UCLA football: Way-too-early game-by-game predictions for 2023

Chip Kelly has done a really impressive job with UCLA football in his five years as head coach. Don’t let that overall 27-29 record fool you, the Bruins have gotten better each season under Kelly, and his 20-12 record over the past three seasons and 17-8 record over the past two is a sign of things to come, in my opinion.

Heading into the 2023 season, Kelly and the Bruins are facing some changes at quarterback as Dorian Thompson-Robinson is gone, but five-star Dante Moore is coming in.

This coming season could be a special one for the Bruins. Here’s how I think they’ll finish.

Coastal Carolina lost Jamey Chadwell who decided to take the head coaching job at Liberty and left a program that was becoming one of the best in the Group of Five. We may see the Chanticleers take a bit of a step back this season even with Grayson McCall returning.

I expect UCLA and Coastal Carolina to have a shootout early, but the Bruins will run away with this one in the second half, leaving no doubt.

Prediction: Win (1-0)

Brady Hoke is in his second stint as head coach of San Diego State and he has already had more success than his first. He finished 2021 with 12 wins and was one of the best Group of Five coaches in the country but the Aztecs took a couple of steps back in 2022 and won seven games.

I think they’ll be somewhere in the middle this year (maybe 8-9 wins) but UCLA should be able to avoid a road upset.

Prediction: Win (2-0)