A non-conference matchup out west brings together a couple of the better 1-1 teams in the nation. The UCLA Bruins travel to battle the BYU Cougars Saturday night. The game kicks off at 10:15 pm ET from LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. National television coverage for the game is provided by ESPN2. The odds for this week 3 matchup currently show UCLA as a 3.5 point favorite with the over/under set at 49 points in this contest.
UCLA bounced back from their season opening overtime loss to Texas A&M. The Bruins put away UNLV by a 42-21 score at home last week. BYU had plenty of chances in the latest chapter of the Holy War but ended up a 20-19 loser to Utah last week. This is the 12th all-time meeting between the two schools. UCLA holds an 8-3 advantage in the series. The Bruins took the last meeting, 24-23, in Pasadena last year.
UCLA used a solid run game to batter UNLV into submission in the first half. After a 28-7 lead shrunk to 28-21 entering the fourth quarter, the Bruins put the game away with two more rushing scores. All told, UCLA put five of their six touchdowns on the board via the ground game. The Bruins held a 499-328 edge in total yards in the game. UCLA forced two turnovers while committing one giveaway. The Bruins held a 30-18 advantage in first downs and won the time of possession battle by a 33:38 to 26:22 margin in the contest. Taking pressure off quarterback Josh Rosen was a smart move by coach Jim Mora Jr.
The Bruins do the majority of their damage in the passing game: they average 311.5 yards per game through the air compared to 172 on the ground. Rosen, a second year starter as a sophomore, is 49 of 84 passing for 610 yards. The issue is that he has two touchdown passes and three interceptions. Soso Jamabo is the leader in the ground game with 34 carries for 181 yards and three scores. Brandon Stephens (11 carries, 71 yards) and Bolu Olorunfunmi (14 carries, 68 yards, 2 TD) also contribute on the ground. Rosen spreads the ball around: sixteen different players have at least one catch for UCLA. Kenneth Walker III (team high 122 yards, TD) and Eldridge Massington (76 yards) lead the team with seven receptions. JJ Molson is 6 of 6 on extra points and 3 of 4 on field goals with a long of 38 yards.
BYU had multiple opportunities to take care of business against the Utes in a sloppy game by both sides. The Cougars forced six turnovers in the contest but came up a one point loser. BYU committed three turnovers in the game, including a pick six in the second quarter. Taysom Hill drove BYU down the field for a touchdown with 18 seconds left to make it a one point game. The Cougars made the decision to try and go for two for the win. Hill tried a quarterback draw but the play was snuffed out and stuffed. The heartbreaking loss was partially due to failure to capitalize on turnovers. Two BYU drives started inside the Utah 40 but the Cougars settled for field goals.
The Cougars have to jump start an offense that averages 371.5 yards of offense and 18.5 points a game so far. Hill is 42 of 68 passing for 378 yards with just one touchdown against three interceptions. He has added 124 rushing yards and two scores. Jamal Williams, who missed all of last season with personal issues, leads the team with 41 carries for 220 yards. Jonah Trinnaman (76 yards) and Mitchell Juergens (52 yards) each have eight catches to lead the Cougars. BYU needs to average more than nine yards per reception to force teams to respect the pass. Jake Oldroyd hit his lone extra point and all three field goal attempts with a long of 43 yards. He kicked the game winning in the final seconds to beat Arizona in the opener.
BYU’s offense has held the Cougars back: they could easily be 2-0 with a little more production. By the same token, if it wasn’t for BYU’s defense, the Cougars could be winless. UCLA made things happen on the ground against UNLV after Rosen tossed three picks against Texas A&M. The Bruins chose to lighten his load and it paid dividends. The two teams played a one point game last season in Pasadena. Given BYU’s performances this year, that seems about right. Take the points and the Cougars at home here. For more week 3 picks, click here to get our up to date selections!
BYU is 4-0 ATS in their last four at home and 5-1 ATS in their last six in September. UCLA is 0-4 ATS in their last four overall and 0-6 ATS in their last six on grass.