Through 3 Quarters
Only one more quarter stands between the Utah Utes and the win they were favored to collect going into this night. Three quarters in and their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the UCLA Bruins 35-17.
RB Tavion Thomas has led the way so far for Utah, as he has rushed for three TDs and 117 yards on 19 carries.
UCLA has enjoyed the tag-team combination of RB Zach Charbonnet and QB Ethan Garbers. The former has punched in one rushing touchdown, while the latter has passed for one TD and 175 yards on 28 attempts in addition to picking up 36 yards on the ground.
This is the most points the Utes have had yet this year going into the fourth quarter.
Who’s Playing
UCLA @ Utah
Current Records: UCLA 5-3; Utah 4-3
What to Know
The UCLA Bruins have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Utah Utes and are hoping to record their first win since Nov. 21 of 2015. UCLA and Utah will face off in a Pac-12 battle at 10 p.m. ET Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W.’
The Bruins lost a heartbreaker to the Oregon Ducks when they met last November, and they left with a heavy heart again last week. It was close but no cigar for UCLA as they fell 34-31 to Oregon. UCLA was up 14 to nothing at the end of the first quarter but couldn’t hold on to the lead. No one had a standout game offensively for UCLA, but they got scores from RB Brittain Brown and RB Kazmeir Allen. Brown hadn’t helped his team much against the Washington Huskies two weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.
Meanwhile, the Utes came up short against the Oregon State Beavers last week, falling 42-34. A silver lining for Utah was the play of QB Cameron Rising, who passed for two TDs and 267 yards on 36 attempts in addition to picking up 73 yards on the ground.
UCLA is expected to lose this next one by 6.5. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the squad has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
UCLA is now 5-3 while Utah sits at 4-3. A couple defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: The Bruins are 220th worst in the nation in passing yards allowed per game, with 290.1 on average. The Utes have experienced some passing struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the matchup with the 181st most passing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up ten on the season. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 10 p.m. ET
- Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium — Salt Lake City, Utah
- TV: ESPN
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $29.41
Odds
The Utes are a solid 6.5-point favorite against the Bruins, according to the latest college football odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Utes, as the game opened with the Utes as a 5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -109
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Series History
Utah have won four out of their last five games against UCLA.
- Nov 16, 2019 – Utah 49 vs. UCLA 3
- Oct 26, 2018 – Utah 41 vs. UCLA 10
- Nov 03, 2017 – Utah 48 vs. UCLA 17
- Oct 22, 2016 – Utah 52 vs. UCLA 45
- Nov 21, 2015 – UCLA 17 vs. Utah 9
