UCLA Football: Game-by-Game Predictions for Month of October

The month of October is a big one for Jim Mora and the No. 8 UCLA Bruins. 

A home matchup versus a stingy Utah team precedes a monumental clash against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Should the Bruins and Ducks remain undefeated, it could be potentially the biggest game of the college football season to date.

UCLA will then take to the road—facing a suddenly dangerous Cal team and an improving Colorado squad.

This piece will attempt to make game-by-game predictions for the upcoming quartet of contests.

Oct. 4 vs. Utah

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

QB Travis Wilson

In the last two seasons, Utah has played UCLA very tough, with the Bruins winning both contests by a touchdown. 

A Kyle Whittingham team generally possesses toughness and discipline. Additionally, the special teams unit is the best in the conference.

Kaelin Clay has proven to be potentially the most electric kick returner in the country. The kicking duo of Tom Hackett and Andy Phillips is also excellent. 

Utah does have deficiencies in the secondary and up front on both lines. Additionally, signal-caller Travis Wilson hasn't looked great early this year.

Utah's offense in general does struggle to put points on the board. The Utes have combined for only two offensive touchdowns in the past two games.

UCLA needs to shut down Utah's rushing attack, which is buoyed by talented back Devontae Booker. If it can do that, Wilson will have to try and beat the Bruins with his arm. This isn't necessarily the best scenario for Utah. 

One caution for the Bruins: The following week, the Oregon Ducks come to town. UCLA needs to prevent the "looking ahead" aspect. 

Mora spoke about this challenge with Matt Piper and Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune:

"

It's a week-to-week proposition. This week we're playing a team that had a tremendous win last time they went on the road. If you talk about not overlooking guys, it can get into players' heads and be kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. For us, it's about trying to play up to our standard. 

"

I expect the Bruins to come out in front of a home crowd focused and energized. UCLA will win this game rather comfortably. 

Verdict: Win 

Oct. 11 vs. Oregon

Dean Hare/Associated Press

QB Marcus Mariota

This is the litmus test for Mora and the Bruins. Can they compete with Oregon and truly vault themselves into the upper echelon of the Pac-12?

Should UCLA and Oregon win this week (vs. Utah and Arizona, respectively), it sets up potentially the most significant football game in all of college football to date. 

Westwood would undoubtedly be the location for ESPN's College GameDay crew. It would bring tons of attention to the rising program. Plus, it'd set up a showdown between perhaps the top two signal-callers in the country in Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley. 

During his tenure, Mora has yet to secure a signature win. The victories over Nebraska, Southern Cal and Virginia Tech have been nice, but UCLA hasn't been able to beat the elite teams (Stanford, Oregon) in the Pac-12. 

In what will be the most significant UCLA game in the Rose Bowl in quite some time, UCLA will pull the upset and defeat Oregon narrowly. A weakened Oregon offensive line will falter against the Bruins' stout front seven. 

It will be the biggest victory in Mora's tenure so far. A projected strong performance by Hundley will also catapult UCLA's quarterback further into the Heisman Trophy race. 

Verdict: Win

Oct. 18 at Cal

Ben Margot/Associated Press

QB Jared Goff

This has surprisingly turned into a very dangerous game. 

Cal was absolutely abysmal last season—going 1-11. Sonny Dykes' defense ranked near the bottom of all Division I teams a season ago. Simply put, it was a very disappointing season. 

Fast-forward to this season, and Cal looks reinvigorated. The Golden Bears have won three of their first four contests and have the look of a competitive program.

Signal-caller Jared Goff is playing at an incredibly high level, and the combination of Khalfani Muhammad and Daniel Lasco is helping to give Cal balance with a credible running game. 

UCLA hasn't beaten Cal in Berkeley since 1998. Dykes' explosive offense is also putting up 47.5 points per game. This might not be the slam-dunk win it appeared to be before the season started, but it's a game UCLA will win.

Cal's defense is still porous at best, and the depth disparity between both teams is considerable. UCLA will exorcise the demons and come out with a victory on the road. 

Verdict: Win

Oct. 25 at Colorado

Ben Margot/Associated Press

QB Sefo Liufau

This is another interesting contest for myriad reasons. 

It's never easy participating in any sort of athletic event at altitude—especially if a team isn't used to playing in it on a daily basis. Secondly, Colorado is an improving football team.

Sophomore quarterback Sefo Liufau is a talented player. Wide receiver Nelson Spruce has also quietly turned into one of the better pass-catchers in the entire conference. The Buffaloes have the ability to score points—as evidenced by dropping 56 against Cal last week. 

However, UCLA is the deeper and more talented team. I do believe Colorado can keep it somewhat close for a half, but the overall quality possessed by Mora will ultimately win out.

Verdict: Win