Pregame Guesses: UCLA Football at Utah Utes

With reports that Dorian Thompson-Robinson will play through injury tomorrow, this week's PGG focuses on how the injury could affect the UCLA passing game.

UCLA’s quarterback. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, will try to play through injury tomorrow at Utah (Photo Credit: Don Liebig/uclabruins.com)

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Welcome to week nine of The Mighty Bruin’s Pregame Guesses. Last week’s game versus Oregon, particularly the middle of the game where the Bruins (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) were outscored 34-3, was another glass of ice cold water to the face for Bruin fans. Suffice it to say, even with the possibility of a winning season and a bowl game, it appears that Chip Kelly and his staff will max out at being a solid, not good, not great team, even in seasons where a ton of players are returning. Even the most die-hard supporters are having trouble concluding that this program has a future that Bruins fans can be proud. Next up is Utah (4-3, 3-1 Pac-12) on the road.

UCLA’s senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson took a ton of abuse last weekend. Kelly is right about one thing—the kid is tough. But that abuse finally took its toll and DTR had to come out of the game when it mattered most with the game on the line. As such, all of this week’s PPGs are going to be tied to DTR’s performance this week after sustaining an injury and having to leave the game last week.

Although it is being reported that DTR will play through the injury tomorrow, questions remain regarding his effectiveness in a tough road contest in Salt Lake City. If DTR is not able to play, the same questions can be applied to Ethan Garbers, they just won’t apply to him as uniquely as they would to a beaten-up DTR. But first, some music . . .

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The life of a UCLA football fans is one huge roller-coaster ride. The first taste for me was with the Washington State loss in 1988. That team was 7-0, ranked number one in the nation, and a national championship contender. But the Bruins blew a lead versus the Cougars and couldn’t score the winning touchdown with four plays from the five-yard line with Troy Aikman under center.

Ten years later, history repeated itself in Miami. Except that time, UCLA was only a quarter—not a quarter and an additional three games like in ‘88—from the national championship game. I was there. Sitting with Miami fans. Ugh. Melsby was down. That’s all I am going to say about Miami. Too painful. Arguably, the program still hasn’t recovered from that game.

There have been countless other examples that were less significant: Notre Dame in South Bend in 2006 anyone? How about the inexplicable Arizona blowout in Karl Dorrell’s only really good year in Westwood?

Suffice to say, being a UCLA fan is freaking exhausting, emotionally and physically. So, appropriately, here is “Exhausted,” the last song off of the Foo Fighters’ self-titled, debut album.

Although this is no doubt a “deep cut” and still decidedly grunge in post-grunge 1995 when it was released, this song has an interesting history. “Exhausted” was originally written by Foo Fighters’ frontman, Dave Grohl, but it was written in 1992 while he was drumming and singing back-up vocals to Kurt Cobain while with Nirvana. You can even hear the Nirvana demo if you let the YouTube playlist cycle through to the next song selection. Many think that, with Kurt polishing it up a bit, this tune could have been a huge hit for Nirvana had Kurt not chosen to end his life. In any event, IMO, it is one of the Foo Fighters’ best offerings.

On to the guesses . . .

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One of the things that makes Thomspon-Robinson so good is his ability to escape the pass rush and get first downs with this legs. This was not really part of his game in his freshman and sophomore seasons, where he only rushed for 68 and 198 yards respectively. He became more of a ground threat last year, gaining 319 yards on the ground in seven games as a junior, and is at 364 yards through eight games this season. DTR has six rushing touchdowns in eight games this year, only one less than the seven he had in his first three seasons at UCLA. But, even setting aside the statistics, the eye test tells you that he is very slippery when scrambling for a first down.

Although the nature of DTR’s injury is “undisclosed,” reports seem to indicate that Thompson-Robinson hurt his throwing hand. He had a wrap on the hand and was seen catching footballs in practice this week with his non-throwing hand. If DTR is not able to throw the ball well, his rushing prowess might become even more of a factor.

Will DTR be able to continue to run the ball effectively against Utah? PGG #1 is two-parter. PREGAME GUESS NUMBER ONE: How many rushing yards will Thompson-Robinson have against Utah? How many rushing TDs?

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Utah is pretty good at getting to the quarterback. The Utes average three sacks per game and have 21 on the season, tied for #16 in the nation. Defensive end Mika Tafau has five and a half of those sacks, leading the team, while linebacker Devin Lloyd has four. The Bruins, on the other hand, are in the lower half of college football, tied for #77 with 19 sacks allowed in eight games, a 2.38 average.

If DTR runs the ball more, there will be less of a chance for sacks. But, maybe, his throwing hand is OK. In any event, will Utah continue to be effective sacking the opposing quarterback? PREGAME GUESS NUMBER TWO: How many sacks will Utah record against the Bruins?

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Utah has only five interceptions on the season, tied for #75 in the nation. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has thrown only three picks on the season. If his hand is less than 100%, however, it could affect his throws, which could make UCLA vulnerable to being picked off. Although the Utes are “middle of the road” in total defense, their passing defense is #50 in the nation while their rushing defense is #66. As such, their defensive backs are usually in decent position to make plays on errant throws. If UCLA decides to try to throw the ball against the Utes, DTR could be susceptible to the interception. PREGAME GUESS NUMBER THREE: How many interceptions, if any, will DTR throw versus Utah?

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UCLA has lost four straight versus Utah and has not won in Salt Lake City since 2015. The Bruins would be all but eliminated from the Pac-12 South race with a loss tomorrow, but would still be in the mix with a win. BONUS GUESS: Who wins and what is the score?

Make your guesses and give us your pregame thoughts in the comment section below.

Go Bruins!!!

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