The time has come for UCLA to take the next step under coach Jim Mora. The head guy is entering his fifth year, the hotshot quarterback is no longer a rookie and the pool of available talent is deep. Success defined Mora’s first four seasons. The Bruins had never won nine or more games three straight years, and only once before put together back-to-back years of 10 wins. Mora accomplished both in his first three seasons. However, the team regressed to eight wins last season.
UCLA Bruins Regular Season Win Total Odds at BookMaker.eu
Bruins Over 8.5 Wins +100
Bruins Under 8.5 Wins -120
2015 UCLA BRUINS SEASON REVIEW
Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen didn’t carry UCLA to the Promised Land in 2015. He did, however, guide an oft-injured Bruins team to an 8-5 campaign that came within one win of a Pac-12 South title.
From the moment he earned the starting job, Rosen was the story of UCLA football and it didn’t take long for him to strut his stuff. His three touchdown performance in the season-opening win over Virginia impressed everyone. The Bruins won their first four games, including victories over ranked opponents BYU and Arizona.
Needing a win over cross-town rival USC in the finale to clinch the South and a trip to the conference championship game, the Bruins were humbled, losing for the first time to the Trojans under Mora. A loss two weeks earlier at home to Washington State may have hurt even more. Along with its loss to Nebraska in the Foster Farms Bowl, UCLA ended the year dropping three of its final four games.
WHAT CHANGED
Building on Rosen’s success won’t be a straightforward process as the Bruins will face a number of changes. The biggest difference will be on the coaching staff. Kennedy Polamalu is the new offensive coordinator, taking over for Noel Mazzone, and Marques Tuiasosopo returns to Westwood as the quarterback coach.
Expectations have to be tempered somewhat by the number of departures, but a year of experience for Rosen and the emerging talent surrounding him are encouraging. The South appears to be wide open with none of the six teams stand out as a favorite. Turnover on both sides of the ball and special teams leave questions after a disappointing end to 2015. However, Mora and his staff excelled on the recruiting trail in recent years, so there’s no shortage of talent ready to step in.
2016 UCLA BRUINS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Sep. 3: at Texas AM
Sep. 10: vs. UNLV
Sep. 17: at BYU
Sep. 24: vs. Stanford
Oct. 1: vs. Arizona
Oct. 8: at Arizona State
Oct. 15: at Washington State
Oct. 22: vs. Utah
Nov. 3: at Colorado
Nov. 12: vs. Oregon State
Nov. 19: vs. USC
Nov. 26: at California
2016 UCLA BRUINS SEASON PREVIEW
As a rookie, Rosen fulfilled every expectation that comes with a five-star blue-chipper. He started every game throwing for 3,668 yards and 23 touchdowns to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Now that he has a solid season under his belt, this is going to be his offense. The physical gifts are obvious, namely a right arm that’ll be completing passes on Sunday’s in two years.
There are questions, of course. The losses on defense were significant, specifically Kenny Clark and Myles Jack. Sophomore Soso Jamabo is also the favorite to replace Paul Perkins at running back after averaging six yards per carry last year in a part-time role.
After winning eight games a season ago with injuries and a stumble down the stretch, can the Bruins tack on one more victory this year to cover the over for their season with total projection? It won’t be easy in the brutal Pac-12, but the schedule is favorable with both Oregon and Washington off the docket this year.
The Bruins get Stanford, Arizona, Utah and USC at home this season, plus they have three very winnable games versus UNLV, Colorado and Oregon State. UCLA can often be unpredictable under Mora, but if Rosen takes a leap in his development then the Bruins could easily reach double figures.
College Football Odds: UCLA Bruins Over 8.5 Wins
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