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

With 50 days until kickoff, Go Joe Bruin wants you to be aware of 50 things with the UCLA football team this coming season.

There are exactly 50 days until the UCLA Football team takes the field for the first time with Chip Kelly leading them into battle. Needless to say, it is quite exciting.

RELATED: 10 Bold Predictions for UCLA Football’s 2018 Season

With that in mind, there are going to be a lot of things to look for this season, especially with the expectations that Kelly can turn UCLA into a contender. So here are 50 that we have nicely packaged for you. Enjoy.

1. An 8-4 record or a 4-8? Or worse? Or better?

No one has a clue about what will happen with the UCLA football team this fall. They could be very good, they could be very bad. They could also be very average. Though many believe Kelly will eventually turn UCLA around, it will be extremely hard to be successful in the first season. They lose uber QB Josh Rosen as well as some notable talent, but they still have a handful of skilled players as well as a strong freshman class. No matter the outcome, it is only a stepping stone for what Kelly is ultimately trying to accomplish.

2. The Quarterback Battle Royale

The Bruins have a full on Battle Royale this fall as they have five signal callers vying for one spot. Freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson, transfer Wilton Speight and returners Devon Modster, Matt Lynch and Austin Burton will all be fight, fight, fighting to lead Chip Kelly’s system.

"KEY STAT – The Bruins were last in stopping the run (123 out of 129) last year as they gave up 287.4 yards per game"

3. The secondary will be really good

If Jim Mora did anything right, it was building a solid secondary. from recruiting to development, UCLA has had a pretty impressive track record of having one of the best secondaries in the nation. Not only is there talent at every position, not only is there depth, but there is a lot of experience. CB Nate Meadors and Darnay Holmes and S Adarius Pickett and Quentin Lake are going to be a force to reckon with.

4. Who will excel at running backs?

The QB battle is not the only one that UCLA will have to endure this fall. The battle for the starting running back spot will also be something that fans should keep an eye on. Will it be seniors Bolu Olorunfunmi or Soso Jamabo? Will Joshua Kelley or Brandon Stephens make a move to the top? Maybe it is freshman speedster Kazmeir Allen that could get the nod. Either way, it should be exciting watching multiple backs perform under the new coach.

5. Continue the Flintoft lift off

Punter Stefan Flintoft was the chosen one over Austin Kent, who has since left the program. With punting in dire need of a boost, this walk-on gave consistency to the team that needed help backing up opponents so the defense could go to work. Watch for him to continue his rise in 2018.

6. Another interesting first home game for the new UCLA coach?

In 1996, Bob Toledo led UCLA to a 44-0 win over NE Louisiana. In 2003, Karl Dorrell defeats Illinois, 6-3. In 2008, Rick Neuheisel beats Tennessee, 27-23 in OT. In 2012, Jim Mora, beats Nebraska, 36-30. What will Chip Kelly’s first impression be at the Rose Bowl?

7. Triple Option

We saw a lot of things during spring practice, but one of the more interesting, which we did not see during the spring game, was the implementation of the triple option. Kelly is known for and showed plenty of zone reads and RPO plays, but he could take his offense a step further with the triple-option. But honestly, Kelly will probably evolve the triple option. I don’t know how, but knowing his determination to succeed, it is a good bet that we will see some sort of step forward with his offense.

UCLA’s Offensive 2017 Stats

• Scoring Offense – 29.5 (5th in Pac-12)
• Total Offense – 457.8 (3rd)
• Rushing Offense – 113.4 (11th)
• Passing Offense – 344.5 (2nd)

8. Andre James and a new O-Line mindset

The Bruins do not exactly have the O-line that will immediately give Chip Kelly what he needs to construct a fear-inducing offense, but he does have a few linemen that can help them head in that direction. One of those is RT Amdre James. He is not only one of two returning starters but he continues to progress and should be an integral part of UCLA’s line.

9. Super Sophomores Jaelan Phillips and Darnay Holmes

UCLA was blessed with a few fantastic freshmen last season. But now, DE/OLB Jealan Phillips and CB Darnay Holmes are super sophomores. There natural talents will be a huge boost to this defense in transition.

