Updated

The UCLA Bruins are sweating it out in the middle of an Inland Empire summer again this month, doing their first two weeks of preseason work on the far end of the L.A. metroplex from tranquil Westwood.

After the way last season went for the Bruins, it's tough to blame coach Jim Mora for sticking to the same plan.

UCLA burst back onto the national scene with an impressive debut under Mora, the longtime NFL coach who has adapted seamlessly to the college game. The Bruins won nine of their first 11 — claiming the Pac-12 South title, trouncing USC and earning a No. 15 national ranking — before losing their final three games.

Many key contributors are back, including quarterback Brett Hundley and imposing linebacker Anthony Barr. Mora supplemented his roster with a standout recruiting class.