Wolf Pack vs Bruins NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
When Jim Mora took over the UCLA football program in 2012, the team was in flux following the departure of Rick Neuheisel. Inconsistency had plagued the group for a number of years, but in his first season on board, Mora got the team to the Pac-12 championship and won nine games along the way.
Nevada (0-0) @ UCLA (0-0)
Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013, 10:00 PM ET @ Rose Bowl
Moneyline: N/A
Spread: UCLA -21
O/U: 66
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In 2013, the Bruins will look to keep momentum going with a season opener against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada went 7-6 last season, and it will be replacing head coach Chris Ault with Brian Polian.
Nevada
Following the loss of Ault (and gain of Polian), Nevada enters the year with eight straight bowl games under its belt. A big reason for that is its explosive offense.
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It has a top-notch dual-threat quarterback in Cody Fajardo, who tossed for 2,786 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2012. On the ground, he compiled better than 1,000 yards and 12 scores.
On the year, the Wolf Pack scored 37.8 points per game, which was good enough for 18th in the nation. As good as Fajardo can be at times through the air, his ground attack out of the pistol will test UCLA as well. Nevada was seventh in the nation last season when it came to rushing yards (271 YPG), and with the offense expected to remain pistol heavy, a good game out of the gate will set the quarterback up for another solid year.
If the Wolf Pack are smart, they’ll find a balance between the pass and the run, specifically because of UCLA’s secondary. All four starters are new on that part of the Bruins’ roster, and while Nevada will want to run, keeping the new guys honest will be crucial when it comes to finding success. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
UCLA
The lack of experience in UCLA’s secondary makes it easy to believe Nevada will score points. A shaky start could result in some big plays from the Wolf Pack, but the Bruins have strengths in other areas that should make up the difference.
Nevada, as much as it will want to run, will have trouble when it comes to UCLA’s defensive line. That’s why the Bruins must be ready for the experienced receiving core of the Wolf Pack to target the new guys in the secondary.
On offense, quarterback Brett Hundley should have little to no problems in this one. He was better than solid in 2012, and he’ll look to start his breakout season with success against a team that gave up 33.8 points per contest in 2012—102nd in the nation.
Even if the Bruins’ secondary gives up some big plays, Hundley and crew should be able to make those same plays right back. Nevada’s secondary will struggle in this one, and with Jonathan Franklin out of the picture, expect UCLA to really attack through the air.
Expect a lot of points to be scored, as both teams are known for their offenses. UCLA was a middle-of-the-pack team last year defensively (27.6 points per game allowed), and both quarterbacks should be the stars of the show.
But while points should go on the board all game long, expect UCLA to come out on top comfortably. It has more talent and more depth entering the year, and those are two things that will challenge Nevada from the opening kickoff.
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: UCLA 45 – Nevada 24