10. The first play of the season

UCLA has had some very exciting first plays of the season and with a very exciting new coach, will they unload for an explosive first play and wow the world that is watching Kelly, or will the coach go small and be methodical to start?

11. The Oklahoma Test

The Bruins have one of the hardest schedules in the nation and that is quite evident by their Week 2 opponent, Oklahoma. Welcome back to college football, Chip Kelly! Now get to work. UCLA gets a heavyweight right out of the gate, which will tell us exactly where the Bruins stand to start the Chip Kelly era. After a home opener against work-in-progress Cincinnati, the Bruins have to put on their big boy pants and somehow try to survive in Norman against one of last season’s College Football Playoff teams.

12. Back to school slump

One of the things that affects the Bruins every year is the start of the school year. The UCLA football program has the luxury of beginning the season before the school year, unlike most schools on the semester system (UCLA is on the quarter system). The Bruins could start the season strong, but once school starts, attention is going to be pulled in twain. Instruction begins September 27, the day before UCLA travels to Colorado for a Friday night game, their first Pac-12 Conference game of the season.

"KEY STAT – Soso Jamabo’s six touchdowns is the most by any Bruin returning this season"

13. How quickly will the team mesh?

During the spring, we saw a lot of progress with both the offense and defense. During the Spring Game, we saw that the Bruins have a long way to go. Though they will be a lot more in tune with each other during the fall, it will be a completely different game when they step onto the field on September 1. They will not be a well-oiled machine, but they will be on the right path. So do they mesh sooner or later?

14. Who will play center?

With depth issues on the offensive line, the Burins had to move DE Boss Tagaloa over to play center. He did alright, but he shared time anchoring the line with Zach Sweeney. Though they did a decent job, things need to improve exponentially. That could happen with freshman Chris Murray joining the fray. He has the raw talent to handle the center spot, while Tagaloa moves over to guard, maximizing UCLA’s OL talent.

15. The new coach’s swagger

DL Coach Vince Oghobaase wants the Bruins to play with more violence. LB coach Don Pellum’s suit game is strong. DB coach Paul Rhoads has Division I experience as a position coach, defensive coordinator and a head coach. Special teams and OLB coach Roy Manning loves to be alive. This is a good coaching staff.

16. A violent defensive

Speaking of violent defense, the UCLA defense is going to be, um, violent. At least that it what DL coach Oghobaase wants. “More violence” was the mantra in spring, not only for the DLs, but the entire defense. We saw a little bit of that, but it will grow and it will be something to fear. These coaches are not messing around.

17. Linebacker depth

This is a bit of a concern and has been for a few seasons. UCLA’s former LB coach Scott White did not exactly set UCLA’s LBs up for success and that is something the new defensive coaches have to deal with, especially since they have moved from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense which necessitates an addition linebacker. UCLA scored three LBs on National Signing Day (and two have already enrolled), but will it be enough, or will we see a few more position changes?

UCLA’s Defensive 2017 Stats

• Scoring Defense – 36.6 (11th in Pac-12)
• Total Defense – 483.7 (12th)
• Rushing Defense – 287.4 (12th)
• Passing Defense – 196.3 (2nd)

18. Alternate unis

Kelly and Oregon were the alternate uniform kings at the begin of the decade, so will Kelly bring that flare to UCLA? At this point it is uncertain, but who knows what is in store for the Bruins in the coming years.

https://twitter.com/JimMWeber/status/1016822715410472971

19. Taking advantage of 7 home games

Last year UCLA was literally unbeatable at home going 6-0 at The Rose Bowl. Unfortunately once they left Pasadena, the Bruins had zero wins in seven attempts. This season UCLA will have seven games in the friendly confines of The Rose Bowl. It’s unlikely that the Bruins will again go undefeated at home but 5-2 would be pretty good. These seven home games include two hugely important matchups at the end of the regular season. The first one is against USC where UCLA could be (hopefully) playing for the PAC-12 South title. The second and final game on their schedule is against UCLA’s kryptonite, the Stanford Cardinal. After ten straight losses to the Trees, could Chip Kelly finally be the coach to break the spell? Playing the game home should help the Bruins a bit.

