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College Football 2021: 3 teams that will be on upset alert in Week 9

By Sonny Martinez

Sep 25, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Sam Marrazzo (64) hoists up quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Sam Marrazzo (64) hoists up quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /
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Utah running back Tavion Thomas (9) looks to Oregon State fans after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of the game at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.Football Utah At Osu 3266
Utah running back Tavion Thomas (9) looks to Oregon State fans after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of the game at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.Football Utah At Osu 3266 /

3. Utah (vs. UCLA)

One of the Pac-12’s biggest surprises will take one of the Pac-12’s biggest disappointments. Utah was a dark horse College Football Playoff contender while UCLA was supposed to limp to bowl eligibility. Heading into the last week of October, the two have nearly identical records.

This is a western showdown that, unlike San Diego State vs. Fresno State, this game should have plenty of points. Both teams average over 400 yards of offense while both defenses surrender over 365 yards per game.

UCLA is an excellent run team, averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground. Utah has struggled at times defending it, notably giving up 231 to BYU early in the season and 260 to Oregon State. UCLA’s running is somewhere in between BYU and Oregon State.

It’s not unreasonable to think that the Bruins could have the best output of the season against the Utes offense behind a three-headed monster of Brittain Brown, Zach Charbonnet, and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, the status of DTR is still up in the air. If he’s unavailable, freshman Ethan Garbers, brother of Cal quarterback Chase Garbers, will start. That will no doubt hinder UCLA’s running ability, but they should still have plenty of success against a young Utah defensive line.

The chances of an upset are much greater if Thompson-Robinson plays. Even if he doesn’t, it might be a long day for the Utah defense.

An underrated storyline to watch: former UCLA receiver Theo Howard, now a Ute, faces his former team for the first time. Howard left UCLA to join Oklahoma last season but transferred to Utah.

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