Utah Utes Football: Preview and Prediction For UCLA

Editors Note:  I started a preview and prediction for each Utah game and then got away from it after a series of holidays.  Here are links to the previous five and the preview and prediction for UCLA.

In case you missed them:
Game One: Utah Vs Northern Colorado August 30, 2012
Game Two: Utah at Utah St. September 7, 2012
Game Three: Utah vs BYU September 15, 2012
Game Four: Utah at Arizona St. September 22, 2012
Game Five: Utah vs USC October 4, 2012

Recap of the Season so Far:

So after five games, I have the Utes at 5-0.  Yes this is quite optimistic and it will depend upon a great deal on Utah staying healthy, especially at the quarterback position.  I’d prefer not to see a freshman or God forbid Jon Hays thrown back into the mix.  But if we’re healthy, I expect two games that will be seen as lackluster wins vs UNC and USU.  Then there will be two curb stompings with BYU and Arizona St.  We then get a week off to prepare for USC which will result in a late victory for the Utes.

UCLA or the University of California-Los Angeles is where the state of California chooses to educate it’s most attractive smart people.  If you’re curious really smart ugly people go to Berkley and kind of smart people who are really really ugly go to UC Davis.  I’d make more jokes about UCLA but their last three football coaches have been, Bob Toledo, Karl Dorrell and Rick Neuheisel and making any more fun of them would seem cruel.

So How Will The Game Go:

This game intrigues me as Utah could be ripe for a letdown especially if my USC prediction holds.  UCLA is not without talent.  The question mark, how will Jim Mora translate to the college level.  He’s never coached there and it’s not like he had a stellar record at the NFL level.  But he did come in and show that he just might have a clue.

But here is where the problems begin, UCLA will be installing another new offense.  And it’s not like they have a shining star at QB ready to take the reigns.  In fact, I’d be more upbeat about UCLA if they had a star to say, this guy can carry the load while the team finds its way, but they really don’t.  I think their might be a future here, but its at least a year away.

So I’m guessing the game is close at the half, something like 14-10 and Utah pulls away.

Utah 31 UCLA 14