UCLA Football: 5 overreactions to victory over Hawaii

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PASADENA, CA – SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Jim Mora of the UCLA Bruins celebrates a touchdown in the first half of the game against the Hawaii Warriors at the Rose Bowl on September 9, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

1. UCLA is back as a contender

Sometimes it’s the little things that can spark a team back into contention. For UCLA, that might imply that getting back into the AP Top 25 is the spark it needed to reach relevance yet again in the Pac-12. The Bruins are one of just five teams from the conference in this week’s rankings and there’s still plenty of room to grow.

It’s scary to say this team hasn’t even scratched the surface yet, but it’s true. However, to call them a “contender” after just two wins to start the year is extremely premature. The Bruins have seemed to correct some mistakes from last season, but to truly be contenders, they need to improve their defense and rushing attack.

Rosen might be the best quarterback in the nation and ever national contender needs a top-tier passer who also acts as a leader. He can do just that. Still, he can’t do everything for this team. The ground game needs to improve, but that has something to do with the coaching staff not managing it correctly.

Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

Is UCLA currently better than it was a season ago at this time? Probably. But are the Bruins officially back as contenders? It’s far too early to say, especially after a Hawaii win.

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