Posted on August 26, 2021
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And that means the start of our weekly previews featuring analysis on each Pac-12 game set for that week.
If you are new to SportsPac12, our football writers give their prediction on each matchup and I provide a quick synopsis of what to expect.
Just one Conference of Champions game is on the books for Week Zero, a showdown in Los Angeles between Hawaii and UCLA.
I preview the game below and our football writers’ picks appear at the bottom.
Hawaii at UCLA
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Saturday, August 28, 2021
12:30 p.m. PT, ESPN
Last year, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Demetric Felton led UCLA to the nation’s 12th-best rushing attack. The run game created a dominant offense that put up 35.4 points per night, the Bruins’ most since the 2013 season.
Felton is off to the NFL, but Brittain Brown returns and Michigan transfer Zach Charbonnet has been added to the mix. With DTR a consistent threat to run and the entire starting offensive line back, Chip Kelly’s rushing attack shouldn’t miss a beat.
And UCLA has two projected All-Conference pass catchers that can light up opponents through the air. Greg Dulcich is arguably the Pac-12’s best tight end, and Kyle Philips is one of the Conference’s top receivers.
Scoring points arguably won’t be the issue against the Rainbow Warriors. But slowing them down might.
Led by former Arizona State head coach Todd Graham, Hawaii is coming off a victory over Houston in the New Mexico Bowl.
Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro enters his third season as the starter, having passed for over 2,000 yards and rushed for another 483 in 2020.
His 21 total touchdowns put him 32nd in the country in touchdowns scored, seven of which came on the ground. And Cordeiro returns his top receiver, Calvin Turner Jr.
Turner Jr. scored 10 touchdowns last year, six through the air and four out of the backfield, while posting 877 yards from scrimmage.
The duo should test the UCLA defense that has given up 40 points or more 19 times since the start of the 2016 season.
Often struggling against the pass, Jerry Azzinaro’s 4-2-5 scheme allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete more than 50% of their attempts last year.
That doesn’t bode well against an offense that attempted 35 passes per game in 2020. And although Graham’s system is balanced, Turner Jr. could have a field day.
But returning all but one starter, the UCLA defense should hold down the fort long enough for its offense to pull away and secure the Pac-12’s first victory of the 2021 season.
[Read Stephen Vilardo’s UCLA-Hawaii Preview by the Numbers]
SportsPac12 Football Writers’ Picks
Aug. 28, 12:30 p.m |
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