No. 11 UCLA (2-0) at UTAH (0-2)
Today, 3 p.m. — Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,017) — Salt Lake City — FieldTurf
Ticket information: About 4,000 remain. Only single seats remain in chair-back sections.<
TV: Versus (Comcast Ch. 34, DirecTV Ch. 603, Dish Network Ch. 151) — Radio: 700AM
PLAYER TO WATCH
BEN OLSON, QB: The former BYU redshirt finally makes his Utah debut. The sophomore, who transferred to UCLA after serving an LDS Church mission, made his first collegiate start against the Utes last season in the Rose Bowl. He completed his first nine passes and led the Bruins to a 31-10 victory.
KEY MATCHUP
UTAH GROUND GAME vs. UCLA RUN DEFENSE: The Utes enter the contest averaging just 45.5 yards per game on the ground — 111th in the nation. UCLA's rushing defense, meanwhile, is holding opponents to just 48 yards per game.
THE STAKES
For UCLA ... The Bruins are ranked 11th and could crack the top 10 with a win. They could use the momentum going into upcoming Pac-10 games against Washington and Oregon State.
For Utah ... The injury-plagued Utes hope to avoid starting the season 0-3. The last time things started off so slowly was in 2000, when they wound up losing their first four games and finished 4-7.
THE TRENDS
For UCLA ... The Bruins, who are making their first appearance in Salt Lake City since 1974, are 8-0 all-time against Utah. UCLA and Washington are the only Pac-10 teams Utah has never beaten.
For Utah ... Injuries. The Utes have lost key contributors in each of their two games this season. Matt Asiata and Brian Johnson went down in the opener at Oregon State, while Brent Casteel and Gabe Long were hurt against Air Force.
THE EDGE
UCLA will win if ... Kahlil Bell, the Pac-10's leading rusher (137 ypg), is able to run wild on a rush defense that ranks 113th nationally. The Utes are giving up 287.5 yards per game on the ground.
Utah will win if ... the Utes have a near-perfect outing on both sides of the ball. Establishing a run game and defending UCLA's ground scheme are top priorities.
Date . . . . Opponent . . . . Time (TV)
Aug. 30 . . . . at Oregon St. . . . . L, 24-7
Sept. 8 . . . . Air Force . . . . L, 20-12
Sept. 15 . . . . UCLA . . . . 3 p.m. (VS)
Sept. 22 . . . . at UNLV . . . . 8 p.m. (MTN)
Sept. 29 . . . . Utah St. . . . . 1 p.m. (MTN)
Oct. 5 . . . . at Louisville . . . . 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Oct. 13 . . . . San Diego St. . . . . 1 p.m. (None)
Oct. 18 . . . . at TCU . . . . 6 p.m. (VS)
Oct. 27 . . . . at Colorado St. . . . . 3:30 p.m. (MTN)
Nov. 10 . . . . Wyoming . . . . 1:30 p.m. (CSTV)
Nov. 17 . . . . New Mexico . . . . 3:30 p.m. (MTN)
Nov. 24 . . . . at BYU . . . . Noon (CSTV/MTN)
All times Mountain
NEXT UP UNLV (1-1) faces No. 24 Hawaii today at 7:30 p.m. (MTN) in Vegas.
