Last season’s meeting between UCLA and Cal
was
an exhilarating, back-and-forth affair that featured four lead changes within
the half
alone.With former Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley and his Golden
Bears counterpart Jared Goff throwing the stun the place during a game that
featured quite 900 yards of total offense, it's solely fitting that it
diminished to the ultimate drive. that is once UCLA defensive back Marcus Rios
saved the day with a diving interception of Goff close to the line.
Rios’ heroics that afternoon in Berkeley
weren’t simply game-saving; they were season-saving.UCLA came in on a two-game losing skid,
having lost during a considerable upset
to Utah, then obtaining trounced by Beaver State. Sound
familiar?
This
year, UCLA welcomes Cal into the Rose Bowl riding a two-game losing skid with
losses to sizable failure Arizona State, and a blowout against Stanford. The
Cal game sparked UCLA to a five-game win streak that had the Bruins in position
to assert the Pac-12 South title on the regular season’s final weekend.
“You wish to avoid specializing in winning
each game,” UCLA head coach Jim Mora aforementioned. “You wish to win the day.”
The first day UCLA has to win is Thursday
against a Cal team noticeably within the look for the Pac-12 title race.
Cal
at UCLA
Kickoff:
9.00 p.m. ET (Thursday)
TV: ESPN
Spread: UCLA -3
Three
Things to observe
1.
Erratic Rosen vs. Cal’s Turnover-Generating Defense
UCLA freshman quarterback banter Rosen’s
debut season is to date characterised through high peaks and low valleys. Since
finishing quite eighty p.c of his tries within the season opener against
Virginia, he’s thrown for higher than sixty just one occasion, within the
convert Arizona.
The
freshman’s riding a three-game streak of multiple-touchdown games, however he
additionally has 3 multiple-interception games, as well as his most up-to-date
outing vs. Stanford.
That’s
noteworthy as a result of the Cal defense is best within the nation in turnover
creation, garnering twenty one takeaways through its 1st six games, and fifth
in interceptions with twelve.
Stefan
McClure’s move from footballer to safety has provided the Cal secondary with a
spark, and immensely improved play within the front seven has forced opposing
quarterbacks to throw below force.
2.
Bear Raid Goes to the Ground?
Cal’s “bear-raid” offense powers one
amongst most prolific passing attacks in faculty soccer, and quarterback Jared
Goff shines within the system. However, against a UCLA defense badly dilute by
injury, don’t be stunned to check the Golden Bears attend the bottom a lot of.
The
Bruins rank No. 114 nationwide in speeding yards allowed per game at nearly
216.
Cal
head coach boy Dykes aforementioned within the past despite his team’s liking
for passing, his goal is to determine a balanced speeding attack. back Daniel
Lasco, last year’s breakthrough football player, has struggled through injury
early this season, deed change-of-pace ball rusher Khalfani Muhammad and
power-back Vic Enwere shouldering abundant of the load.
If
there’s every week for the every-down back Lasco to interrupt out, it’s this
one. Since losing do-everything linebacker Myles Jack, UCLA has given up 353,
192 and 309 speeding yards in its last 3 outings.
3.
Penalties
UCLA groups below Mora have systematically
graded among the nation’s most fined in faculty soccer. This year’s is not any
exception, averaging seventy five yards per game in laundry, 15th-most in FBS.
Conversely,
Cal is among the nation’s least fined at thirty eight.2 yards per game.
UCLA
is coming back off Associate in Nursing particularly flag-plagued outing at
Stanford, within which penalties value the Bruins nearly a hundred yards.
Infractions value UCLA on quite a couple of huge plays, which can have created
for a a lot of competitive contest.
Final
Analysis
UCLA came into the season self-praise depth
nearly unmatched within the Pac-12. It’s been tested early with the bevy of
major injuries hit the Bruins' defense.
Thus
far with Jack, defensive finish Eddie Vanderdoes and footballer Fabian Moreau
shelved, UCLA has struggled. Thursday, the Bruins square measure up against
arguably the foremost explosive offense they need seen this season.
Stopping
the proficient Goff comes right down to forcing turnovers, that Utah did
effectively period past. A UCLA defense at full strength is akin to Utah,
however the voids up and down the lineup create replicating the Utes’ efforts a
tall task.
The
unpredictability of the defense in its current state, and Rosen’s up-and-down
play, square measure too chaotic to trust against a prime twenty five team
that’s performed at Cal’s level. The Golden Bears stay course within the Pac-12
North, and create UCLA’s aspirations for winning the South far more tough to
realize.
Prediction:
Cal 35 vs UCLA 31
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