20. Impact freshmen

Chip Kelly (and Jom Mora, let us give credit where it is due) did a fine job of building the 2018 recruiting class and several of those newbies could not only get a chance to play, but could make an immediate impact this coming season. DTR at QB could be eye-opening. Kazmeir Allen should make the run game interesting. LB Bo Calvert and S Stephan Blaylock could impress on defense. Long story short, there will be a lot of young blood that will make an impact early.

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.

26. Will Bolu and Soso finally go-go?

Things have not taken off for Bolu and Soso as many have hoped, though three offensive coordinators in three years will do that. But with offensive mastermind Kelly in charge, he could do wonders for the seniors. So yes, Bolu and Soso will finally go-go!

27. Road Warriors or road kill

Last season, UCLA went 0-7 away from the Rose Bowl and it was not pretty. This year, they only have five road games, but it could be equally as bad. The Bruins travel to Oklahoma, Colorado (on a Friday), Cal, Oregon (Chip Kelly homecoming) and Arizona State. Now that is a brutal schedule.

28. Running back by committee?

Unlike the QB position, the RB position could and probably will use several running backs to maximize Kelly’s schemes. There will be two-back sets, first down backs, short yardage backs, backs in motioning out in a receiving set… the bottom line is that Kelly is going to use several backs in several formations to get what he needs from the running game. With that in mind, expect the ball to be shared quite a bit, especially if one does not standout as the go-to.

29. The best cornerbacks in the Pac-12

UCLA has always had a solid secondary under Mora and Azzinaro gets to reap the benefits as the DBs not only stacked, but have a ton of talent, especially at cornerback. Nate Meadors and Darnay Holmes are two explosive defenders that will challenge everything that comes their way this season. This leads me to believe they will be the best CB tandem in the conference.

30. Rick Wade breakout year?

Rick Wade is a player that has patiently waited his turn to step up and show what he has got. Now more than ever are the Bruins going to need his length and strength to help the DL advance and break the stigma that UCLA cannot defend against the run.

31. None of this bend-but-don’t-break nonsense

Let us hope we never have to use the term “bend-but-don’t-break” ever again. That was the mantra for UCLA’s defense under Tom Bradley. Thank god it is over. UCLA’s defense is going to be aggressive and it will be fabulous.

32. 1,000 yard rushers

UCLA has not had a 1,000 yard rusher in a season for a long time. With Kelly wanting to run, run, run, there could legitimately be two 1,000 yard rushers for the season. Which Bruins step up to the plate for that goal?

Related Story: UCLA Football: Revisiting the 2018 recruiting class/in-coming freshmen

33. How will UCLA’s new quarterback perform under Chip Kelly?

It was no surprise that last year’s UCLA Bruins team revolved around Josh Rosen and his golden arm. Opposing teams would stack their secondary just begging Rosen to hand the ball off to the second worst rushing attack in the county. To Rosen’s credit, he was still able to throw for 3,756 yards and 26 touchdowns. We’ll see not only how Chip Kelly utilizes his quarterback (whoever it turns out to be) but how long it will take the quarterback to adjust to Kelly’s system.

34. The Washington test

Oklahoma will be UCLA’s first test of the season, but their first test of the conference schedule comes when Washington visits UCLA on October 6. Not only will Kelly bring out the big plays for this game, but he is also not going down without a fight. But what will be of this fight? The Bruins could get bitten in this game f they are not careful.

35. Big Brother awaits

Right after Washington, UCLA heads up to Cal where they will take on their big brother. On paper, UCLA should beat the Golden Bears, but the Bruins do not do well in Berkeley. In their last nine contests at Memorial Stadium, UCLA has only won one.

36. Special Teams touchdown?

I’m not asking for a lot, but can Roy Manning improve the special teams return game enough for the Bruins to final get a touchdown?

37. Will there be enough depth?

The offensive line and linebackers have had depth issues, but since Chip Kelly has taken over, a lot of players have left the program. Luckily, there are enough guys for several positions, but also enough to move players around if needed. So far it looks as if most positions are in decent shape, but one never knows what will happen during the season, especially with injuries.

