UCLA vs. Arizona Prediction, Preview

UCLA vs. Arizona prediction and game preview. Projecting who wins between the Bruins and Wildcats.

When: Saturday, Oct. 1 – 10:30 p.m. ET
Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
TV Broadcast: ESPN

Jim Mora’s Bruins are heading into this game at 2-2 one week after falling to Stanford. UCLA was in control of the entire game before the Cardinal came surging in the fourth quarter to take the win, 22-13. The Bruins went into halftime with a seven-point lead and allowed 16 points in the fourth quarter. After a season-opening loss in College Station to Texas A&M, UCLA had bounced back well with back-to-back wins over UNLV and BYU. However, now it’s trying to recover from a loss to open Pac-12 play.

Arizona is in a similar situation. After falling to BYU on a game-winning field goal to start the 2016 campaign, the Wildcats picked up two straight wins over Grambling State and Hawaii. But last week put Rich Rodriguez’s team on the wrong side of the scoreboard once again. Arizona fell to Washington, 35-28, and it now sits at 0-1 in conference play. This will be Arizona’s first actual road game because the BYU matchup was on a neutral site, and the last three games were all in Tucson.

The all-time series is led by UCLA, 23-15-3. And when the Bruins host the Wildcats, UCLA is 13-4-2. When the two programs met on Sept. 26, 2015, Mora’s team really stuck it to Arizona with a 56-30 win for the Bruins. UCLA has won the last four meetings.

What To Know About UCLA

It seems as though the sun rises and falls with quarterback Josh Rosen sometimes. His year hasn’t been stellar, but UCLA is going to need him to do more than he has been early on. Against Stanford, Rosen completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 248 yards and a touchdown. His job might be easier if the Bruins could run the ball effectively. Bolu Olorunfunmi, Nate Starks and Soso Jamabo combined for 92 rushing yards on 28 carries. UCLA is ranked No. 114 in rushing offense with 117.75 yards per game. That has to go up if Rosen is going to find some clear passing lanes and some opportunities to attack the safeties.

What to Know About Arizona

The Wildcats certainly made it tough for Washington last weekend by forcing overtime. The Huskies won, but Brandon Dawkins really showed up for Arizona. When he threw the ball, Dawkins completed 19-of-31 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown and an interception. However, it was his ability to run the ball that had Washington off balance. Dawkins rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. He was aided by J.J. Taylor, who rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, but Taylor broke his left ankle against the Huskies. Running back Nick Wilson has been hobbled by an ankle injury, too, so Arizona will need redshirt junior Zach Green to really step up.

Advantages

Offense: Dawkins has been impressive in his time filling in for Anu Solomon, but sooner or later Rosen will really let loose. And sooner or later, UCLA will find a way to get Jamabo running wild, so it gets the edge.

Defense: The Bruins may have let Christian McCaffrey run for 138 yards last week, but he’s also a Heisman Trophy candidate. The truth is UCLA is No. 36 in total defense to Arizona’s No. 104 rankings. The Bruins get the nod.

Special Teams: This one is going to Arizona. Josh Pollack hasn’t missed an extra point yet, and he’s 4-of-5 on field goal attempts. He’s also averaging 48.1 yards per punt.

Coaching: We all know Rich Rod can throw some points up on the board, but this category goes to UCLA and Mora. With Tom Bradley running the defense, the Bruins will be tough for Dawkins to run on.

Matchup To Watch

Josh Rosen vs. Brandon Dawkins

Rosen is supposed to be putting up far better numbers than he has so far this season, and he’ll really kick it into another gear somewhere down the line. Why not against Arizona? There doesn’t seem to be a better way to find your groove than to even your conference record at 1-1 with a big passing game against the Wildcats. Dawkins will have an uphill battle. He’s missing the bulk of the backfield and will have to shoulder the load against a Bruins defense that has been stingy against the run. Let’s see which quarterback really steps up here.

UCLA vs. Arizona Betting Odds

Spread: UCLA – 13.5
Over/Under: 59