UCLA football (1-4, 0-3 Big Ten) will have a chance to snap a 336-day losing streak at the Rose Bowl against Minnesota (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday evening. Here are this week’s gameday predictions from Sports editor Ira Gorawara and assistant Sports editors Kai Dizon and Aaron Doyle – along with guest predictions from staff writers Nicole Augusta and Mahika Saoji.
Ira Gorawara
Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 21, Minnesota 17
I wrote a column under a month ago about travel in the Big Ten being an overblown concern.
The jury’s still out on whether UCLA football has hit any travel snags – with scarce proof to support a verdict just yet.
Though I stand by my initial argument – and stand against anyone who insists otherwise – I learned a few days ago that Big Ten teams crossing two or more time zones are 1-8 this season.
Though the sole victory was Indiana’s at the Rose Bowl, the affair was all but gifted to them at the hands of UCLA’s dismal defensive showing and a coaching staff that appeared out of answers. The blame fell squarely on the Bruins’ lackluster effort, not influenced by travel in the slightest.
Minnesota will have traveled nearly 2,000 miles and be contending with a two-hour time difference by kickoff. Things seem primed to make that record 1-9.
By that logic, I guess I’m banking on a UCLA win. But given the way this season has unfurled, it’s more accurate to say a Minnesota loss.
I don’t doubt the Bruins’ potential to compete, particularly against the middling Golden Gophers who rank fifth-worst in the Big Ten. It’s more so UCLA’s lack of hunger that seems entirely amiss.
Playing varsity basketball in high school, my mom constantly harped on the importance of reflecting fire in my eyes. It was about radiating a level of intensity and drive that would make everything else fall into place.
And that encapsulates the Bruins’ biggest flaw – and a paramount cause for a half-empty stadium heading into the third quarter.
Anyway, should the Bruins feel the urgency or not, the Golden Gophers’ travel headaches and nonintimidating rankings will give UCLA its first real shot to exploit a Big Ten rival.
Kai Dizon
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 24, Minnesota 21
Questions loom under center after redshirt sophomore Justyn Martin’s solid showing in Beaver Stadium last weekend.
Martin took care of the football while collecting 167 yards from a 22-for-30 passing performance.
On the other hand, redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers has struggled mightily this season – recording just three touchdown passes to six interceptions.
But Garbers was born out of competition over the starting job.
To begin the 2023 season, it was Garbers who beat out former Bruins Dante Moore and Collin Schlee to assume signal-caller duties. And it was Garbers, again, who reclaimed the post by season’s end.
With the keys to UCLA’s offensive schemes seemingly in Garbers’ hands to open the 2024 campaign, a bit of adversity is just what the veteran quarterback needs.
Albeit it wasn’t a leg injury – as he’s suspected to have suffered against Oregon on Sept. 28 – Garbers has previously shown poise when coming back off the sidelines.
After being knocked out of the Bruins’ last regular season game in 2023, Garbers returned in the middle of the LA Bowl. The Newport Beach, California, local completed 9-of-12 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns – taking home offensive MVP honors in the process.
Though UCLA sits squarely at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, Minnesota isn’t much higher – even after upsetting then-No. 11 USC on Saturday. With the Bruins coming off three straight games against top-20 ranked opponents, there’s no better time – or location – for them to capture their first Big Ten win.
Plenty is riding on Garbers and the 1-4 Bruins this weekend, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Aaron Doyle
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Minnesota 30, UCLA 7
The Bruins are completely off track.
UCLA football has faced three ranked opponents in a row, accepting defeat each time. Its only win came against Hawai’i during its first game of the season, a “momentum” that quickly came to a halt. Even then, the Bruins were expected to win with ease, but the Rainbow Warriors tested their abilities from the get-go.
Bruin fans thought their team’s subpar performance – despite the win – was just a fluke. Until it happened again four more consecutive times.
The Bruins have the potential. Garbers was poised to be coach DeShaun Foster’s right-hand man ahead of the 2024 season but has faltered. Against Oregon, Garbers limped around the field, unable to bear weight on his right ankle, before being subbed out by Martin.
The decision to let Garbers play was questionable – to say the least. How can an injured athlete lead a team to victory?
A more sensible decision was made for UCLA’s following game, where Garbers was sidelined because of the injury.
The door is wide open for Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have outperformed the Bruins in just about every aspect – passing offense, red zone defense, interceptions, to name a few.
All Minnesota has to do is keep up the momentum it has already garnered – something the Bruins have yet to spark.
Nicole Augusta
Co-copy chief
Prediction: Minnesota 17, UCLA 14
October doesn’t just signify the end of the summer, major league baseball and horror movie rewatch season. It’s also rumored to cut off data collection for Spotify listening activity toward the year-end wrap.
Loyal listeners know every minute of these 31 daylists counts to turn the tides – one play could differentiate between Noah Kahan or the Glee Cast snagging the playoff spot in the artist lineup.
Similarly, loyal Bruin fans know every minute of these 31 days count in UCLA’s journey to living out unforgettable school-spirited pop anthem Saturday evenings.
But the Big Ten is no new artist – and UCLA’s 111th-ranked winning percentage won’t be enough for a postseason presale code.
In terms of genre, Saturday’s game will not be won along offensive lines. Only two teams run the ball less than the Bruins, whose 14 average points per game sit near the nation’s bottom. On the contrary, Minnesota’s leading pass defense towers over UCLA’s bottom-barrel third down defensive conversions.
And the Golden Gophers’ recent Trojan upset may help their journey in the Rose Bowl – where the Bruins are a year removed from seeing a winning scoreboard.
Martin – Westwood’s new frontman – may boast the accuracy needed to take the home team up the charts, but Foster has provided no confirmation of handing the quarterback the microphone Saturday.
From depth to range, all signs point to Minnesota forcing UCLA to face the music – again.
Mahika Saoji
Social Media director
Prediction: Minnesota 27, UCLA 20
UCLA football makes me so sleepy.
Grab your pillows, Bruin fans, because Saturday’s about to get snoozy – again. As Minnesota rolls into Pasadena, California, UCLA might just grace us with a lullaby on the field.
The Golden Gophers’ steady ground attack will rock the Bruins’ defense to sleep, and by the time they wake from their slumber, their foes would be 99 yards downfield.
Garbers – should he be fit to receive the starting nod – will endeavor to shake off the drowsiness after a two-week slumber and inject some life into the offense.
But let’s be real: Minnesota’s defense will be the overprotective parent – ensuring nothing exciting happens after dark.
If you’re heading to the Rose Bowl for genuine action, it’s probably time to consider trading your Den Pass for a snug pair of pajamas. Saturday will materialize similarly to each affair on UCLA’s 2024 slate thus far – the Bruins will seemingly sleepwalk their way through another sluggish outing.
And trust me, when I receive a Slack notification to post the latest Instagram update, you and I will both know things have gotten rough.
While I’ll do my best to keep the social media feed awake, don’t expect me to stay conscious for every down.
Give me a shout if thrill does arrive – though unlikely – otherwise, I’ll just keep hitting snooze.
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