UCLA vs Utah
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Rose Bowl
TV/radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/790 AM
Records: UCLA 0-0, Utah 0-0
Line: Utah by 5½ points
Notable injuries
UCLA: OUT: WR Rico Flores Jr. (torn ACL, estimated return: October), DL Robert James III (undisclosed, season ending), DL Tyler Partlow (undisclosed); QUESTIONABLE: WR Carter Shaw (labrum), DL Nico Davillier (personal reasons);
Utah: N/A (Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters that a few players could be out, but did not specify who).
What’s at stake? Fresh starts to new eras are vital to both programs. UCLA and Nico Iamaleava will have the college football world watching Week 1 action at the Rose Bowl, as the Bruins’ redshirt sophomore quarterback tries to put up the results to back up the media attention. Utah, on the other hand, introduces new offensive coordinator Jason Beck and transfer quarterback Devon Dampier, both of whom come from New Mexico after finishing 12th in points in the nation (first in the Mountain West). Arguably, after DeShaun Foster said, “If you win games, you’re marketed,” when talking about decreased media access ahead of the season opener, UCLA might have to live up to its promise before the potential hurt of ranked Big Ten programs begins. As Southern California News Group columnist Mirjam Swanson put it earlier this week, “What are we expecting from Season 2 of the DeShaun Foster era? At this point, it’s truly hard to say. But I’ll tell you what, it better be good.”
Who’s better? It’s a true toss-up with so many unknowns known about Utah and UCLA – both programs tight-lipped during the preseason – but the slight edge goes to the Utes. While Iamaleava is likely the better quarterback than Dampier and UCLA has flashier skill players than Utah, one cannot doubt the power of the Utes’ offensive line. Long the calling card of Utah, tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu return as potential first-round selections in next year’s NFL draft. UCLA’s front four brings back Gary Smith III and Keanu Williams from season-ending injuries a year ago, but there are plenty of unknowns on the edge with transfers Anthony Jones and Kechaun Bennett joining the Bruins. If UCLA fails to penetrate the Utah offensive line, Dampier will have plenty of time to flex his dual-threat skill set and make plays with or without his wide receiver corps.
Matchup to watch: Dampier against the UCLA secondary. Who knows who suits up at the defensive back slots? Two of Croix Stewart, Scooter Jackson and Key Lawrence will start at safety, but at cornerback, the Bruins have plenty of transfers ready to earn a starting spot in the weeks ahead. The safe route would have been to point out the UCLA defensive line against the Utah offensive line – which is still vital for the Bruins to achieve success against the Utes – but if the secondary becomes better than a weakness like it has been in years past, then UCLA can be a true threat on both sides of the field.
UCLA wins if: Iamaleava has his debut star turn and UCLA can get to Dampier behind the line of scrimmage. The Tennessee transfer quarterback spoke Wednesday about his excitement over playing in the Rose Bowl in front of his entire family. If he can lead the Bruins to a Week 1 victory, then UCLA and Foster can dare to dream about what could be in 2025. Even if Iamaleava revitalizes a UCLA offense, Smith and Williams will have to recreate the presence of Jay Toia and create pressure on the likes of Fano, Lomu and guard Tanoa Togiai to make things uncomfortable for the Utes.
Prediction: Utah 34, UCLA 31. The Bruins are more than capable of winning and starting the Iamaleava era with a splash. But it’s hard to see UCLA push into the backfield without week-to-week evidence of being able to recreate the success it had a year ago.