PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Wilton Speight played an efficient game upon his return to the UCLA lineup, completing 17 of 27 passes for 204 yards and two scores. He also scrambled for a critical first-down conversion, showing mobility not often associated with his game. Should Speight get the start on Friday, he may need to be able to similarly escape the pocket against a Utah defense ranked No. 29 in the nation with 20 sacks.
–WR Dominic Felton played but saw no carries nor receptions in UCLA’s first three games. His production has picked up since the beginning of Pac-12 competition, and Felton’s performance against Arizona — three carries for 18 yards, four receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown — marked a season-best.
–CB Elijah Gates stepped into the lineup for injured Nate Meadors and played an up-and-down game against Arizona. Gates made his first career interception, but the Wildcats also routinely attacked him in matchups with lengthy WR Shawn Poindexter. Look for Utah to attack in similar one-on-one matchups if Gates lines up opposite 6-foot-3 WR Samson Nacua.
–DE/LB Keisean Lucier-South followed up on earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors with another solid performance, recording four tackles, a tackle for a loss and a pass break-up vs. Arizona. Lucier-South has been one of the most active defensive players for UCLA in recent weeks and should play a pivotal role in chasing down Utah’s dual-threat QB Tyler Huntley.
SERIES HISTORY: UCLA is 11-5 all-time against Utah, but just 3-4 since the Utes joined the Pac-12 Conference in 2011. Utah has won three of the last four, including the two most recent matchups in the Rose Bowl.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It’s tremendous for us because we have a very young team, and now that we’ve got experience winning games, we have some momentum. What we’re doing is working, so I think these two wins are a tremendous confidence booster. We’re building off of this momentum. I can’t wait. The sky is the limit for us.” — RB Joshua Kelley on UCLA’s two-game winning streak
