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Utah Hopes to Come Up Roses Against UCLA

Utah travels to the Rose Bowl to try to even up their Pac-12 record at 1-1.

Utah junior quarterback Travis Wilson leads his 3-1 Utes into the Rose Bowl to take on undefeated UCLA.
Utah junior quarterback Travis Wilson leads his 3-1 Utes into the Rose Bowl to take on undefeated UCLA.
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

The UCLA pass rush has produced just four sacks in four games, and while the Bruins won 62-27 in the dessert of Tempe, Ariz. last Saturday, their defense gave up 626 yards to the losing Sun Devils. Arizona State also amassed 488 yards passing. That is the kind of defense an ailing Utah offense needs to get well in a hurry.

The biggest thing in this game, other than containing Brett Hundley, is for Utah to remain focused, and not shoot themselves in the foot - see WSU game from last week. If Utah plays 60-minutes of smart, clean football they will be in a good position to win this game. The offense really needs to bounce back, including Travis Wilson and the wide receiving corps. Wilson needs to be able to stand tall in the pocket, meaning the o-line needs to hold back the likes of Myles Jack. If Wilson has time, and the wide outs are catching the ball tonight, then Utah's offense will be able to take advantage of a defense that is liable to give up yards.

Defensively, Utah's front four, with the help of the linebackers, need to get into the backfield and not let Hundley get comfortable. UCLA's offensive line has been shaky this year, and if Utah can capitalize on getting some pressure, then turnovers will be had, and the offense will have opportunities created by the defense.

This is a winnable game, even if some fans out there don't believe so, and the biggest thing for Utah tonight is what's happening between the ears.

Join the conversation as the game happens, and thanks for joining our open thread for the matchup with the UCLA Bruins!

Check out our friends over at Bruins Nation for the UCLA side of things!