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Pac-12 Football: UCLA Bruins May Make A Statement vs Oklahoma

By Justin Phillips

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins looks on during a game against the San Diego State Aztecs in a game on September 07, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins looks on during a game against the San Diego State Aztecs in a game on September 07, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Chip Kelly has just a handful of wins in his one-year plus at UCLA and on Saturday could pick up a signature win over a top-five team on our Pac-12 Football Game of the Week.

While Oklahoma comes into the matchup with all the firepower,  this is a game that the Bruins should be hyped for. It is a chance for Kelly and UCLA to show they are heading in the right direction. While the former NFL and Oregon Coach does not have all of his recruiting ducks in a row just yet (pun intended), he should have enough talent to make it a competitive contest vs the Sooners at home.

The Bruins were not at their best last week in a 23-14 loss against San Diego State. UCLA was non-existent for the second quarter and managed just over 250 yards of offense for the game vs the Aztecs.  The end of the first half was not the best with bad clock management and a missed field goal. Kelly is used to playing in big games and will need to be better against one of the better team’s in the country.

Entering this weekend, the Pac-12 Conference is not looking too good nationally. Oregon has a loss, Stanford also has a loss and could very well have two by the end of the day with a big question at Quarterback vs UCF. While a win would help Kelly’s hot seat, it would also boost the profile of the Pac-12 Conference nationally.

Oklahoma and UCLA present a mismatch for one another that the Bruins can take advantage of. If the Bruins can get the ground game going early and take some pressure off Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, they may be able to keep the game close. A key Special Teams play with a long return could also play a big factor in the game.

The Bruins kick off with Oklahoma at 5 pm Pacific Time on FOX.

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