UCLA Football: 50 things to look for in 2018 with 50 days until kickoff

21. An improved defense is a must

To say that the Bruins had difficulty stopping opponents from scoring last year is somewhat of an understatement. Under the watchful eye of Tom Bradley, UCLA gave up 36.6 points a game, good for 116th in the nation. Even worse, the Bruins’ defense had a tough time getting off the field with their offense ranking 126th in time of possession. Sure some of that was due to the fact that Rosen accounted for some quick fire scores. But a majority was due to the fact that the Bruins’ defense couldn’t stop the run. This usually made for a long day for the defense. We’ll see what new Defensive Coordinator Jerry Azzinaro does to stop the rush and keep the Bruins’ opponents from scoring in the 30s every game.

22. Winning games they should lose

Take a quick glance at UCLA’s schedule and a handful of games pop out as games they could easily lose. End of the year games against USC and Stanford could have the Bruins as nearly double-digit underdogs, even at home. But as mentioned before, the Trojan game could have big implications on the PAC-12 South title. Not that this game needs any more hype around it but playing for a spot in the PAC-12 Championship game would have the Bruins up for the challenge.

Getting Stanford at home helps but even better is getting Stanford in the Bruins last regular season game. By then the Bruins should have all pistons firing, both on offense and defense.

Two other games, Utah and at Colorado, come on a night, Friday, that many Bruins’ fans dread playing on. In their past eight Friday night games, the Bruins have only three victories.

The Bruins could lose all four of these games and, save for the Colorado game, it would be expected. But…if the Bruins could go even 2-2 in these games, it would go a long way in giving Chip Kelly a bowl eligible team.

23. Two Friday night games

College football wants to be flashy and Friday night games have been the way to go, but are they a nuisance? Honestly, no. It is essentially Friday Night Lights, college edition. Though it throws off the schedule, once the teams are in the thick of battle, it won’t matter because someone has to win and hopefully that someone is UCLA.

24. How long until Chip Kelly turns the UCLA Football program around?

When Chip Kelly was at Oregon, he was good. How good? 49-7 record. Two Rose Bowl appearances, a Fiesta Bowl appearance, and a trip to the BCS National Championship At Oregon, Kelly took over a team that went 10-3 the season before. Now he’s in charge of a team that last year went 6-7 and lost its best offensive weapon. This may be Chip’s most challenging year as a college head coach. The success of this season may be determined by bowl eligibility, not how many titles won.

25. Losing games they should win

Nothing is more frustrating than watching UCLA play down to a lesser team or just flat out losing to a less superior team. Missed opportunities to get victories can come back to haunt a team fighting for a bowl bid at the end of the year. This year two teams, Cincinnati and Fresno State, fall into the category of games the Bruins should win but could easily lose. Yes, Cincinnati is coming off a 4-8 season but that is not what concerns me. This will be Chip Kelly’s first game as the UCLA Bruins head coach. The hype and media surrounding this game is going to insane. Will the players and the coaching staff be able to control their emotions before and during the game? The other game that concerns me is Fresno State. Last year the Bulldogs went 10-4 after going 1-11 a year earlier. They also return their entire linebacking core and secondary that was top 15 nationally in total defense.

The Bruins could lose both of these games for totally different reasons but it would hurt the same in their quest to become bowl eligible.