Oklahoma football dominated FAU in its season opener. UCLA lost to Cincinnati at home to start the year. Does UCLA have any chance at any upset?
In the season-opening showdown against Florida Atlantic, Oklahoma looked even stronger than last year’s Big 12 champions and College Football Playoff semifinalists. The Sooners rendered what looked like a possible upset threat into an utter mismatch. Oklahoma’s defense piled up 650 yards of offense and scored pretty much at will.
Kyler Murray finished 9-of-11 for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Rodney Anderson led the way on the ground with 100 yards and two rushing touchdowns on just five carries. Trey Sermon added 69 yards and a running score. Oklahoma’s defense gave up 324 yards and forced one turnover as the Sooners ran away with the win at home.
UCLA did not have nearly as good an opening weekend to the 2018 season. In Chip Kelly’s first game as the head coach of the Bruins, Cincinnati came to the Rose Bowl and downed their hosts 26-17. UCLA’s defense gave up three rushing touchdowns to Michael Warren II, as the Bearcats claimed a statement victory against a Power Five opponent.
Part of UCLA’s troubles stemmed from a back injury to starting quarterback Wilton Speight. The Michigan graduate transfer is day-to-day for the trip to Oklahoma, and it is likelier that Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Devon Modster are going to get the start for the Bruins.
Can UCLA actually take down Oklahoma in Norman given the way the two teams looked in their first performances of the year? Here’s how you can watch the Saturday showdown between Oklahoma and UCLA:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 8
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Norman, Okla.
Venue: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go | FuboTV
Keys to Victory
To beat the Bruins on Saturday, Oklahoma needs to keep doing exactly what they did against Florida Atlantic. The Sooners will look for big days on the ground from Rodney Anderson and Trey Sermon, and they need Kyler Murray to keep playing efficiently as Baker Mayfield’s successor. And the defense needs to force UCLA into passing situations as much as possible to increase the likelihood of turnovers.
For UCLA to actually take down the Sooners in Norman, they will need whoever starts at quarterback to have an explosive day. Chip Kelly needs to call the perfect game to exploit whatever what few weaknesses might exist in the Oklahoma defense. And the Bruins defense needs to win the turnover battle and increase the number of opportunities that their teammates on offense get with the football.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Point Spread: Oklahoma -30
Over/Under: 64
Prediction
All the cards would have to align for UCLA to come even within single digits of beating Oklahoma on Saturday. The Sooners are humming on all cylinders at this juncture, and it would probably be a bigger upset if the Bruins beat Oklahoma than a win by Florida Atlantic would have been in Week 1. The betting lines are rather large in the point spread and low in the over/under. UCLA will just barely cover the spread, and they will pass the total points line with ease.
Final Score: Oklahoma 52, UCLA 24