With the 2015 NCAA Football season just days away we take a preview of the game between the Cavaliers of Virginia visiting the preseason No. 13 Bruins of UCLA with the game to be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Saturday the 5th of Sept. 2015 with kick-off scheduled for 3:35 PM ET and the Bruins are early favorites with Vegas odds of -17 and the Over/under at 53 ½, while the underdog Cavaliers are +17, and no early money line available at this time.
This could very well be the last coaching season for M. London, and his teams have been losing for years under his lead, and another losing season will more than likely incite his departure. But if he should win this 1st game against the ranked Bruins could save his position this season. The question unanswered to date, is can the Cavaliers bring an upset at the start of the season?
If you’re a Cavaliers (Hoos) fan and you Bet on College football at SBG Global.com, as we mention earlier your coach London is again on the hot seat after 5 wins and 7 losses in the 2014 season, and that was the 3rd consecutive losing season. But the fans are hoping for a much better performance from their Cavaliers this 215 season.
The solution starts at QB and this season the junior QB who split time in 2014 and with some promising games. In the teams loss to the Bruins in 2014 28-20 he passed for 2 TD’s on 13 completions of 22 attempts. Assisting QB Johns is an experience roster of receivers who in 2014 were led by C. Severin who scored 5 TD’s on 42 receptions that covered some 580 yards. But apart from that there offensive front line and RB’s are under question as they ended 2014 last in the ACC rushing yardage last season with only gaining 137.6 yards each game on average.
Thus, there is no question that the team strength in 2014 came via the defense, one that last season in their game with the Bruins they limited UCLA’s scoring to just a offensive TD. However, this year they could be less effective have lost some key player in the LB’s and pass rushers. On the other hand their secondary is very deep and strong, and the run defense that ranked 18th in the USA with some 121 yards allowed opponents each game.
For the Bruins of UCLA fans your 2015 roster is basically set at all positions with some 18 team starters returning, from a team that in 2014 had 10 wins and 3 losses for the season. It appears they still have not announced their starting QB for 2015 with freshman J. Rosen and junior J. Neuheisel scrambling for the job. Freshman QB Rosen is out of California and a 5-star rookie who was ranked 2nd by Rivals and was from St. Johns Bosco High School in Bellflower, California where he threw for 39 passes and 3,300 yards.
If Rosen is the starter as many expect, he will be accompanies on offense by five starter on the line for protection and a junior RB in P. Perkins who scored 9 TD’s on 1,580 total yards, and in the 2014 Virginia game he had 16 carries for a total of 85 yards.
The defense will have a chance to dominate with the return of D. Hollins with 9 sacks in 2014 accompanied by T. McKinley that will make a strong rush duet, and will push pressure on the QB for the Cavaliers. Also returning for his junior season is M. Jack who plays corner, safety, linebacker and running back and will certainly be successful wherever he plays, especially with Virginia’s unimproved rushing game.
The prediction is that the defense holds and the Cavaliers cover the +17 point spread, but lose the game to the Bruins 27-16.