BYU vs UCLA

Yesterday, Tracy Pierson at scout.com wrote an in-depth article about this Saturday's matchup. It's fair and balanced and I recommend you read it if you're interested in such analysis. Click here to read it. His conclusion is posted below for those who just want to cut to the chase.

Prediction

This should be a much closer game than most people are anticipating. It seems many UCLA fans don't consider BYU that formidable of an opponent because the program had been down for a number of years before last season. Well, wake up, people, because the Cougars under Mendenhall are putting together a program that could harken back to their glory years. BYU is far more able to plug in guys and not have a big drop-off from year to year because of how much older its roster is than a typical college team.

This is easily one of the games we thought before the season should be on the list of Games-That-Could-Go-Either-Way. And nothing happened last week in the first week of the season to dispel that.
UCLA does have the home-field advantage, and that could prove to be the deciding edge.

Also, the fact that BYU's defense is a bit weakened by injuries is significant. Taking two projected starters out of the equation has to impact the unit, and it could be enough to give UCLA's developing offense some opportunity. It benefits UCLA that its passing game, which is still getting comfortable, will go up against a secondary with two new starters, and you can bet that UCLA will try to pick on Hodgkiss and Buchanan.

This game is close, and it could very well come down to turnovers, with two defenses being the kind that really make an effort to create turnovers.

The best unit in the game is UCLA's offense line, and it will probably control the game, establish a running game, get Ben Olson some time, and help to keep UCLA's defense off the field.

But it won't be by much.