UCLA Football vs Cincinnati 2018: Go Joe Bruin predicts the game!

It is back ladies and gentlemen! Since it is game week, Go Joe Bruin returns to predict the game! We start off the 2018 season with a look at the UCLA football team’s battle with the Cincinnati Bearcats.

We are back, baby! Go Joe Bruin has everything you need to prepare for the 2018 UCLA football season which should be a memorable one as Chip Kelly begins his reign in Westwood.

RELATED: 6 Players That Could Play a Second Position in Kelly’s Offense

You have read all of our previews and analysis all off-season long, now take a gander at what the writers of Go Joe Bruin believe will happen on an individual basis as GO JOE BRUIN PREDICTS UCLA VS CINCINNATI! (Sorry for the ALL CAPS, we are a bit excited.

Michael Chavez

I think this UCLA team has too many weapons and frankly too much talent to be stopped by the Bearcats. Kelly will come out and drill fundamentals all game long so while the Bruins may be limited in terms of big or chunk plays I have a feeling they’ll be able to move the ball steadily against this undersized front seven.

Defensively, I expect the Bruins to dial up some heat and force QB Hayden Moore to make decisions quickly under pressure. Moore is the only experienced quarterback UC brings to the table and while he can make the big play occasionally, his accuracy is a major concern and the Bruins could be in line for a number of INTs on overthrows. UCLA 30 – Cincinnati 17

Mike Crawford

I am expecting that the Bruins will struggle in their home opener against Cincinnati. QB play (presumably by Wilton Speight) will be encouraging in the first game of the post-Rosen era, and the UCLA defense will show signs of improvement from last year’s forgettable season. It’ll be ugly, but the Chip Kelly era will start off with a win. UCLA 35 – Cincinnati 21

Nathan Eberhardt

Expect a comfortable with against an overmatched Bearcat squad that matches up poorly with UCLA. It’ll be weakness against weakness, as their young offense goes against our thin defense. UCLA 42 – Cincinnati 20

Michae Hanna

UCLA looks good in its first outing under Chip Kelly, as the Bruins look better both running the ball and stopping the run. Sprinkle in a good enough day from Wilton Speight and a fun cameo from Dorian Thompson-Robinson and it’s a solid start to the most anticipated chapter of UCLA football in a long time. UCLA 37 – Cincinnati 20

Jake Merrifield

The Bruin defense makes some plays early and the offense catches its stride late as UCLA breaks open a close game after halftime to win Chip Kelly’s first game. UCLA 38 – Cincinnati 12

Muna Osisioma

UCLA football in general is trending up but it is hard to know what to expect from Kelly and the roster in game one. However, this is a game that UCLA should still win and I expect them to. Biggest question for me is the defense. I am just looking to see something to build off of moving forward. UCLA 37 – Cincinnati 16

David Rosenthal

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

Chip Kelly’s debut may not be pretty one but it should be exciting to watch. Luckily they face a Cincinnati team that went 4-8 last year. On defense, UCLA will have to deal with the loss of Josh Woods (injury) and a number of suspended players. They should still be able to stop the Bearcats’ QB Hayden Moore who will have only two receivers to throw to who had more than 14 catches last year.

Defensive Player to Watch: LB Mique Juarez – finally healthy and ready to get on the field and hopefully play a big role with the defense.

On offense, the decision on who will play quarterback may not matter against a Bearcats team that gave up almost 32 points a game last season. Perhaps Chip can find a way to get the Bruins’ dreadful rushing game going.

Offensive Player to Watch: RB Joshua Kelley – the transfer from UC Davis will be the #1 running back against Cincinnati. In his last year at UC Davis, Kelley rushes for 609 yards. We’ll see how he does running against Pac-12 competition. UCLA 28 – Cincinnati 13

Mike Regalado

UCLA is going to come out swinging. Chip Kelly does not want his team to ease into his new style and start at a slow pace, HEAVENS NO! He wants this team to hit the ground running. Kelly has a certain way he wants this offense to run and he needs it to start out fast so they can maintain a fast pace, not just throughout the game, but the season.

The defense will be aggressive (I predict five sacks), the offense will be running all over the field (I predict over 300 rushing yards) and after this game, college football analysts will be ogling Chip Kelly like an Instagram model. Beauty. UCLA 45 – Cincinnati 13