Northwestern plays the most important game of its season so far on the lake side this Saturday against UCLA. The 'Cats have had a rocky start to the season, but they've also mostly played opponents squarely better or worse than them.

Now, Northwestern gets an opportunity to square up with a Big Ten team it's more than capable of beating, especially given the Bruins' current set of circumstances. Earlier this season, UCLA fired its head coach, DeShaun Foster, after a bad start to the year. At 0-3, this is as vulnerable as a team can get.

Looking ahead to the game, here are three keys for Northwestern if it wants to come away with a .500 record and inspire some confidence among a questioning fanbase.

Zach Lujan picks the right game plan and sticks to it

Northwestern's offense has been bad this season, and there's plenty of blame to go around. Quarterback Preston Stone has been far too careless with the ball, resulting in six interceptions in three games. His receivers, as well, have been a disappointment.

But, at a certain point, it's on offensive coordinator Zach Lujan to figure out what's wrong and fix it.  Two weeks ago against Oregon, it felt like Northwestern's young OC was more committed to the run in the early going. Then, things predictably went south, and it felt like the Wildcats lacked a plan.

There's been lots of discussion about what strengths this offense actually does have and what Lujan should be doing to take advantage of them. But this isn't the NFL, and, frankly, nobody knows more about these players than the coaches.

Against UCLA, Lujan needs to figure out the best way to run his offense and stay the course. Trick plays are fun, sure, and maybe creativity is how they decide to beat the Bruins. But whatever the plan is, the 'Cats need to stick to it. Adjusting on the fly after getting out of sequence doesn't seem to be a strong suit.

Anto Saka finally gets home

Northwestern's star pass rusher doesn't have a sack on the board yet this season, and it's time for that to change. UCLA has a vulnerable offensive line and a questionable quarterback situation. While Saka has played well so far despite not producing on the stat sheet, the 'Cats need more.

Having elite pressure rates and underlying metrics is of course a good thing, but big-time plays are also crucial. Northwestern hasn't made them on the defensive side of the ball so far, and while neither of the two losses were that unit's fault, clearly they need to start making them.

If Northwestern can win the field position battle and give its offense a chance to start in an advantageous spot, that could really help Stone get rolling. It all starts with Saka on the pass rush.

They play with a chip on their shoulder

Sounds like a total cop out trying to come up with a third key, right? Wrong. I think the team's attitude really does matter in this specific scenario.

It's easy to get wrapped up in your opponent. These players spend the week in practicing specifically preparing for UCLA. They spend even more time watching film of UCLA, and probably even more time left with their own thoughts, thinking about UCLA.

Northwestern can't forgot its own situation. It can't get caught up in what's going on with its opponent, viewing them as a wounded team lacking its head coach. Especially right now, when Northwestern's season is in the cards, it needs to act like it has something to prove. Because it absolutely does.

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