Utah vs. UCLA Complete Game Preview

When: Saturday, Oct. 4, 10:30 p.m. ET

Where: Rose Bowl Stadium; Pasadena, California

TV: ESPN

Utah vs. UCLA features two Pac-12 South teams on opposite trajectories after their Week 5 performances.

UCLA returned to the Top 10 of the Associated Press poll, jumping from No. 11 to No. 8 on the heels of routing Arizona State, 62-27. The Bruins played their most complete game and answered some of the concerns surrounding their team after a somewhat slow start to 2014.

Meanwhile, Utah stumbled in its Pac-12 opener, letting Washington State rally from 21 points down to hand the Utes their first loss of the season.

The home defeat squashed the momentum Utah had built in an impressive 3-0 start, which included a convincing win over Michigan in the Big House in Week 4.

Utah has an opportunity to reverse its course under the lights of the Rose Bowl Saturday. The Utes come in desperate to avoid starting the conference season 0-2, which makes them dangerous.

The potential for a trap also lingers for UCLA. The Bruins host No. 2 Oregon on Oct. 11, and both teams entering that contest undefeated should command national attention.

First, both teams must hold up their end in Week 6.

UCLA Keys to Victory

Matt York/Associated Press

Get Brett Hundley Going Early

Among the many things UCLA did right in its 62-27 rout of Arizona State last week was establish an early rhythm for quarterback Brett Hundley.

Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone’s game plan utilized quick, short and intermediate routes initially to pull Arizona State’s defenders out of the box. That freed up lanes for the ball-carriers, who obliged with 225 yards on the ground. 

The Sun Devils were forced to adjust, and Hundley punished them with deeper passes. As the night progressed and the Bruins were firing on all cylinders, Arizona State had no answer.

UCLA needs its Heisman Trophy candidate to find his rhythm early—particularly with Utah’s aggressive, blitzing defense threatening to slow the Bruins' tempo. 

Make Utah a Passing Team

Washington State mounted its comeback at Utah in part because of the Utes’ inability to move the ball through the air.

Quarterback Travis Wilson finished just 18-of-38 against the Cougars and averaged 4.3 yards per attempt.

Similarly, UCLA pounced on the Utah passing attack a season ago in the Bruins’ 34-27 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium, intercepting Wilson six times.

The Bruins stymied Utah’s rushing attack, allowing the Utes just three yards per carry. The inability to establish any consistency on the ground sent Wilson to the air 44 times.

Utah offensive coordinator Dave Christensen likes to mix up the run and pass, and really didn’t deviate from this strategy against Washington State. In fact, the Utes rushed 40 times and passed 40.

However, where the Cougars had success—a plan UCLA can follow—was in limiting Utah’s rushing production on first and second down. The Utes struggled to move the ball in the second half after a successful first half, which put Wilson in plenty of 3rd-and-long situations.

His dual-threat style is limited when trying to make up yardage on those downs, which can turn into turnover opportunities for the defense. And UCLA has been quite adept at capitalizing on such opportunities. It notched its fourth defensive touchdown of the season last week.

“I know one thing: I’ll take four defensive touchdowns,” head coach Jim Mora said, via Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Utah Keys to Victory

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Get Aggressive with the Blitz

Utah consistently features one of the more tenacious defensive front sevens in the Pac-12, and this year’s group is no exception. Defensive end Nate Orchard already has 4.5 sacks on the year, and Utah’s 18 as a team ranks No. 5 nationally.

Conversely, UCLA has well-documented issues surrendering sacks. Through its first three games, the Bruins gave up 11 of them.

UCLA’s front five was the most intact it’s been all season at Arizona State, which was evident in the season-low one sack it surrendered.

But Utah has a much more veteran defense than Arizona State. Look for the Utes to come at the Bruins offensive line aggressively from the outset Saturday in an effort to dictate the tone.

Stay Dedicated to the Run

Utah running back Devontae Booker averaged 7.4 yards per carry against Washington State, but he was contained in the second half. Washington State stacked the box with defenders to render Utah one-dimensional, and the Utes offense suffered mightily.

Christensen must find ways to remain effective with the run if Utah is to have any hope of an upset. The Utes are certainly not without options—in addition to Booker, Wilson is a capable ball-carrier.

Utah also has Bubba Poole, the team’s primary running back coming into the season. Utilizing all three will be crucial to keep the UCLA defense honest and take some of the pressure off Wilson to shoulder the load with his arm.

UCLA Players to Watch

Matt York/Associated Press

Offense

WR Thomas Duarte

Sophomore Thomas Duarte continues to establish himself as one of the primary weapons in UCLA’s passing attack. He caught four passes for 95 yards in Thursday’s win and his presence gave the Bruins offense stability in the first half before UCLA really got rolling.

Such a performance is status quo for Duarte. Along with Jordan Payton, Duarte is a cornerstone of the UCLA aerial offense. Expect Hundley to make early use of him up the middle to combat Utah’s aggressive front seven this week.

RB Paul Perkins

Paul Perkins’ evolution into a full-fledged star for the UCLA offense continued at Arizona State, where he rushed for 100-plus yards for the second consecutive week. He averaged close to a first down on every carry, picking up 137 yards on 14 carries.

Perkins looks more like the missing piece to UCLA’s offensive puzzle every week. And now that fellow running back Jordon James has seemingly regained his rhythm, defenses must adjust for a more balanced Bruins attack. That, in turn, gives Hundley more freedom to operate in the pocket without constant pressure, as was the case much of 2013 and early this season.  

