau almost led an upset of the Bruins last season, throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-37 double-overtime loss.

chris.foster@latimes.comn

Twitter: @cfosterlatimes

MORE:

In USC vs. California, eyes will be on quarterbacks Cody Kessler vs. Jared Goff

USC proposes $270 million in Coliseum upgrades

Column: Pat Haden’s resignation should be a cautionary tale for CFP