UCLA vs. Virginia Complete Game Preview
When: Saturday, Aug. 30 at noon ET
Where: Scott Stadium; Charlottesville, Virginia
TV: ESPN
The anticipation is over, and the time to live up to its lofty offseason billing is here for No. 7 UCLA.
Coming off their highest win-total campaign since 2005, the Bruins are trendy picks to contend for the Pac-12 Conference Championship and a berth in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Of course, the talk means nothing without results on the field.
UCLA can take the first step to a historic season Saturday against ACC foe Virginia. The Cavaliers come into 2014 with a much different set of expectations—conference media tabbed them to finish last place in the Coastal Division, per TheACC.com.
UCLA's Keys to Victory
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Rise and Shine
Kickoff is slated for noon ET; it will feel like 9 a.m. for the Bruins. Last year, UCLA faced a similar early start at Nebraska and slogged through a lackluster first half, trailing 21-3 before Paul Perkins scored a rushing touchdown just prior to intermission.
UCLA can snuff out any hope of a Virginia upset early by replicating its 28-point third quarter at Nebraska last season. A replay of the slow start, however, could embolden the Cavaliers and awaken a Scott Stadium crowd desperate for something to cheer.
Push the Tempo
Virginia averaged 19.4 points per game in 2013 and broke the 20-point threshold just four times. One of those four occasions happened to be the Cavaliers' only win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, 19-16 over Brigham Young in the season opener.
Virginia wants to grind down the tempo and play to its strength. It effectively did so against a BYU team that is built comparably to UCLA, so the Cavaliers have a frame of reference for slowing a quick-attack team.
Likewise, UCLA failed to score more than 14 points in two of its three losses a season ago.
The Bruins need quarterback Brett Hundley to establish rhythm early and push the Cavaliers defense back on its heels. An evenly distributed passing attack should stretch the Virginia coverage and open the field for big chunks of yardage on the ground.
Virginia's Keys to Victory
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Force Turnovers
Virginia simply can't win a shootout. The Cavaliers are not designed to score points in bunches, which is the polar opposite of how UCLA is constructed.
The Bruins are built for a high-tempo style that stretches the field from sideline to sideline. Virginia's most effective tactic for negating UCLA's approach is through takeaways.
It's no coincidence that in two of the Cavaliers' most competitive ACC games—a one-point loss to Maryland and 10-point defeat against Georgia Tech—they forced three and five turnovers, respectively.
By similarly scoring turnovers against the Bruins, Virginia can grind down the tempo by taking the air out of the ball with its run game on offense.
Keep the Pressure on Hundley
UCLA's typically explosive offense was rendered ineffective when defenses kept Hundley under duress. Constant pressure from both Stanford and Oregon made Hundley jumpy in the pocket, forcing him into short-gain scrambling situations without reading through all this progressions.
Look for Virginia defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta to draw up early blitzes in an effort to rattle Hundley.
If a UCLA backfield in flux at running back is unable to establish itself early, the Cavaliers will be free to keep the heat turned up.
UCLA Players to Watch
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Offense
OT Malcolm Bunche
UCLA struggled at times with providing Hundley adequate protection. The Bruins started three true freshmen across the offensive line at various points in 2013 and yielded 36 sacks.
Miami transfer Malcolm Bunche's arrival provided UCLA with veteran savvy and much-needed numbers to a previously thin unit.
Bunche is on track to start at left tackle, thus protecting Hundley's blind side. At times in recent years, Virginia has been adequate at pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Doing so is one of its few hopes at pulling the upset, so Bunche's performance will be key Saturday.
QB Brett Hundley
It's time for quarterback Hundley to turn an offseason of hype into a season of reality.
Since announcing his return for his redshirt junior season, Hundley has been touted as a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy.
"It's an honor and a blessing [to be considered a Heisman candidate]," Hundley said at Pac-12 media days. "I can't let that affect the way I develop and play my game. I'm just going to have fun this year."
Week 1 will offer some insight into just how prepared Hundley is to block out the many months of buzz.
Defense
LB Myles Jack
Myles Jack's two-way turn in 2013 made him a star on the national scene, but Jack is looking to concentrate his efforts more in 2014.
"Offense is fun to me. It's like playing special teams or something. But defense is my real job," he told Daniel Uthman of USA Today. "Offense is like my hobby."
