Gameday predictions: UCLA vs. Texas A&M

The No. 16-ranked UCLA football team kicks off its 2016 season with a road game against Texas A&M on Saturday. The game marks the first time that the Bruins have played a team from the Southeastern Conference since Jim Mora took over as coach in 2012.

The current point spread for this game – according to Westgate, BOVADA.lv and BETONLINE.ag – is 3.5, in favor of Texas A&M. Even though the Aggies are unranked, many are picking them to win because of the unique home-field advantage they have at Kyle Field – known as the 12th man – which seats over 100,000 fans.

In the space below, the Daily Bruin’s beat writers for UCLA football – Matt Cummings, Matthew Joye and TuAnh Dam – provide their predictions of how the game will shake out.

[Read more: Daily Bruin Sports’ Q&A with Texas A&M’s student newspaper]

Matt Cummings’ prediction

UCLA 23, Texas A&M 21

This matchup really hinges on UCLA’s running game. If the Bruins can exploit an Aggie run defense that has been porous in recent years, sophomore quarterback Josh Rosen should be able to find success on play-action. Look for sophomore tailback Soso Jamabo to play a big role if UCLA is going to win.

On the other side of the ball, A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk is the type of shifty but sturdy playmaker reminiscent of Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, and I expect him to produce at least one big play. But the Aggies’ offense and its inexperienced line could struggle to move the ball consistently against the Bruins, and Texas A&M graduate transfer quarterback Trevor Knight is liable to make a bad decision at some point.

[Scouting report: A closer look at the A&M defense]

Matthew Joye’s prediction

UCLA 30, Texas A&M 24

A lot of people have been touting Texas A&M’s pass rush and UCLA’s pass defense heading into this game, but I still think it’s going to be a shootout.

The Bruins will use their three-headed rushing attack of sophomore Soso Jamabo, junior Nate Starks and sophomore Bolu Olorunfunmi to wear down an Aggie defense that ranked 110th in rush defense last year. Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s triumvirate of talented receivers – Kirk, Josh Reynolds and Ricky Seals-Jones – will find a way to get open and make plays against UCLA’s secondary.

In the end, I think this game will come down to UCLA redshirt senior tight end Nate Iese. Not only will he be heavily tasked with chip blocking responsibilities on Texas A&M’s vaunted pass rushers – Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall – but he will also have to keep these pass rushers honest by breaking out into the flat and catching some passes.

If the Bruins can utilize Iese – which they have seldom done in the past – then they will win this game. Based on what I saw in fall camp, it looks like Iese will play a huge role in the team’s new offense this year, so that’s why I’m predicting a win for the Bruins.

[Full game preview: UCLA and a rare SEC matchup to open the season]

TuAnh Dam’s prediction

UCLA 27, Texas A&M 24

Texas A&M is probably the most dangerous unranked opponent out there, and it’ll take a complete game for the Bruins to eke this one out. UCLA quarterback Rosen and Texas A&M quarterback Knight have earned their hype, but key role players will decide who comes out on top this opening weekend.

Last year, Kirk and Garrett powered the unranked Aggies past then-No.15 Arizona State. Kirk is an explosive player who could change the momentum of the game this year, and Garrett will make things uncomfortable for Rosen from the get-go. But redshirt senior left tackle Conor McDermott should provide Rosen and UCLA with enough protection to score a few key touchdowns and silence the raucous crowd at Kyle Field.