UCLA Vs Cal: Go Joe Bruin Predicts The Game
A we have done in the last few weeks, the entire staff of Go Joe Bruin collaborates to give their views and predictions of what will happen, this time it will be for the UCLA Vs Cal game. Both teams are coming off of blow out losses so essentially, the winner could have a better hold in the Pac-12 race. Here are the Go Joe Bruin predictions for UCLA Vs Cal:
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UCLA 41 – Cal 45
Right now, I fundamentally distrust our coaches to put together a smart enough gameplan to outfox an opponent, so it’s going to come down to the players to win in spite of their coaches putting them in positions to fail.
I think the offense gets off to a better start against a poor Cal defense and keeps it close, but I don’t see how our inept pass rush and vanilla scheme troubles Jared Goff enough to stop him from leading Cal to plenty of points of its own. Chalk up another black mark on Jeff Ulbrich‘s résumé and a 45-41 Cal win as the Strawberry Canyon Curse continues.
Sep 25, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA 38 – Cal 20
Both Cal and UCLA are coming off disappointing blowout losses, but the Bruins finally give us some good news as they march into Memorial Stadium and beat the Bears in Berkeley for the first time since 1998.
UCLA 35 – Cal 14
Yeah. UCLA Football, in the wake of two bad losses, will rebound against a Cal squad that has already outpreformed their expectations for the season. While the Bruins might not look much better than past weeks, it’ll be enough to get the job done.
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UCLA 24 – Cal 17
Truthfully, I don’t know whether the above is going to hold true Saturday. The Bruins could (and frankly, should) rout the Golden Bears this weekend, but with the inconsistency of the team and a coaching staff that seems to be mired in drama with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s controversial war of words on the sideline this past Saturday, UCLA could also fall flat in Berkeley.
UCLA needs a blowout victory for both confidence’s sake and a potential move up in the polls, and they could get it given that Cal, while surpassing this season’s expectations, are still arguably in the middle of the pack in the Pac.
However, I now have very little confidence in both Ulbrich and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. Ulbrich has stuck with an ineffective zone defense even in wins all season, and Mazzone continues to call a very predictable offensive game with multiple runs up the middle. While Paul Perkins is having a good year, not much else is going right for UCLA in the running game. Additionally, the offensive line remains a major issue, as they have surrendered 25 sacks and also forced quarterback Brett Hundley to rush his throws. Hundley needs to show more patience before running though, and he should try to find a receiver outside the pocket first before running.
Ultimately, the Bruins have a plethora of issues they have to find a fix for, and hopefully they do indeed rout Cal, but until I am shown different I have a hard time believing the UCLA can do that to an improved Golden Bears squad with the performances I have seen so far during these first six games.
Oct 4, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora during warmups before the Bruins game against the Utah Utes at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA 42 – Cal 21
With the start of the second half of the season and a feeling that UCLA had their backs up against the wall, I think the Bruins run through the Golden Bears. Literally run through them! Perkins and Hundley will establish a run game that will have the rest of the offense clicking.