When the Utah Utes (3-1, 0-1) visit the Rose Bowl this Saturday to face the UCLA Bruins (4-0, 1-0) on a hot, hot, hot weekend in Pasadena, it will be the fourth time these teams have met since Utah joined the Pac-12 Conference. In all, it will be the 13th meeting between the two programs in which UCLA has had a 10-2 series lead. The Bruins have won the last two and have the chance to make it three. The Utes have been exceptional thus far, but were exposed in a loss last weekend to Washington State. Did they stumble or will they get mauled by the Bruins? Here is what to expect for Utah Vs UCLA.
Utah’s Offense
Players to Watch: Travis Wilson, Dres Anderson
Sep 20, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Travis Wilson (7) runs the ball in the third quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The main guy behind the potent Utah offense is 6’7″ quarterback Travis Wilson who has had an up-and-down year both on the field and on. In November of 2013, just as the college football regular season was winding down, Wilson was getting checked out for a concussion he suffered against Arizona State when tests revealed that he had a pre-existing condition in which an artery in brain brain was injured. Wilson was done for the season and possibly his career.
Betsided
In June of this year, things were looking up for the young man as he was cleared of an injury and was good to play football once again. With that, it seems as though the Utes started the season playing like there was no tomorrow, because in football, there might not be. Wilson is proof of that. Still, with the Utes heading into their third season in the Pac-12, it seemed time for them to make a statement. Utah had several close wins last season, but close does not get you into a bowl game. This year, they have started off strong with an offense that is putting up big numbers.
Through four games, Utah is 16th in the nation in points per game with 42.0. Wilson has accumulated 783 yards with 7 touchdown passes. He has even scooted along for 81 yards and 1 rushing TD.
As for his supporting cast, Wilson has been very good through the air as he has hooked up with WRs Dres Anderson and Kenneth Scott the most to total 477 yards out of Utah’s 989 yards. Anderson and Scott have also added three TDs each. Now Scott is good, but Anderson is an incredible specimen who is getting nearly 20 yards per reception. Last week, UCLA shut down prominent ASU RB D.J. Foster, limiting him to just over three yards per carry after averaging just over nine in his first three games. If they can shut down a receiving threat like Anderson, then the Bruins could have a complete package on D.
Utah’s Defense
Players To Watch: Nate Orchard
Aug 28, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive end Nate Orchard (8) pushes Idaho State Bengals offensive linesman Jim Bagley (78) into Idaho State Bengals quarterback Justin Arias (18) during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Utah is limiting their opponents to 369.3 yards per game and their strength is stopping the run. The Utes are 25th in the nation in rushing defense, holding the four previous teams to 107.3 yards rushing. Last year, the Ute defense had smacked around the Bruins pretty good and might have helped pull off a Utah victory, but Wilson threw six interceptions that crippled them. Obviously, that never helps.
This year, the Utah defense has looked even more daunting than before. The Utes are tied for seventh in the nation in sacks (18) and part of that effort goes to defensive lineman Nate Orchard who is tied for tenth in the nation in sacks with 4.5. He has the ability to play on the line and outside linebacker which could give the UCLA O-line trouble with match-ups. Regardless, a 6’4″ DE that has the ability to drive through the offensive front with his speed, needs to be tagged .
Utah’s Very Special Teams
Players To Watch: Kaelin Clay
Kaelin Clay had struck a pose in the form of the Heisman Trophy on a punt returned for a touchdown against
Michigan
. There is a reason for that, he is pretty damn good. He is third in the nation with 209 total punt return yards and first in the nation with 3 punts returned for a touchdown. You have to give credit to the Utes special teams blocking that allows Clay to move because when he gets to the outside, forget it. He is most certainly crossing the 50-yard line, if not going for a the TD at that point. He even has a 100-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown. So what the Bruins need to do is, basically, as Go Joe Bruin writer Michael Hanna stated,
.
The Reality About Utah
There is no doubt Utah has had an impressive start to their season, but that momentum was slowed down last week when they let a 24-7 halftime lead vanish in a 28-27 loss to Washington State. Utah was not ready for that second half by the Cougars and it burned them. The truth of the matter is, Utah has only has one offensive touchdown in their last two games. WSU and Michigan are by no means powerhouses, but they are the best teams Utah has faced this year. The first two Ute opponents were Idaho State and Fresno State, two teams that have played some atrocious football this year.
UCLA will be the best team that Utah will have played come Saturday and after last weekend, the perception of both teams has changed as well as they outcome of the game. UCLA is on an upswing as they are finding cohesiveness with offense, defense and special teams. Utah, as stated in the previous paragraph, is, finding that they are not as domineering as many thought. Utah is going to have to play a complete game because as we have seen with UCLA, if one of their teams is not clicking, another one will.
Prediction Utah 14 – UCLA 48