Defense

CB/Returner Ishmael Adams

Ishmael Adams stole the show at Arizona State. His 95-yard interception return before halftime seized momentum UCLA never relinquished. 

"

Ishmael Adams and UCLA ran away from Arizona State in 62-27 rout. STORY: http://t.co/1XqOUbVkQk https://t.co/xDhxMugoTl

— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) September 26, 2014 "

Meanwhile, Adams’ kickoff return for a touchdown—100 yards officially, though run back from roughly five yards into the end zone—was the program’s first such score in seven years. 

"

In case ya missed it last night, here's @UCLAFootball CB/KR Ishmael Adams 100-yard KO return: http://t.co/GBymlSHxHJ He can play! #UCLA

— #LindysSports (@Lindyssportsmag) September 26, 2014 "

So what does Adams have planned for an encore? First of all, he may be paired with Utah’s primary weapon in the passing game and one of the conference’s most electrifying wide receivers, Dres Anderson.

NT Kenny Clark

Kenny Clark played arguably his best game of the season at Arizona State and was vital to slowing the Sun Devils’ run game. Clark stuffed the middle with seven tackles and was routinely finding ways into the backfield.

Clark will again be central to the defensive game plan as UCLA aims to grind Utah’s run options to a halt.

Utah Players to Watch

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Offense

WR Dres Anderson

On a roster featuring 31 players from Southern California, coming home to face UCLA many not mean quite as much to any of them like it does to Dres Anderson.

The Utes’ star wideout’s father, Flipper Anderson, was a UCLA star in the 1980s. So too was Anderson’s uncle, Paco Craig.

So will the Anderson house be divided come game day in the Rose Bowl?

“My family is riding for me no matter what,” Anderson said in July at Pac-12 media days. "My family is going to love UCLA, because that’s where they went. They’re alumni, and they’re going to love their team. But when it comes to blood and family, nothing comes before that.”  

As for Utah, the Utes offense needs a big performance from its top receiver to upend the Bruins. Anderson has 13 receptions for 252 yards and three touchdowns on the season, but he had two crucial drops in the loss to Washington State—one of which would have been the game-winner.

He’ll look to bounce back with his family in tow.

WR/KR Kaelin Clay 

The breakout star of Utah’s season thus far is Kaelin Clay. The junior college transfer has returned and incredible four kickoffs and punts combined for touchdowns this season.

Clay even struck the Heisman pose after running one back in Utah’s win at Michigan.

"

Kaelin clay is a beast. pic.twitter.com/Smx0NmQf2g

— Riley Stringham (@RileyStringham) September 28, 2014 "

His ability to change a game’s momentum in one play poses a constant threat to opponents.

QB Travis Wilson

Yet another of the Utes’ Southern California natives, Travis Wilson came to Utah from nearby prep powerhouse San Clemente High School.

Wilson returns both to his roots, as well as the scene of his first career start. He debuted at the Rose Bowl against UCLA in 2012.

Wilson is a naturally gifted dual-threat playmaker and is developing more as a passer this season. He has yet to throw a pick through three games.

Defense

DE Nate Orchard 

The veteran leader of Utah’s defense, Orchard is a potential matchup nightmare for the UCLA offensive line. Tackles Malcolm Bunche and Caleb Benenoch will primarily be tasked with containing Orchard.

Both have had their struggles with rushers off the edge, and Orchard could provide their stiffest test yet.

What They're Saying

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

UCLA

Offensive lineman Kenny Lacy shared his thoughts on UCLA finding its rhythm against Arizona State and building from it, via Paul Myerberg of USA Today:

"

We're starting to feel like we're getting back to our normal selves. Our first two games were tough games. We pulled them out in the end, but we weren't very proud of them. This is a step in the right direction.

"

Mora on giving up 626 yards of offense to Arizona State and how it impacts the Bruins defense going forward, via Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times: 

"

I have been coaching defense since I was 22 years old, and played it for four years before that, and yards have never been an issue. I don't think I'm going to change now. Most coaches I know don't worry about yards.

"

Utah 

Head coach Kyle Whittingham on the team's struggles passing against Washington State, via Josh Furlong of KSL.com: 

"

We didn’t do a good job throwing the football. We were like 18-of-38. You can’t win football games when you’re 18-of-38 and 100 something yards. It’s not good enough, not in this league—nowhere near good enough.

"

Booker had this to say about turning attention away from the loss in time to face UCLA, via Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune: "I don’t put no blame on anybody. We all play out there as a team. We just got to watch film on Monday and regroup ourselves."

Prediction

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Since its arrival in the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah has consistently played UCLA tough. The Utes beat the Bruins in 2011, but have dropped the past two decisions by a touchdown each.

Utah is better than it showed for the final three quarters last week, and Whittingham should have them refocused in time for Saturday’s late kickoff at the Rose Bowl. Additionally, the Utah defense is a tough matchup for UCLA.

With Oregon looming on the horizon and the possibility of a marquee showdown, all signs point to a trap game. But if there’s one thing UCLA can take away from its opening three-game stretch, it’s to not take opponents for granted.

Focus shouldn’t be an issue for the Bruins in their return to the Rose Bowl after nearly a month away. With the momentum of the Arizona State win and the pieces seemingly coming together, UCLA looks ready to take the next step toward title contention.

The Bruins avoid a letdown and head into Week 7 undefeated.

Prediction: UCLA 31, Utah 21

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited. Statistics compiled courtesy of cfbstats.com.