UCLA is going to be a much tougher game than I thought

[Larry B]

Also coming off of a Bye, they have averaged almost 40 ppg in their last 4 games. Add in the fact that they can still win the South, they will come in to RES with something to prove.

I’m not going to predict that they’ll win, but it’s a trap game IMO. We’re coming off of a huge win, putting us in the driver’s seat. It would be easy to come out slow against them.

Man, I hate how close the South race is. No margin for error.

[ironman1315]

ESPN FPI has utah as a 90% favorite. UCLA’s defense is just bad giving up almost 300 yards per game through the air and 130 on the ground. Colorado is a terrible team. I really am not worried.

Seriously, their defensive efficiency is 7th in the pac. We have played four teams higher than them (Wash, USC, ASU, and Cal) we beat all but USC and dump trucked Cal. BYU is higher than them and our offense crushed them.

Their offensive efficiency is 73. We have played Wazzu (5th nationally 1st conf), OSU (10th nationally; 3rd in conf), USC (23rd nationally, 5th in conference), Washington (27th and 6th), ASU (68th and 9). We crushed the top two, lost to USC (hate them), did okay against wash and crushed ASU.

Give Whitt a week to prepare he’s good. You give them two weeks, he’s nigh unbeatable. He is Hannibal from the A-team. Fotu is Mr. T. Huntley is the pilot guy (because throw game) and Moss is Face. Can’t stop them.

[EagleMountainUte]

It is a road game and fUCLA qb has been balling. This is the best defense they will have faced since Oklahoma probably. It won’t be close though. Utah 52 fUCLA 14

[Utah5410]

Meh. Not concerned at all.

[McBride of Frankenstein]

You are right.  This is the time time to take seriously.  We have owned UCLA.  No time to let to

[Italy88]

Utah will win by 21+. All of your posts have some type of negative connotation! Enjoy the ride and remarkable season to this point!

[Larry B]

How is saying that UCLA looks tougher than they originally did and that we can’t just show up and expect a win being negative? Feel free to put me on ignore.

[rbmw263]

Im enjoying the hell out of this ride. Im sure larry b is too. Unmitigated optimism isnt a requirement for enjoying the ride.

“we got this” is fine. But there are little things that have a small posibility of turning into problems for us in this game.  Of course I think we can win by 21+. We will need to do some re centering mentally and be locked in to do that. We will have to play well to do that. Neither of those are guarantees. A win is much closer to a guarantee, but its not a guarantee.

Still, im very confident in a W and I very strongly believe this team is legitimately special.

[Utah5410]

Your post is a no s**** post. Of course they will show up with something to prove and try to win the game. But there defense is garbage and DTR hasn’t done anything all year. There running back is good. But we all know what a utah does with good running backs. Do you really think Whit won’t have these guys ready ? They are as locked in as they’ve ever been.

[EagleMountainUte]

Utah has had more “trap” games than any team in college football. The whole season is a trap when you are a quality team. 

[ProudUte]

I agree.  UCLA is a much better team than they were 6 weeks ago.  In part this is due to a healthy QB and their star running back is now playing.  Anyone who thinks this is a gimme game has not looked into how UCLA has improved IMO.

 

[Josh]

When will kickoff time be announced?

[Utesbyfive]

Who has first pick of the games that week?

[Hellhound152]

My God two weeks of this s**t headed our way.  Can we a get a week off from the “Utes will lose if they don’t show up.” bs.  At least the Bam myth has been dispelled so we don’t have to listen to the guy that wants him catching passes on short yardage anymore.

[rbmw263]

well i hope the team doesnt share this attitude. Its the type that leads to one of those, WTF losses.

this “no chance we lose Utah by 30” stuff is only setting yourself up. We should win. We are better. But we will have to play to a level to win it

[UtahFanSir]

56-13

[Puget Ute]

There are no gimmes in the PAC. And that is OK.  We will win by 14-ish, unless all of the wheels come off and we end up -5 in turnovers. 

If  everything clicks into place we will win by 21-28 points or more.

[Matthew Thomas Castleton]

I think Utah wins by 3 TD’s. My prediction is 38-17.

[rbmw263]

I dont know why this post has been so unpopular. If theres a game we could POTENTIALLY drop coming down the stretch…its this one. UCLA is clearly improved and clicking offensively. I have faith in our defense but theres danger there with their comfort in their system getting to where it needs to be.

i also agree on the coming off the gigantic emotional win. That stuff always seems to have some mental affect (bye week can help but thats not a+b+c. Hopefully it does). You point that they still have something tangible to play for in November is also relevant. Esp with how they started. They were in the dumps a month ago but now have this thing to chase and the possibility of salvaging their season is something they will go after.

We’ll be a 16 point favorite or so. We should win. But if we dont take them seriously we could get caught in a close game in the 2nd half and from there a weird bounce of the ball (its not round, its known for these bounces) could push UCLA over the top. Want to avoid that scenario and build a 1st half lead. Which is the kind of thing that can be affecte by things like…a huge win in the circled game of the season. Not saying this stuff is likely. Just nonzero probability and trending up with UCLA improving.

Either way. Given the spot we are in and the fact that it could be a while before we find ourselves in this level of a spot given the overall talent and ability of this  team, every game from here on out is huge. I dont care if its Evanston tech. “were really good just have to get on the bus and well win by 30” isnt productive at all and potentially the opposite.