Advantage: Draw
While Cincinnati boasts undeniable rushing talent, it will have to rely on an unproven offensive line to create running lanes and give Warren, Ridder, and company room to thrive. They will face the capable defensive line of the Bruins, but the Bruin linebackers are largely unproven, and it remains to be seen if the defensive lineman have developed as much as they appeared in camp. Not to mention the rushing defense of UCLA left much to be desired in the 2018 season, so time will tell if true improvement has been achieved in the offseason.
It will be a game of cat and mouse in 7 days, and the gridiron will reveal whether Warren will have a repeat of his 2018 performance, or if the UCLA defensive line is up to the challenge. I predict this will be *the* fascinating matchup of this game.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of this Season Preview, where we will examine the Cincinnati defense, and how they will stack up against Year Two of the Chip Kelly offense at UCLA! Thanks for reading!