UCLA Football: 2017 Game-by-game predictions
By Zach Bigalke
The divisional battle against Utah last year in the Rose Bowl was one of UCLA’s close losses. The two teams traded punches, as the offenses heated up and both defenses resembled sieves. Combining for 1,049 yards of offense, the two teams scored 13 touchdowns between them. In the end, though, five turnovers doomed the Bruins.
In that October showdown a year earlier, Mike Fafaul was forced to start for the second straight week after Josh Rosen was injured two weeks earlier in the season. Fafaul racked up 464 yards and five touchdowns on 70 attempts, but he also threw four interceptions against the Utes. Even then, UCLA was in position to tie the game but ran out of time.
With Rosen back this year to play against Utah, the game could flip in the opposite direction. This year the Utes no longer have Joe Williams in the backfield, though Troy Williams is back to start at quarterback. The Utes will have a strong receiving corps after adding former Oregon receiver Darren Carrington II as a graduate transfer in the offseason.
Even then, look for Rosen to tip the scales in favor of the Bruins. After three missed chances, the fourth time will be the charm as UCLA finally reaches bowl eligibility in 2017. Their goal for the rest of the regular season will be to improve their bowl matchup in the conference pecking order.