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UCLA Football: 3 teams the Bruins will blow out in 2021

By Connor Muldowney

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 12: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins enters the stadium prior to a game against the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl on December 12, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 12: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins enters the stadium prior to a game against the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl on December 12, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Chip Kelly is entering an important season with UCLA football.

After taking over a few years ago, the former legendary Oregon coach has gone 10-21 but he did go 3-4 last season with each loss coming by less than five points. Believe it or not, the sub-.500 season can be considered progress because the Bruins were a few plays away from a 7-0 campaign or even 6-1 or 5-2.

The Bruins bring back one of the better quarterbacks in the Pac-12 in Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but there are still some question marks on both sides of the ball.

If 2020 was truly a momentum-changer for Kelly and the Bruins, however, we should see some blowouts favoring UCLA in 2021.

Who will the Bruins handle with ease this season?

Note: I only opted to choose one non-conference opponent.

While I think UCLA could handle Fresno State as well, Hawaii is clearly the lesser of the two Mountain West teams heading into the 2021 season.

Hawaii may have finished 5-4 last season while Fresno State was just 3-3 and the Rainbow Warriors even beat the Bulldogs in the season opener, the latter has one above-average aspect to their game. Fresno State has a really good offense which returns key pieces while Hawaii had the No. 76 offense and No. 68 defense in the country a year ago.

Plus, the Rainbow Warriors will have to travel to Los Angeles for this season-opening matchup and the Bruins have seen their head coach before as Todd Graham was Arizona State’s coach not long ago.

Familiarity with the system he runs as well as the fact that the Rainbow Warriors do a lot of things at an average level and not necessarily “well” will prove to be deciders in this one.

UCLA will record a confidence-boosting blowout to start the year.

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