Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Pac-12 South matchup between UCLA and Utah, Daily Bruin Sports talked to Kim Brenneisen, the assistant sports editor at the Daily Utah Chronicle, to get some insight into the Bruins’ upcoming game.
Daily Bruin: How do you think the Utes will respond to their double-overtime loss to Arizona, which essentially dashed all of their College Football Playoff hopes? What’s Utah’s track record in bounce-back games?
Kim Brenneisen: I think they will respond with more vengeance than ever. They have now lost to Arizona four times in a row and you can tell that the players are upset about this. Not many people had high hopes for this season and even though they have eight wins, as many as they had last season, if they drop this game against UCLA, it’s going to be a disappointing season. When they lost to USC, the Utes came back to beat Oregon State, but even then that win was not too convincing. I expected the team to crush the Beavers who are at the bottom of the Pac-12 and honestly, it was a boring game and they let Oregon State hang around for far too long. This season is different, and this game is different from anything the team has experienced. The players know they messed up against Arizona because now they have to rely on USC getting beat if they end up winning the last two. They are going to come out hungry and eager for a win against the Bruins and, thankfully for them, the game is home.
DB: The obvious key matchup in this game is UCLA’s subpar run defense against Utah’s strong rushing offense. But if UCLA stacks the box to take out the Utah running game, does quarterback Travis Wilson have the ability to win the game on his own?
KB: Travis Wilson is always a big question. He’s one of those players who, if he’s performing well, then everyone is happy, but they’re still wary. No one is criticizing his performance right now, but when he does not perform well and is throwing picks, it is really hard for him to gain that confidence back. I think he does have it in him to win a game when it comes down to it, but that’s more because of the stellar receiving corps he has. Wide receiver Britain Covey is a big time playmaker and so is wide receiver Kenneth Scott. Scott has been pretty quiet this season, but he is a playmaker. Whether it is drawing a flag on the defense or grabbing a tightly contested ball, he comes up in the clutch. Wilson can win this game if he is performing up to the fans’ standards for most of the game. He has to have a consistent, clean three quarters if he is going to have any momentum when it comes down to the wire.
DB: UCLA’s run defense has been particularly weak against read-option offenses this year. How often does Utah run the read-option?
KB: Not very often because even though coach Kyle Whittingham will say the team has complete trust in Wilson, they really don’t. Wilson does not really have it in him to make a lot of quick decisions and the team likes to have everything planned out. I think Wilson is able to do it well from time to time, but this should not be an issue for the Bruins. Also, Wilson seems to be a very easy guy to read. I don’t see the UCLA defense having any problem figuring out what he is doing if they do go with the read-option.
DB: UCLA has one of the best running backs in the Pac-12 – redshirt junior Paul Perkins – and Utah has the Pac-12’s best run defense. Who do you think will get the upper hand in Saturday’s matchup – Perkins or Utah’s front seven?
KB: Utah’s front seven failed to show up against Arizona. Linebackers Jared Norris and Gionni Paul essentially got nothing going against the Wildcats and because of the entire defense’s poor performance, they want to reassure everyone the defense is why Utah wins games. Also against the Wildcats they did a decent job against the run, but all in all the defense did not play up to its standards and each player is eager to make a statement. I think Perkins will be able to find a few holes and gaps to run through early on and then Utah will figure out how to put a stop to him. I see Perkins having a big first half and then the Utah defense cleaning up its game for the second half.
DB: While Utah’s rush defense is atop the Pac-12, its pass defense ranks ninth. Why is that, and do you think UCLA freshman quarterback Josh Rosen will have a big game?
KB: Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon was able to do whatever he wanted against Utah. He escaped several tackles and potential sacks and the Utah pass rush had no answer for him. I think opposing offenses realize that when this Utah defense is rolling they can rack up several sacks. Last year the team’s nickname was “Sack Lake City” because of the team’s prolific pass rush. Other teams were put on notice and you can see that other quarterbacks are working on getting the ball out faster. Rosen will be able to to do the same. He’s a smart passer and is not going to let anyone get to him. I do think the defense is going to work hard to correct what they did wrong last week, but it’s still not going to be perfect.
DB: What will be the pivotal factor in this game, and what is your final score prediction?
KB: I think it comes down to who wants the Pac-12 South more and who is going to fight harder for it. Both teams have a shot, but if either lets off the tiniest bit, the other team is going to take full advantage. For the Utes, running back Devontae Booker needs to be healthy. He was not himself against the Wildcats and needs to get back on track. [Editor’s Note: There have since been reports that Booker will undergo season-ending surgery on his meniscus.] For the Bruins, I think the entire offense needs to be hitting on all cylinders. This is going to be a shoot-out and will be a high scoring affair and it will be up to the offenses of each team to find ways to score. I see Utah winning this game 45-42.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.