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Looking at UCLA

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    • 08/06/2025 at 6:47 PM #245883
      MFury
      Participant

      I guess seeing the predict the score up for UCLA, means its time to think about the game a bit. Thanks Tony!

      I’m sure others have more salient and better researched thoughts, but a quick review leads me to think that this game will come down to Iamaleava’s deep threat vs pressure from the Utah front 7. My reasoning:

      1 – the UCLA D vs Utah O is basically two unknowns. I can’t expect either to be game winning capabilities. Or game losing deficiencies.
      B – We should be able to manage their run offense, because Utah D. That’s as much looking into it as I have done. No specific matchups. I just believe that we will have reloaded in a way that it won’t be a major gap.
      Thirdly – If you want to pick on our D, go deep. If we give Iamaleava time, he has the arm to beat us (scars of USC / Fink’s huck and pray strategy, but more talent) and I expect UCLA to have relative advantage speed / height on the outside. But if we can get pressure on Iamaleava we can probably disrupt their relatively nascent offensive scheme (expecting something different from last year).
      Finally – You could try and pick our D apart with short passes, but I favor our nickel D in that scenario.

      What do you think? How far off am I?

    • 08/06/2025 at 8:51 PM #245887
      2008 National Champ
      Participant

      I don’t have any predictions for the game but I do have some concerns that I will be watching for during fall camp.

      1. Center of lines: Utah is returning all starters on the O Line, but the interior has gotten beaten badly the last two years. On the other side, Utah is replacing the 3 who got the most time at DT the last two years with people that didn’t beat them out. I don’t feel like Utah can control this game if there are camp injuries and/or mediocre performances between the Tackles.

      2. Receivers: I need to hear repeatedly that they are making plays. Let me rephrase, I need to hear repeatedly that they are dominating the DB’s and making all the 50/50 plays. Even then I might not believe it. But I won’t feel good about this group if we’re just getting the standard so-an-so is looking good and starting to separate. I need to start hearing that multiple guys are uncoverable.

      3. Health: Utah just can’t have another fall camp with multiple starters beat up. Granted, we won’t hear about camp injuries until late October. But if Parker spends the season limping off the field like Jackson did in 2023 or they have to start the season with the 3rd string Center it could get ugly in a hurry.

      First game of the year is tough on everyone. On paper 2022 Utah was better than Florida and they laid an egg. I don’t see this years team having that same advantage on UCLA and Utah is notorious for limiting the play sheet game one so it will come down to execution. For me to believe that Utah can go down there and win handily, I need to hear that the offense is making the D look silly in camp. I trust Scalley to get his guys where they need to be when it matters. I haven’t had that same belief from the offense since 2004.

      • 08/07/2025 at 9:14 AM #245892
        Charlie
        Participant

        I get your concern about the unknowns on offense but you may be placing the bar too high. In the past we have had success without dominating the DBs and have not had to make all the 50/50 plays. I think, like in the past, the passing game needs to be competitive against the pass defense and make their share of plays. Against our own DBs my hope is they make their share of plays. We do need to limit injuries and I expect the coaches are making adjustments to the thin line between being ready for game contact and protecting players. Last, I think the new OC and new offense is different enough that there is no reason to expect the same shortcomings. It is not a given that Beck is successful but it is a given that the offense will be different. But myself, I come from an optimistic place with unknowns, not thru analysis but because I simply enjoy spending more time thinking about how success comes rather than what I expect to go wrong. Much like teams my family were on. Now for random other teams, I do become less optimistic.

      • 08/07/2025 at 10:31 PM #245914
        Ute Dub
        Participant

        I’ve lost faith in Mokofisi. I know he apparently had an injury that NOBODY is willing to say what it is, but he hasn’t improved his PFF grades since his freshman year. Why? Why hasn’t he improved? OLine is an area you should be getting better if you have the reps. I hope someone else wins over him if he’s not going to improve his grades.

    • 08/07/2025 at 7:42 AM #245889
      ProudUte
      Participant

      I’m unsure what to expect since there are so many unknowns for both teams. I do not have high expectations at this point, but I do have high hopes.

      1. I hope our very experienced and talented Oline helps our offense be very productive.
      2. I am excited to see what our new QB and RB can do.
      3. Has Scalley and the Dline coaches developed some new talent at the Dline.
      4. I hope our talented LBs can stay healthy.

      Since our team is so new and we have new offensive coaches, it’s hard to know how they will perform against P4 talent. This game could tell us a lot about the identity of our team.

      Go Utes!!!

    • 08/07/2025 at 8:24 AM #245891
      Jim Vanderhoof
      Participant

      Million dollar question. How good is Nico? 6’5 220 with big arm and running skills. Former 5 star from Southern California coming back home to play. Led Tennessee to the CFP last year as a redshirt freshman. He played good early but struggled at times late. I don’t think he has the weapons at UCLA that Tennessee had. Could be a QB showdown. Similar to us lots of new faces on offense. Good time to get them early in the year. It will be good test to see where we stand win or lose.

      • 08/07/2025 at 8:06 PM #245911
        D T
        Participant

        NI was mostly underwhelming against the better opponents Tennessee faced last year.

        • 08/07/2025 at 9:05 PM #245913
          2008 National Champ
          Participant

          I feel like the biggest advantage for Utah against Nico is that it will be his first game in a new system

          He’s faced defenses as good or better than Utah’s and played against better athletes. And most people point to the 2nd year starting being the biggest jump in performance. But by getting him early, it should offset the normal progression in performance that teams later in the season will have to deal with.

          Utah’s DB’s will need to be assignment sound because he will take chances. There should be opportunities on both sides to make big plays

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