Battle of the Editors: Predictions for UCLA football’s upcoming season

This post was updated Nov. 1 at 8:40 p.m.

With the return of UCLA football Nov. 7 at Colorado, the Daily Bruin Sports editors each made one bold prediction for the Bruins’ 2020 season – from bounce back years to canceled games.

UCLA finishes with a top-60 defense in the nation
Jack Perez, Sports editor

It would be hard for the Bruins to be worse on the defensive side of the ball in 2020 than they were in 2019.

Defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro’s unit finished 117th in points allowed per game out of 130 teams in the country, 112th in total yards allowed per game and 129th in passing yards per game. UCLA did finish a respectable 52nd in rushing yards per game allowed, but that is – in part – because of how easily teams were throwing the ball against it.

When a team is that close to the bottom, the only way is up.

The Bruins will not just be hoping for a regression to the mean in order to improve. Coach Chip Kelly hired Brian Norwood from Navy to take over as defensive backs coach. Players rave about the energy he brings to practice every day.

More importantly, he also brings a new defensive scheme. Norwood brought over the 4-2-5 formation he utilized at Navy to try to give UCLA some more help in the passing game. Navy finished 38th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game, and if Norwood can help turn around the Bruin defense, the unit will finish in the top-60 for 2020.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson leads the conference in touchdowns and interceptions
Jon Christon, assistant Sports editor

With a mass exodus of the top quarterbacks in the conference, Dorian Thompson-Robinson becomes the most experienced signal-caller in the Pac-12.

With this title, some lofty expectations will be placed on the junior quarterback’s shoulders.

And he will live up to them, for the most part.

A year ago, Thompson-Robinson struggled with injuries but still managed to throw 21 touchdowns, good for sixth in the conference. With the exception of USC’s Kedon Slovis, all of the players ahead of Thompson-Robinson are now out of the Pac-12.

Thompson-Robinson also finished with 12 picks, second in the conference behind Washington State’s Anthony Gordon, who also led the conference in touchdowns in part a result of the Cougars’ Air Raid offense.

But with former Washington State coach – and pioneer of the Air Raid offense – Mike Leach now in the SEC, a new team will emerge as the conference’s premier passing attack, and now is as good of a time as any for Kelly to open up his playbook.

Last year’s leading rusher – Joshua Kelley – is now in the NFL, so Kelly will be forced to use Thompson-Robinson more in the passing game, both to the team’s success and detriment.

With only a seven-game schedule, Thompson-Robinson likely won’t top his totals from a year ago, but his per-game touchdown and interception numbers will climb.

If his suspect ball security remains, DTR will take home the crown in both.

Demetric Felton leads the conference in yards from scrimmage
Michael Waldman, assistant Sports editor

The Bruins’ backfield is more than a thousand yards emptier in 2020.

But in a year unlike any other, it seems fitting that a former wide receiver would lead the Pac-12 in yards from scrimmage.

Redshirt senior running back Demetric Felton is primed for a huge season following the departure of running back Joshua Kelley, and his primary role in Coach Chip Kelly’s offense is a recipe for success.

Last season, even with Kelley getting the most touches on offense, Felton demonstrated his receiving abilities out of the backfield, setting the UCLA record for most receptions in a season as a running back with 55.

Kelly has maximized versatile backs like Felton before, like Oregon running back LaMichael James – who led the conference in yards from scrimmage in 2010 and 2011 – and repeating that feat with Felton in the coach’s third year in Westwood is not out of the question.

The Temecula, California, athlete averaged just 3.8 yards per carry last season, but he has a penchant for making the big play – Felton set a program-record with four scores of over 75 yards last season.

The absence of Kelley, an increased workload and a third season for Thompson-Robinson will allow the redshirt senior to see a lot of green grass this season.

UCLA finishes the season with a winning record
Kyle Boal, assistant Sports editor

If a coach plans to keep their job, getting to .500 is nothing short of required and usually demarcates a bowl-bound team.

The Bruins haven’t reached that mark in four years. The last time came in 2015, with an 8-5 finish and an eight-point bowl game loss to Nebraska.

But things are different this year, namely in the number of games played.

UCLA plays six known conference games this season and played five of its six opponents last season – defeating two of them and coming within a field goal of another.

UCLA opens with two winnable games – the first against Colorado, a team they beat last year, and the next against a Utah team that had to replace its quarterback, running back and nine defensive starters.

Perhaps beating No. 14 Oregon is a long shot, but UCLA can keep it competitive against both Arizona and Arizona State. UCLA missed a game-tying field goal against Arizona last season to lose 20-17, and pummeled Arizona State 42-10 going into the fourth quarter before securing a win.

The Bruins end their season versus their crosstown rivals in a game that could go either way on any given year. If UCLA comes in with some momentum, an upset of No. 21 USC is possible.

Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is in his third year with the system, and the team is littered with potential. If the Bruins play their cards right, this could be the most promising UCLA football season in a while.

Fewer than seven games played because of COVID-19 outbreak
Taiyo Keilin, assistant Sports editor

I’ll be the first to admit that football is not my forte. So my bold take won’t be related to any Bruins’ on-field, Pac-12-leading performances.

Instead, I will look at the season as a whole, and why it would not be surprising if at least one Pac-12 team plays fewer than the proposed seven games.

Looking specifically at UCLA’s schedule, the away fixtures raise some questions.

UCLA opens its season in a week against Colorado, in a state that had 559 new cases of COVID-19 on the day the Pac-12 announced the return of football. That number has been steadily increasing since and reached well over 2,000 on Friday.

UCLA is scheduled to take on Arizona State on Dec. 5 in Tempe. In Arizona, the seven-day COVID-19 case average has gone up more than 60% from 717 to 1,170 since the announcement Sept. 24.

COVID-19 cases are still on the rise and even regularly tested college football programs across the nation are experiencing positive tests.

Wisconsin, for example, has 16 cases within its team – including its starting and backup quarterbacks – and is wondering if and when it will be able to restart practices and return to scheduled games. Even if the Badgers do get back on the gridiron, the team would have spent a minimum of a week off from in-person football activities. To thrust the student-athletes back into game action after a week away from the field is dangerous and irresponsible.

With the Pac-12 already being delayed and not much time between the start of the season and bowl games, don’t be shocked if come mid-December, there are teams whose wins and losses don’t add up to seven.