The Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-3) face off against the UCLA Bruins (1-4) on Saturday, October 12th. This game will be played at Rose Bowl in Pasadena and televised on BTN. Minnesota is coming off a win in their previous game, while UCLA is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Penn State. Kickoff is set for 9:00 ET.
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs UCLA Bruins
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Minnesota Offense Breakdown
Minnesota’s offense ranks 76th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 7, and they are 64th in points per game, scoring 25.7. Max Brosmer, their quarterback, has thrown for 1,263 yards, and the team is 21st in passing completions, averaging 20 per game. They are 31st in passing attempts.
Brosmer has six touchdowns and four interceptions, with a passer rating of 90. Minnesota is 92nd in rushing, averaging 117 yards per game. Darius Taylor leads the team with 402 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Daniel Jackson has 362 receiving yards and one touchdown.
UCLA Offense Breakdown
Heading into week 7, UCLA’s offense is averaging just 14 points per game, ranking 95th in the nation. They are 103rd in our offensive power rankings and have struggled on third downs, converting only 31% of their attempts. Their rushing attack is averaging 65.6 yards per game, placing them 125th nationally.
Ethan Garbers leads the Bruins with 808 passing yards, but he has thrown six interceptions compared to three touchdowns, resulting in a passer rating of 65. UCLA is 47th in passing attempts per game. T.J. Harden has rushed for 151 yards this season, while Rico Flores Jr. has 187 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Minnesota Team Defense
Heading into this week, Minnesota’s defense ranks 23rd nationally, allowing just 15.7 points per game. They’ve been particularly strong against the pass, giving up only 114 passing yards per game, the third-lowest in the country, and holding opposing quarterbacks to a 49.7 passer rating, the fourth-best mark nationally.
In their recent game against USC, Minnesota’s defense allowed 17 points, giving up 373 total yards, including 173 rushing yards and 200 passing yards. However, they also forced two interceptions, helping secure the win.
Minnesota Team Defense
UCLA’s defense will look to improve after allowing 27 points in their recent 27-11 loss to Penn State. They gave up 324 total yards, including 237 passing yards, while holding Penn State to just 87 rushing yards on 29 attempts.
On the season, UCLA’s defense ranks 26th nationally, allowing 104 rushing yards per game. However, they have struggled against the pass, giving up 280.2 yards per game, ranking 155th, with opposing quarterbacks completing 70.5% of their passes.
Minnesota vs UCLA Trends
- In their last three games away from home, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 19 points per game in these contests.
- UCLA has played well in their previous five home games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 23 points per game while allowing 23. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
- Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the UCLA Bruins have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-0.
- In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have a straight up record of 7-3 and an ATS mark of 5-5.
Golden Gophers vs Bruins Prediction
With UCLA as the home underdog at +5.5 points, we like their chances to not only cover the spread but also win straight-up in their week seven matchup against Minnesota. Our projected final score is 25-16 in favor of the Bruins.
For the over/under, with the line set at 40.5 points, our projection of 41 points suggests that taking the over is the best play.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:October 8, 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers, UCLA Bruins