Go Joe Bruin takes a final look at the UCLA football team’s schedule with a quick analysis of every single game in the upcoming 2019 season.
The season will be here before you know it. Are you ready UCLA football fans? Although a better question will be, what do we need to be ready for?
RELATED: UCLA Football Post-Spring Depth Chart
Last season, the Bruins finished 3-9, but there was hope to close out the year. So can that hope manifest into more wins in the second season of the Chip Kelly era? Let us take a look at the schedule by examining each game.
UCLA Football Game-by-Game Predictions
At Cincinnati Bearcats, August 29 (Thu)
UCLA will be a better team than they were last year, but Cincinnati is a team that continues to improve. Last year, they went an astounding 11-2 in head coach Luke Fickell’s second year with the program, and this year he will continue to have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Then you have to consider that this game is a home game for the Bearcats and with that, I give this one to Cincinnati.
Result: Cincinnati 32 – UCLA 27 | L (0-1)
Vs. San Diego State Aztecs, September 7
San Diego State has an outstanding defense which will test UCLA’s offense, but Dorian Thompson-Robinson and company should be able to get past them on more than a few occasions. And though UCLA’s defense is a work in progress, they should be able to take down San Diego State which is in a transition of its own. Going from snapping the ball under center to a spread offense will take time to master, but it won’t be enough time to master it by game two of the season.
Result: UCLA 45 – San Diego State 35 | W (1-1)
Vs. Oklahoma Sooners, September 14
Chip Kelly’s offense should be able to get a few scores off of Oklahoma’s defense, but UCLA’s defense will have an incredibly tough time against Oklahoma and new quarterback Jalen Hurts. But considering how productive UCLA was against Oklahoma last year, I believe this one will be a loss, but it will be closer than last year.
Result: Oklahoma 33 – UCLA 24 | L (1-2)
At Washington State Cougars, September 21
This is going to be a good test for UCLA as they go against another innovative head coach in Mike Leach. The Cougars are going to utilize a new quarterback in Eastern Washington transfer Gage Gubrud in their uptempo style and will have a solid defense, giving them a very well-rounded team. The Bruins will try to run with the Cougars, but they will be a step behind a more established program.
Result: Washington State 45 – UCLA 38 | L (1-3, 0-1)
At Arizona Wildcats, September 28
Arizona is also going through a transition as they head into the second year of the Kevin Sumlin era. Though they had a few nice surprises in 2018, they still have a lot of things to figure out in 2019, and by the time they meet the Bruins, UCLA should be further down the line when it comes to progress.
Result: UCLA 37 – Arizona 31 | W (2-3, 1-1)
Vs. Oregon State Beavers, October 5
Oregon State will improve under second-year coach Jonathan Smith, but they are still a team that is looking for answers in many facets of the program. The Beavers will improve off of their 2-10 record from 2018, but this won’t get a win in this contest.
Result: UCLA 48 – Oregon State 21 | W (3-3, 2-1)
At Stanford Cardinal, October 17 (Thu)
Stanford underachieved last season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Cardinal aren’t what they used to be, and that could get worse this season. But Stanford also has UCLA‘s number, and it doesn’t help that this one is up in the bay area on Thursday night. UCLA doesn’t do well in the bay area on Thursday nights so with that being said, the Bruins will once again put up a fight, but this one looks like it will end in a loss. Again.
Result: Stanford 33 – 30 (OT) | L (3-4, 2-2)
Vs. Arizona State Sun Devils, October 26
Arizona State did better than many expected as new head coach Herm Edwards made South Division contenders out of the Sun Devils. Currently, they look to be a step ahead of UCLA, but the Bruins will surprise ASU, especially with this one at the Rose Bowl.
Result: UCLA 42 – Arizona State 38 | W (4-4, 3-2)
Vs. Colorado Buffaloes, November 2
Despite the Buffaloes beating the Bruins last year in Boulder, it was a distant memory by season’s end. Their 5-0 start meant nothing with after their 0-7 finish. Colorado has a lot of questions to answer and probably won’t have them figured out by the time they meet in Pasadena. This one will go to the Bruins.
Result: UCLA 30 – Colorado 17 | W (5-4, 4-2)
At Utah Utes, November 16
Utah will most likely be the division winner this season as they are the one team that stands out above all in the South. Last year, the Utes annihilated the Bruins in Pasadena, so it seems like a good bet to pick the Utes in this one, and it might not be close, but who knows what will happen this late in the season. Still, this will be a key game for the Bruins, and a win could mean a lot. But that might not happen this year.
Result: Utah 34 – UCLA 31 | L (5-5, 4-3)
At USC Trojans, November 23
Looking ahead, USC could have their best season in quite a while… or they will be in turmoil by this point of the year. Looking at how the program has been the last couple seasons under Clay Helton, it seems the latter is more realistic. And if that’s the case, USC might be a broken team giving UCLA another victory in the Crosstown Showdown.
Result: UCLA 42 – USC 14 | W (6-5, 5-3)
Vs. California Golden Bears, November 30
UCLA’s first win of the Chip Kelly era was against Cal in Berkeley, a place they don’t normally come back victorious from. But last year, UCLA blew the doors open against the Golden Bears and with a lot riding on the line by this time in the season, this game could motivate the Bruins to get one final regular-season win.
Result: UCLA 24 – Cal 23 | W (7-5, 6-3)
In trying to be unbiased in my projections, I can see UCLA finish the regular season 7-5, 6-3, which is a marked improvement from last year’s 3-9, 3-6. With this record, the Bruins are bowl eligible and could go to a mid-tier Pac-12 bowl game, leading to bigger and better things in 2020.