UCLA Football: UCLA Vs. BYU Early Analysis

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Sep 19, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora runs on to the field after the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Rose Bowl. Ucla won 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Last season BYU gave the UCLA Football team a run for their money. This year, it could be a lot more difficult.

Things were looking very good for the UCLA Football team heading into the third game of the 2015 season against BYU. It appeared that the Bruins would roll heading into conference season behind the strong arm and hot play of the offense led by true freshman quarterback Josh Rosen.

Unfortunately, reality smacked the Bruins right in the face as this brutish team mauled UCLA for three quarters. They pressured and flustered Rosen, forcing three interceptions and had the lead for most of the game.

It wasn’t until the last five minutes that the Bruins asserted themselves and pulled out an epic come-from-behind victory over the Cougars. Not only was this an important game that showed the Bruins have grown up, but it was also the last time we saw Myles Jack in blue and gold. Special and unfortunate.

With UCLA capturing the lead late in the game, BYU had a final chance to win, but that was disrupted when Jack intercepted a Tanner Mangum pass in the final minute, solidifying the the win for UCLA.

I expect to see a similar game in 2016.

2015 Record and Recap

BYU Cougars 9-4 (Independent)

The Cougars had a brutal start to their 2015 campaign. Not only did they lose the very versatile and very dangerous starting QB Taysom Hill in Game 1, but they had to endure three tough road games to begin the year.

With back-up QB Tanner Mangum taking over in Game 1, he pulled off a well-timed Hail Mary on the road against Nebraska. The following week against Boise State, he did it again. It was looking like he would once again be the hero in Game 3 at UCLA with a final drive, but Myles Jack knew that script and stepped in front of a pass at the UCLA 39-yard line to seal the Bruin’s victory.

The next week at Michigan, the Wolverines slapped around BYU with a 31-0 demolishing. But that is where the tough times ended and things started looking up for the Cougars. Though BYU had a lighter schedule after four tough games to start the season, it couldn’t come at a better time as they won their next five and seven of their last nine.

They would have won eight of those games, but a run-in with in-state rival Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl was too much for them to overcome. Though they had their ups and downs, we soon found out, like the Wu-Tang Clan, BYU ain’t nothing to mess with and this year we will see the full extent of that.

This year will be a change as BYU has moved one from the Bronco Mendenhall years and on to the Kilani Sitake era. Will Sitake have the same mentality or will he bring a fresh perspective? All questions about both teams should be answered by the time these two teams meet on September 17 at 7:15 p.m. PT.

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