Prior to each UCLA football game, the Daily Bruin football beat writers will predict the score, and give a short reasoning behind their prediction.
To keep track of how far off each writer’s predictions are from reality, the “prediction differential” statistic shows the average difference between the writer’s predicted margin of victory and the actual margin of victory in each game.
Kevin Bowman’s prediction
UCLA: 34
Utah: 24
Prediction record: 4-0
Prediction differential: 20.0
The Utes have held opponents to under 20 points per game this season while the Bruins are coming off a 62-point offensive explosion. So who budges? Utah may have one of the Pac-12’s toughest defensive fronts, but UCLA’s offensive line has improved each week and should allow UCLA to run and pass the ball with success. Still, the Utes have enough talent on both sides of the ball to keep things relatively close.
Chris Kalra’s prediction
UCLA: 37
Utah: 24
Prediction record: 4-0
Prediction differential: 19.5
It was a game circled, highlighted and scratched up on the calendar as soon as the schedule came out. Oct. 11, UCLA v. Oregon, at the Rose Bowl. But do the Bruins look up the mountain they will soon have to climb a week too early, and stumble over a potentially dangerous tripping hazard in Utah this Saturday? Factor in UCLA coming off zero week, with practice moved to a 7 a.m. start time and the distractions of school restarting, and expect the Bruins to struggle out of the gate early, but pull away in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Lee’s prediction
UCLA: 41
Utah: 24
Prediction record: 4-0
Prediction differential: 20.8
Brett Hundley and the UCLA offense are rolling right now as the quarterback is completing over 70 percent of his passes on the season, while the Bruins have topped 40 points each of the last two times the redshirt junior has played all four quarters. The key to doing so for a third time will be keeping Hundley upright against a Utah defense that likes to get after the quarterback.
Meanwhile, Utah quarterback Travis Wilson has done a good job taking care of the ball thus far, throwing seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. That figures to change against a UCLA defense that intercepted the junior quarterback six times in Salt Lake a year ago and has been an opportunistic group over the first four games of the season. While Utah has given UCLA problems each of the last two years and the Utes should be playing with an edge after a huge letdown against Washington State last Saturday, the Bruins are more talented on each side of the ball and won’t be looking ahead to next week’s contest against Oregon.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Chris Kalra and Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.