UCLA Bruins Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

UCLA College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

UCLA Bruins Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the UCLA season with what you need to know and keys to the season.


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UCLA Bruins Preview
Head Coach: Chip Kelly, 5th year at UCLA, 18-25
9th year overall, 64-32
2021 Preview: Overall: 8-4, Conference: 6-3
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UCLA Top 10 Players | UCLA Schedule & Analysis

UCLA Bruins Preview 2022

You ready, UCLA?

Last year the Bruins finally broke through under Chip Kelly. After years of working through several rough patches, the result was a solid eight-win season that might have been nine if there weren’t COVID issues forcing the cancellation of the Holiday Bowl.

That was nice, but considering 2021 was when USC imploded, UCLA – even with the explosive win over its rival – should’ve done more.

With a down USC, the window was wide open in the Pac-12 South over the last several seasons. Arizona State didn’t blow up under Herm Edwards, Arizona spent the last few years finding itself, and Colorado sputtered around its good moments. It was Utah that took advantage with three conference championship appearances in the last four years, not UCLA.

And now there’s no South in a division-less Pac-12. It’s no longer good enough to be the best team in a six-team division; UCLA has to be one of the top two in the 12-team league.

Even worse, on a regular basis, one of those top two teams will probably be Lincoln Riley’s emerging juggernaut at USC, and Oregon will be right there.

But this is what UCLA has been building towards.

There might be a whole slew of big personnel losses from last year’s Bruin squad, but it’s got a great veteran quarterback in Dorian Thompson-Robinson, good lines, surprising depth – considering the question marks with the starting 22 – a strong kicking game, a surprisingly favorable schedule, and reinforcements from a nice recruiting class to go along with some fantastic gets from the transfer portal.

And it’s almost like everyone has to be reminded that the head coach is Chip freaking Kelly.

The luster might be off after the struggles in the NFL and three straight losing seasons to start his run at UCLA, but as it turned out, this was far more of a rebuild than it appeared to be a few years ago.

Now there’s a whole lot to get fired up about.

It’s the hottest school going – close to 150,000 freshman applications this year – with elite academics, better weather, great campus, and football-wise, the style of offense finally in place to be a whole lot of fun to keep up with what everyone else is trying to do.

And it’s going to be in the Big Ten in 2024. The big school and program will only get bigger.

The pressure will be on USC to win right away with its shiny new head coach. The pressure will be on Oregon to win right away with its shiny new head coach. The pressure will be on Washington to win right away with its shiny new head coach. The pressure will be on Utah to win with its shiny terrific old head coach.

And if Kelly did this right to prepare the program over his first four years, UCLA should be ready to be one of those shiny teams deep in the mix for the Pac-12 Championship.

Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UCLA Top 10 Players | UCLA Schedule & Analysi

UCLA Bruins Preview 2022: Offense, Defense NEXT

UCLA Bruins Top 10 Players: College Football Preview 2022

Who are the top 10 UCLA players going into the 2022 college football season?

UCLA Bruins Preview 2022: Who are the top 10 players going into the season?


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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UCLA Bruins Preview 
UCLA 2022 Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UCLA Schedule & Analysis 

UCLA Bruins: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the UCLA season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the UCLA season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
UCLA Schedule Analysis
– UCLA Bruins Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 3-4 overall, 3-4 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Chip Kelly, 4th year, 10-21 (56-28 overall)
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 32
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 57
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 97

UCLA Bruins College Football Preview 2021: Offense

– The offense is starting to work. It has taken a few years, and it’s not the high-octane thrill ride a Chip Kelly attack is supposed to be, but the pieces are in place now to do even more.

The 2020 version cranked up 455 yards and 35 points per game, scoring 34 or more in every game but the wins over Arizona and Arizona State.

There’s balance, there are options, and there’s a whole lot of experience and depth to play around with. Ten starters are expected back, but it’s actually an even better situation.

The quarterback situation is set. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been around from the start of the Kelly era, growing into the role as a decent runner and more accurate, effective passer.

Main backup Chase Griffin returns, too, but Washington transfer Ethan Garbers is a big talent to groom for the near future.

Leading yardage receiver Greg Dulcich is back, and the 6-4, 242-pound junior combines tight end forces with the 268-pound Mike Martinez.

The wide receivers are strong, too, with junior Kyle Philips leading the team – for the second year in a row – with 38 catches as a midrange target. There’s nice size and experience across the roster.

Leading rushers Demetric Felton is gone, but Brittain Brown is more than fine carrying the load – he averaged 6.6 yards per carry with 543 yards and four scores – Keegan Jones can add a little flash, and in the mix is Michigan veteran Zach Charbonnet to bring more punch.

All five starters return to the offensive line that paved the way for the nation’s 12th-best running game and was decent enough in pass protection to get by. There’s a decent mix of size, experience, and athleticism for this offense around all-star caliber center Sam Marrazzo. Don’t blow this off as par for the course – it took a long, LONG time for UCLA to have a decent offensive front.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
UCLA Schedule Analysis

NEXT: UCLA Bruins College Football Preview 2021: Defense