College Football Preview – UCLA Bruins vs. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

This is an important season for Chip Kelly. UCLA signed the coach to a lot of fanfare in late 2017, but the results so far have left a lot to be desired. The Bruins have yet to win a non-conference game under Kelly, and this team is just 10-21 over the last three seasons. That makes this Saturday’s game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors very important, especially with LSU coming to the Rose Bowl next week.

UCLA will host Hawaii at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on August 28, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

College Football Betting Odds

Hawaii +17.5

UCLA -17.5

Total 67.5

Although UCLA has yet to finish .500 or better under Kelly, there is reason to believe the Bruins will perform very well in 2021. They finally started to put things together on offense last year, scoring at least 34 points in five of their seven games.

As for Hawaii, it was impressive to see what Todd Graham did with the Rainbow Warriors in 2020. They managed to go 5-4 despite dealing with a mess of a stadium situation, and COVID affected this program more than a lot of teams due to the travel implications.

When Hawaii Has the Ball

Dual threat quarterback Chevan Cordeiro is the player to watch on offense for the Rainbow Warriors. Cordeiro threw for over 2,000 yards and led the team in rushing, so it’s safe to say the offense runs through him. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but he isn’t very accurate either, completing just 62.3% of his passes and averaging 6.7 YPA.

Leading receiver Jared Smart and young running back Dae Dae Hunter are the skill position players to watch for the team. Smart had 36 receptions for 320 yards and a touchdown in 2020, so you can tell the Rainbow Warriors throw a lot of underneath passes. Hunter was the third-leading rusher in 2020, but he will be the top running back now.

UCLA has not had good defenses in the Kelly era to this point. However, the Bruins have reason to be more excited about their prospects on this side of the ball in 2021. All 11 projected starters are either seniors or grad transfers, so there is a ton of experience on defense.

When UCLA Has the Ball

Dorian Thompson-Robinson might be primed for an incredible senior season. DTR was very efficient for UCLA last year, leading to the Bruins being competitive in all seven of their games. He averaged 8.1 YPA with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, and the star quarterback also averaged 5.6 YPC.

Tight end Greg Dulcich is the top receiving option. He caught 26 passes for 517 yards and five touchdowns last year on his way to all-conference honors. Kyle Philips caught 38 passes as well, but no one else played a major role in the passing game for the Bruins.

Hawaii’s defense is nothing special. The Rainbow Warriors allowed at least 30 points in five of their eight regular season games in 2020, and there isn’t a lot of talent or experience available. That should lead to UCLA putting up a minimum of 35 points in this game.

Prediction

The best bet is probably the over. Graham and Kelly are two of the better offensive minds in football, and neither coach has had a defense that has been able to stop opponents.

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