Know Your Opponent: UCLA Football vs. Utah 2017

After being crushed by the Washington Huskies, UCLA Football Bruins will face the Utah Utes on a short week. Playing on a Friday in Salt Lake City. In a battle of under performing programs, who pulls themselves from the bottom of the division and who falls deeper into PAC-12 purgatory?

Despite Utah being a fellow PAC-12 south team, the Utes and the UCLA Football Bruins have only met 15 times since 1933 when the Bruins beat Utah 21-0 under then head coach Bill Spaulding. My how times have changed.

The Bruins own the series 11 games to four but Utah head coach Kyle Wittingham snagged the win last year with UCLA QB Josh Rosen out of the game. In his place Mike Fafaul threw for over 460 yards and five scores but also threw four interceptions against an aggressive and very talented defense.

Related Story: Know Your Opponent: UCLA Football vs. Washington Huskies 2017

Flash forward to 2017 and neither team has been able to live up to the hype they carried into the season. The Bruins have been up and down with the loss to Washington and Rosen being knocked out of the game with injury their latest down.

Meanwhile the Utes started hot under new starting QB Tyler Huntley knocking off their first three opponents and then came Arizona. Huntley was lost early in the game but behind backup Troy Williams the Utes knocked off the Wildcats who were starting Brandon Dawkins (no idea why).

It would be the last win they would enjoy over the next four games. Even when Huntley was able to return after losses to Stanford and USC, he was ineffective against ASU (155 yards, four interceptions) and overpowered by the Ducks despite a solid outing (293 yards, two scores).

Both of these teams are looking to get a win as they lose chances to become eligible and salvage what they can from a disappointing 2017.

Utah Offense

As long as Wittingham is the coach of the Utes they are going to run the football and do it well. The UCLA Football team knows that first hand. RB Joe Williams went for over 300 yards against the Bruins in 2016 and this year the run defense continues to be a major concern. That was last year though. This year the rushing attack is in the lower half of college football in terms of production gaining just under 150 yards a game. Their four yards per carry has to make Bruin fans jealous.

Zack Moss is the leading rusher for the Utes but his production has been up and down this season. He has two games over 100 yards but in those games the Utes are 1-1. He does however get a great opportunity to have a season best game against a UCLA defense that has struggled to slow runners.

The offensive line had to answer a number of questions coming into 2017 since they were decimated by the NFL draft. Utah has a history of putting together physical, large offensive lines that are strong run blockers and average pass blockers. That trend has carried into the current season but this isn’t the line we’ve all come to expect. Of course that won’t be a major issue given the defense they’ll be facing. Still the Bruins should attack downhilll against this offensive line in the run game since that’s what seems to be giving this Utah team the most trouble.

The receiver group got a major boost when Darren Carrington who had been dismissed from Oregon late in the off-season. When he came into the Utah program he instantly became their most talented and accomplished receiver. He’s gained over 700 yards through the air and found the endzone five times. He’s the number one target by far for this option giving them a 50/50 ball receiver and the big body threat they need in the redzone.

The quarterback position is a really interesting position on this team looking forward. Tyler Huntley came in and won the job in fall camp beating out incumbent starter Troy Williams. Both offer the ability to make plays with their legs but Huntley is the far more capable passer with room to grow. He has however sustained injuries this season and his durability is a legitimate question. If Troy Williams starts the game the Bruins can focus on selling out against the run.

Utah Defense

Just as this offensive line seems to be a little bit of a shadow of it’s former self, this defense has taken steps backwards. They were gouged by graduation and the NFL draft and as a result they’ve been gouged by teams running the football.

It’s shocking to see but the Utah offense has allowed almost 160 yards a game to opposing rushers on average which normally would look bad except when it’s next to the UCLA Football’s 307 yards allowed per game.

The defensive line has some big names but has been unable to get into the backfield consistently or get off blocks. Sounds eerily familiar right?

Lowell Lotulelei and Kylie Fitts are names that should be familiar to the Bruins but for different reasons. Fitts is a powerful base end that can provide some pass rush but is stout. He’s had some trouble staying healthy consistently since leaving the UCLA Football program as a freshman. Lotulelei is an absolute monster for this Utah DL. Strong and stout he could be an immovable object one on one although he has struggled some with double teams.

The linebacker group has been steady but has seen offensive linemen get to the second level regularly this season resulting in longer runs. This UCLA and Utah teams have plenty of similarities.

The linebacker group although taxed heavily by offenses in 2017 has a name you need to know. Kavika Luafatasaga leads the team in tackles and is the second leading tackler for loss. He’s active and physical at the point and been able to have a strong year despite the defensive line struggling to find their stride.

When I mentioned that this defense was depleted after the 2016 season I should have mentioned that the secondary was one of the hardest hit units. Chad Hansen returned as the leader of this group and the former QB isn’t just a heady veteran but a playmaker in the backend as well. That hasn’t stopped them from having a solid year as the 39th best pass defense in the county. However at one point this team was the top ranked pass defense in the PAC-12. But their struggles to stop the run have forced them to commit another man to the box limiting their flexibility in coverage.

Prediction

Both teams are reeling at this point in their respective seasons and this is a crossroads for them both. Bowl eligibility will be much harder to come by for both teams with a loss on Friday. If Utah lost they’d have to find a way to win two games between # 25 WSU, #12 UW and Colorado. If the Bruins go down they’ll have ASU, #17 USC and a very tough Cal team remaining. Not a lot of room for error on either side.

If Rosen is able to play, and there has been nothing said definitively that he won’t, look for the Bruins to try and get something going with him early to take a defender out of the box and free up some running room. This Utah team did have trouble stopping the read-option so if Rosen is unable to go look for the Bruins to mix in more QB keepers with Modster. Andrews should have a strong day creating separation with comeback routes on the outside or outbreaking routes given the way the Utah corner have played this season. Deep shots beware. This OL has put plenty on tape to show they can’t hold up forever.

On the other side the Utes have to commit to running the football over and over. This UCLA Football front seven has been gashed all season long and hasn’t put much pressure on opposing QBs allowing them to pick apart the back end. If the Bruins attack downhill like they did against Oregon they give themselves a good chance to get into the backfield and at the very least disrupt timing which would help lead to negative plays. If they play “catch the ball carrier” like they did against Arizona, it could be a very long day.

Next: UCLA Basketball: The Men's team 2017-18 season preview

I just see the Bruins as far too talented and despite Rosen’s injury, the Utah downward trend despite having a healthy QB seems too ominous to ignore. UCLA 35-Utah 28.