With the spotlight now on him, America will get to know Jack more for bringing down ball-carriers than being one.
LB Kenny Young
The 4-star freshman from New Orleans, Kenny Young made a splash at fall camp.
Now, he'll hit the ground running on game day against a rushing offense that features a 1,000-yard rusher in Kevin Parks, effective No. 2 option Khalek Shepherd and former 4-star recruit Taquan Mizzell.
"It’s my first college football game, so I’m excited," Young told Everett Cook of the Los Angeles Times. "A little bit anxious, a little bit nervous, but I just have to go out there and stay focused."
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Virginia Players to Watch
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Offense
QB Greyson Lambert
Head coach Mike London made a bold move when he named Greyson Lambert Virginia's starting quarterback in the spring.
Lambert played in seven games a season ago but attempted just 75 passes. However, his offseason was enough to impress the coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild.
"Greyson had a tremendous offseason," Fairchild told Chris Graham of the Augusta Free Press. "Clearly, he’s the starting quarterback."
Lambert beat out primary 2013 starter David Watford, who never quite clicked. Watford showed some mobility, but he threw just eight touchdown passes.
Overall, Virginia scored all of nine touchdowns through the air last season—115th-most in the nation.
Lambert's ability to give Virginia a more consistent passing attack is a potential X-factor throughout the season, including Week 1 against UCLA.
RB Kevin Parks
The leader of Virginia's multifaceted backfield, Parks went for 1,031 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2013. That's rather remarkable production given the limitations the Cavaliers faced elsewhere on offense.
Parks is more than capable as the Cavaliers' every-down back; he is able to grind for additional yards after contact.
Defense
S Anthony Harris
Virginia has produced a number of standout defensive backs in recent years. Anthony Harris is the latest.
Harris spurned the NFL for one more year to help Virginia turn a corner. A win over a Top 10 opponent would go a long way toward re-establishing a program that has fallen on hard times.
Harris is one of the nation's most tenacious ball hawks; in 2013 he picked off an FBS-leading eight passes.
DE Eli Harold
A 5-star recruit in 2012 per 247Sports' own metrics, Eli Harold has not disappointed. He led the Cavaliers with 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2013.
Along with fellow defensive lineman David Dean, Harold is central to Virginia's pass-rush efforts, and getting into the UCLA backfield is central to Virginia's upset bid.
What They're Saying
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UCLA
"[The newcomers have] seen that we played 18 true freshmen last year. That’s not going to happen this year. I don’t think we even have 18 true freshmen, but you want them to aspire to that, for sure," Mora said of playing true freshmen, per Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News.
"You can't look past what you know is already there. The expectations are there," Hundley said regarding his status as a Heisman favorite, per Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times.
Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm chimed in on remedying UCLA's issues up front in the offseason, via Foster: "I don’t know if I fixed the problem, but hopefully I have contributed in making us one of the strengths of the team. We still have a long ways to go. Hopefully, I can be mentioned in that conversation down the road."
Virginia
Fairchild told Jerry Ratcliffe of the Daily Progress the nearly eight months of prep time the preseason allowed for Week 1 forced coaches to find a balance between focusing on the opponent and working internally: "We looked at every game, broke it down. [W]e’ve got it in the computer, we have the [cut]-ups. We looked at it. I wouldn’t say I’ve studied it all summer. I’m more interested in getting our guys, the right guys on the field at the right spots, doing the right things."
Harris had this to say about returning for 2014, via Mike Giannotto of The Washington Post: "Had I left a little bit early, I would have been running away from something. I want to be that person who can be the turnaround—who can be influential for the young guys."
Prediction
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A cross-country trek and noon ET kickoff do not make for the warmest welcomes to a new season. But coming off months of hype, UCLA is going to come out antsy.
Such an attitude is conducive to two starts: Either the Bruins flex their muscles early and blast the home team off the field quickly, or the weight of expectations leaves them playing anxiously.
Mora has preached a consistent theme throughout the offseason.
"For us, it's always about narrowing the focus down to what we can control and what matters, and that's what we're doing," he said at Pac-12 media days.
Don't expect the Cavaliers to catch the Bruins napping. UCLA should have no trouble dispatching Virginia in convincing fashion.
Prediction: UCLA 52, Virginia 17
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited. Statistics compiled via CFBstats.com. Recruiting rankings and information culled from 247Sports.com composite scores.
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