The Stanford offense has been running strong with a four game winning streak. The UCLA Bruins have had their ups and downs this season but are still a contender for the Pac-12 Championship. The two teams clash on the Farm Thursday night. The Rule of Tree staff shares their predictions.
Daniel Gilbert: Stanford 28 UCLA 17. Stanford starts off a little slow due to the off time but picks it up in a hurry in the 2nd quarter. Josh Rosen starts off great but the Stanford defense gets to him in the second half causing 2 interceptions.
Matt Vassar: Stanford 31, UCLA 24. Fun fact #1: Jim Mora has never beaten David Shaw in his entire career. Fun fact #2: Stanford has won against UCLA the last seven times in a row. I don't see either Mora or the Bruins breaking this trend, and especially not when they're playing without injured two-way player Myles Jack, DE Eddie Vanderdoes, OL Poasi Moala, CB Fabian Moreau, and RT Simon Goines (among others). Also, while UCLA true freshman QB Josh Rosen may well be a superstar in years to come, he's looked very inconsistent his freshman year (as most freshmen do), and even threw three interceptions in a single game vs. BYU. I see Stanford continuing the impressive win streak it's started this season, and putting together an eighth consecutive win over the Bruins.
For more on Matt's pick, click below to listen to the most recent episode of his show, Cardinal CounTree.
Tony Fernandes: Stanford 42, UCLA 17. The Bruins are hurting on the defensive side of the ball, and will have trouble containing the Cardinal rush attack. The Cardinal will have to keep Paul Perkins from maintaining ball control, and keep Rosen from airing it out too much. Should be an interesting game.
Sean Levy: Stanford 35 UCLA 21. The last 7 times these two teams have met Stanford has won. I am going to go chalk here because Stanford has a more experienced QB. Josh Rosen is a good QB, but he isn't on the level of Kevin Hogan yet. Another blow to UCLA is the fact that they do not have Myles Jack, so they will be forced to put a backup on Austin Hooper. Another effect of Jack's departure will be the run defense. Stanford relies heavily on the run game so if they can not stop them on the ground, the game won't be pretty.
Nick Dempsey: Stanford 41 UCLA 28. The battered and injured UCLA defense has to find a way to stop this Stanford rushing attack, and I am not convinced they can. The Bruins have a talented running game as well, and Rosen has looked elite several times this season but I'm not sure they can keep pace on the scoreboard. While you should always account for Pac-12 After Dark, Stanford should win this one at home.
Agree? Disagree? Share your predictions below.