38. Will Chip Kelly’s offense present a more balanced attack?

Last year the Bruins threw 41.2 passes a game. This was largely due to the fact that UCLA couldn’t run the ball…at all. In Chip Kelly’s reign at Oregon, his quarterbacks throw just around 27 passes per game. But during his four years at Eugene, Kelly was working with a rushing attack that featured a 1,500 yard (at least) rusher each year. Hopefully Kelly’s offense will find a way to feature a running back (either by committee or finally someone having a breakout season) and give the Bruins something they haven’t had in years, a balanced offensive attack.

39. Theo Howard, time to take off

Hands down, the most exciting receiver on the team is Theo Howard and this fall, many will know his name. Howard has been a fun receiver to watch, but in Kelly’s offense, he should thrive. The tarmac is clear for Howard Airlines to take off and all systems are GO!

40. Can the Bruins finally play with some consistency?

Just when it looked like the Bruins were getting things together, they would go and lose a game or two. Then on the flip side, when it looked like the Bruins had tossed in the towel, they’d come back victorious the following week. This lack of consistency was frustration to watch last season as the Bruins never won (or lost) more than two games in a row.

I know it’s just one position but I always felt that starting a different running back almost every game was a problem last year. With each running back having different tendencies, Josh Rosen and the offensive line must have had a difficult time getting into a rhythm with any of the backs Mora threw out there. Perhaps if Kelly is able to install a more balanced offensive attack, this will equate to more consistent play and ultimately result in more wins.

41. Rushing the EDGE

UCLA will have some push up front, but they will also have a push from the edge. Both Jaelan Phillips and Keisean Lucier-South have been converted from DEs to OLBs and that might not be a huge difference, but in Azzinaro’s defense, they should play a integral part in the attacking the ball in the back field.

More from Go Joe Bruin

• UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
• UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
• UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
• UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
• UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show

42 Bowl bound?

It is way too early to predict UCLA going to a bowl game, but by midseason, we should have a better picture of what the Bruins are laying out for themselves. With six games in, do they only need one or two more wins or will they be 3-3 and have to grind out three more wins (or more)?

43. Chemistry by season’s end

Though it will take some time to put all of Kelly’s magic together, the Bruins should be close to what Kelly is imagining by season’s end. Whether or not they are position for a postseason berth, they should be a little bit more comfortable in their new style.

44. Caleb Wilson and a full season

Caleb Wilson is arguably the best tight end in the nation and if he can stay healthy (he was injured five games into last season), then he can make a huge impact in the receiving game. He will also boost his draft stock considerably. First round pick, anyone?

45. Can UCLA finally beat Stanford?

Wishful thinking, but it can be done. Mora just could not figure out David Shaw, but Kelly scrapped with the Stanford coach a few times and knows what to expect. Though it seems like a long shot right now, especially since the Bruins have lost to the Cardinal 10 straight times, it just might happen.

46. Will Kelly close his fall practices?

Kelly is known to be a little secretive when it comes to his practices, especially at Oregon. That is why it was a surprise that he let the media and fans watch practices (all except for a few before the Spring Game) this past spring. Will he be as “open” to the idea in fall or will he close things down to keep his secrets in tact?

47. Inside linebacking leaders

Though starting jobs are far from being decided, there are a few guys that seem to be locks heading into the 2018 season. Josh Woods and Krys Barnes are two of those guys that not only have experience, but the talent Azzinaro needs to make his aggressive defense effective.

48. Top 25 by season’s end

UCLA is not on anyone’s early Top 25, but if the Bruins can get things in order by season’s end, they should turn some heads with the poll voters. Yet if they are ranked by season’s end, that could have big division, conference and postseason implications. Fingers crossed.

49. A new era vs. USC

USC fans were very vocal about UCLA hiring Kelly and with a good percentage of Trojan fans not happy with Clay Helton, this will make for an interesting lead up to the Crosstown Showdown. This will also be a new era in the rivalry. In the next few seasons, Kelly vs. Helton (if he lasts that long) could be very fun to watch.

Next: The 30 Greatest UCLA Football Players of All-Time

50. Pac-12 South Winners?

The Pac-12 South Division is not exactly a powerhouse division, especially with all of the changes made this past offseason. The loss of coaches and key players has certainly thrown the South up for grabs. With that in mind, can the Bruins capitalize with Kelly and take over in the first season? It is not that hard to fathom.