UCLA football not feeling any added pressure going into critical Utah matchup

With the Pac-12 South on the line, it’s just another week for Chip Kelly and the Bruins.

The coach of UCLA football (4-5, 4-2 Pac-12) said he and his team are not feeling any added pressure heading into a pivotal matchup against Pac-12 South leader No. 8 Utah on Saturday.

“I think every game we play is the biggest game we’ve played,” Kelly said. “That’s the way we’ve always approached it.”

The Bruins have rattled off three straight victories and are sitting in third place in the South standings, but they need a win over the Utes this weekend to keep their conference championship hopes alive given that they trail Utah by a game in the loss column.

However, redshirt senior linebacker Josh Woods said the players have done a good job at staying focused on each week individually, and added that the team doesn’t view Saturday as a do-or-die situation.

“You just never be too high or too low – always just steady, even-headed,” Woods said. “You can’t be too affected by the wins or the losses, so just keeping a level head and just attacking play by play, game by game – not looking ahead.”

Sophomore defensive back Stephan Blaylock said while the team is locked in and feeling confident, the players are still taking time to appreciate the process that went into getting them back to this point following a 1-5 start to the season.

“(Our confidence level is) real high,” Blaylock said. “We started off poorly and now we’re up there, but like I said earlier, we’re just living in the moment.”

Kelly said the most important thing this week will be the team’s preparation. He also emphasized that good practices typically translate to better performances on game days, and his players have done a good job maintaining that mindset throughout the season.

“This group has always practiced really well, so they understand how important it is,” Kelly said. “And this is a game unlike other games – baseball plays 162, basketball’s got an 82-game (schedule). In football, you get one shot a week for 12 weeks.”

The supposed hard work in practice has translated to increased production for the UCLA defense, as the unit has allowed 16 or fewer points in two of its last three outings – a feat the Bruins failed to accomplish in each of their first six games.

Woods said the defensive game plan hasn’t changed over the course of the season, but added that players have gotten more comfortable as they’ve gained confidence.

“Our preparation has led to better execution because we’re running the same plays we’ve been running since when (we) first got here on day one,” Woods said. “Nothing has really changed, other than I think we’re just dialed in and practicing hard.”

Injury updates

Kelly did not rule out the possible returns of junior defensive back Quentin Lake and sophomore defensive lineman Elijah Wade this season, but wasn’t able to give much more than that.

Lake – who has been out since Sept. 14 with a hand injury – practiced on Monday, but Kelly said he is still limited. Lake had 14 tackles in three games this season before going down with the injury.

Wade was also on the practice field Monday, but Kelly did not have an exact timetable for him, either. Wade has been out with an undisclosed injury since Sept. 21.