UCLA Football: Staff predictions for UCLA vs. Cincinnati

The UCLA Football Bruins are back in action against the Cincinnati Bearcats as the college football season officially gets underway on Thursday.

It has felt like an eternity since we have had meaningful football to watch and has felt even longer since we last saw the UCLA Football Bruins in action. The last time we saw the Bruins take the field was on November 24, 2018, when the team was defeated 49-42 by the Stanford Cardinal.

Fans are hopeful that Chip Kelly’s sophomore year with the program can be better than the first. There were reasonably high expectations for the Bruins in Kelly’s first year and those fell completely flat.

While nobody expected them to be contending for a National Championship or to be one of the best schools in the country, there was hope that Kelly could ease the transition from Josh Rosen and begin his tenure on the right foot.

That was obviously not the case as the Bruins finished with a 3-9 record, which was the first time since 1989 that the team won three or fewer games.

The first step to having a better year would be getting past a worse Cincinnati team who defeated the Bruins in the first game of last season. With UCLA Football being back, so are our predictions. Here is who the LA Sports Hub staff thinks is going to walk away victorious.

Jamaal Artis: 20-17, UCLA

The UCLA Bruins are coming back from a 3 win season. They are immediately in a crappy spot having to go on the road at Cincinnati on Thursday night. If the Bruins young players take a leap forward then this should be a win against a team who lost 8 starters. Look for a tighter game than expected.

Redan Lopez: 30-24, Cincinnati

UCLA and Cincinnati come in with questionable defenses and highly potential offenses. If the Bruins are able to convert enough offensively and Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is able to aid in the running game, the field should open up for the Bruins wide receivers.

Not to be deterred, Cincinnati boasts one of the stronger running back duos in Michael Warren II and Gerrid Doaks. Quarterback Desmond Ridder can also boost the running attack to make it miserable for the Bruins.

Look for this game to be full of ground and pound on both sides. While the Bruins will attempt to get redemption for their 26-17 loss last season to the Bearcats, they will be unsuccessful.

Jason Reed: 21-13, Cincinnati

Do not expect a high scoring game in the first game of the season. UCLA is coming off a season in which they ranked 91st in the nation in scoring per game (24.6 points) while Cincinnati has multiple holes to address from last season.

While UCLA definitely has a much better shot of winning this game than they did last year, they still will suffer the same fate at the hands of the Bearcats.

UCLA’s offense will again struggle while Cincinnati won’t be great either, however, three touchdowns will definitely be enough to give the Bearcats the W.