What seemed like a highly anticipated showdown when the game was first announced has now become an expected one-sided affair, with LSU likely to easily defeat UCLA.
The Tigers have already faced tough competition this season, losing their opener to USC and narrowly winning against South Carolina last week. In contrast, UCLA has struggled under new head coach Deshaun Foster, barely scraping by against Hawaii and suffering a crushing loss to Indiana.
With upcoming tough games against Oregon and Penn State, the outlook does not look promising for the Bruins.
However, UCLA’s defense may give them a fighting chance as they aim to pressure LSU’s quarterback and force turnovers.
On the other hand, LSU’s potent offense should have no trouble finding success with their strong passing game and developing rushing attack.
With LSU favored to win by 24.5 points, it seems unlikely that UCLA will be able to keep pace once LSU takes the lead.
Overall, this matchup is no longer generating much excitement and is expected to result in a dominant victory for LSU.
In the lead-up to their second Big Ten game of the 2024 college football season, LSU coach Brian Kelly discussed his thoughts on facing UCLA and the key players to watch in this week four clash at Tiger Stadium.
According to Kelly, he expects UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster to have his team well-prepared for the tough away environment. While UCLA has a record of 1-1 with a win over Hawaii and a recent blowout loss against Indiana, Kelly notes that there are signs of life and a strong team culture.
Kelly spoke about his team’s previous meeting with UCLA in 2021 under former coach Ed Orgeron, where the favored Tigers suffered a defeat, and how they are excited to play them again at home. He mentioned quarterback transfer Ethan Garbers and talented receivers J.Michael Sturdivant and Rico Flores Jr. as key players to watch out for, along with running back TJ Harden who knows their system well.
On the defensive side, Kelly acknowledged that while all eyes will be on LSU’s defense, UCLA’s experienced defense could pose unexpected challenges. He noted that there are no freshmen or sophomores on their defensive unit.
Despite Indiana putting up 42 points against UCLA last week, Kelly said he believes that LSU is a stronger team and should be able to put on a strong performance as long as they can contain some of UCLA’s top playmakers.
Overall, Kelly pointed out UCLA’s veteran-laden defense and the potential impact of players like Kain Medrano in the game.
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