UCLA Football: Post-spring game-by-game predictions for 2019

NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Bruins 49-21. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The game against the Stanford Cardinal may be even closer this season than it was in 2018. Last year, the Cardinal edged out the Bruins 49-42 in an intense battle in Los Angeles. UCLA was playing its last game of Chip Kelly’s inaugural season and it was truly leaving it all out on the field. Stanford was limping to victory since many of their best players were dealing with injuries.

Star running back Bryce Love was one of those players who dealt with a lower body injury for much of the 2018 season but he won’t be returning to Stanford this season, nor will the dominant J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.

The success of the Bruins in this game will rest on the health of one Cardinal: KJ Costello. Since the game will be played at Stanford, Costello will be quite comfortable running the offense but he can’t do that if he is sidelined.

Costello will likely be banged up by mid-October and UCLA will be coming off a confidence-building game and a bye week. All of that will be just enough to beat Stanford.

Final: UCLA 41, Stanford 40 (5-2, 3-1)

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