UCLA
OFFENSE
SE . . . . MARCUS EVERETT, SR. . . . . 9
. . . . Joe Cowan, Sr. . . . . 26
FL . . . . B. BREAZELL, SR. . . . . 1
. . . . Terrence Austin, So. . . . . 4
TE . . . . LOGAN PAULSEN, JR. . . . . 86
. . . . William Snead, Sr. . . . . 18
LT . . . . MICAH KIA, SO. . . . . 73
. . . . Aleksey Lanis, So. . . . . 78
LG . . . . SHANNON TEVAGA, SR. . . . . 71
. . . . P.J. Irvin, Sr. . . . . 67
C . . . . CHRIS JOSEPH, SR. . . . . 60
. . . . Micah Reed, Jr. . . . . 58
RG . . . . N. SUTHERLAND, SR. . . . . 74
. . . . Nick Ekbatani, Jr. . . . . 75
RT . . . . BRIAN ABRAHAM, SR. . . . . 68
. . . . Sean Sheller, Fr. . . . . 72
QB . . . . BEN OLSON, JR. . . . . 7
. . . . M. Bethel-Thompson, Fr. . . . . 14
FB . . . . TREVOR THERIOT, SO. . . . . 31
. . . . Fred Holmes, Sr. . . . . 49
TB . . . . CHRIS MARKEY, SR. . . . . 1
. . . . KAHLIL BELL, JR. . . . . 36
. . . . Christian Ramirez, So. . . . . 24
PK . . . . KAI FORBATH, FR. . . . . 15
KR . . . . MATTHEW SLATER, SR.. . . . 18
KAHLIL BELL, JR. . . . . 36
DEFENSE
LE . . . . NIKOLA DRAGOVIC, SR. . . . . 96
. . . . Tom Blake, Jr. . . . . 56
DT . . . . JESS WARD, SO. . . . . 52
. . . . David Carter, Fr. . . . . 85
DT . . . . KEVIN BROWN, SR. . . . . 75
. . . . Chase Moline, Jr. . . . . 50
RE . . . . BRUCE DAVIS, SR. . . . . 44
. . . . Korey Bosworth, So. . . . . 55
SLB . . . . A. WHITTINGTON, SR. . . . . 42
. . . . Kyle Bosworth, Jr. . . . . 54
MLB . . . . C. TAYLOR, SR. . . . . 33
. . . . John Hale, Jr. . . . . 12
WLB . . . . REGGIE CARTER, SO. . . . . 51
. . . . Shawn Oatis, So. . . . . 8
LC . . . . TREY BROWN, SR. . . . . 23
. . . . Michael Norris, Jr. . . . . 22
SS . . . . CHRIS HORTON, SR. . . . . 14
. . . . Bret Lockett, Jr. . . . . 25
FS . . . . DENNIS KEYES, SR. . . . . 11
. . . . Aaron Ware, So. . . . . 27
RC . . . . RODNEY VAN, SR. . . . . 3
. . . . Alterraun Verner, So. . . . . 1
P . . . . AARON PEREZ, JR. . . . . 17
PR . . . . TERRENCE AUSTIN, SO. . . . . 4
. . . . Alterraun Verner, So. . . . . 1
Starting DB Brigham Harwell is out indefinitely with a sprained knee. Starting DE Nikola Dragovic suffered a concussion last week against BYU but is expected to play.
UTAH
OFFENSE
WR . . . . DERREK RICHARDS, SR. . . . . 26
. . . . Freddie Brown, Jr. . . . . 88
WR . . . . MARQUIS WILSON, JR. . . . . 2
. . . . Jereme Brooks, Fr. . . . . 85
WR . . . . BRIAN HERNANDEZ, SR. . . . . 16
. . . . Bradon Godfrey, Jr. . . . . 81
TE . . . . MATT SIMS, SR. . . . . 48
. . . . Dallin Rogers, Fr. . . . . 89
LT . . . . ZANE BEADLES, SO. . . . . 68
. . . . Walter Watts, Fr. . . . . 71
LG . . . . COREY SEIULI, JR. . . . . 74
. . . . Caleb Schlauderauf, Fr. . . . . 72
C . . . . KYLE GUNTHER, SR. . . . . 63
. . . . Tyler Williams, So. . . . . 57
RG . . . . ROBERT CONLEY, JR. . . . . 66
. . . . Zane Taylor, Fr. . . . . 77
RT . . . . DUSTIN HENSEL, JR. . . . . 65
. . . . Zeke Tuinei-Wily, So. . . . . 79
QB . . . . TOMMY GRADY, SR. . . . . 15
. . . . Chad Manis, So. . . . . 18
. . . . Corbin Louks, Fr. . . . . 23
RB . . . . DARRELL MACK, JR. . . . . 6
. . . . Ray Stowers, Jr. . . . . 24
. . . . Darryl Poston, Sr. . . . . 9
PK . . . . LOUIE SAKODA, JR. . . . . 35
. . . . Ben Vroman, So. . . . . 30
KR . . . . BRICE MCCAIN, JR. . . . . 1
. . . . DERREK RICHARDS, SR. . . . . 26
DEFENSE
LE . . . . MARTAIL BURNETT, SR. . . . . 93
. . . . Alex Puccinelli, Sr. . . . . 13
DT . . . . GREG NEWMAN, JR. . . . . 56
. . . . Koa Misi, So. . . . . 41
NT . . . . KENAPE ELIAPO, SO. . . . . 92
. . . . Lei Talamaivao, Fr. . . . . 43
LE . . . . PAUL KRUGER, FR. . . . . 11
. . . . Alex Puccinelli, Sr. . . . . 13
RLB . . . . KYLE BRADY, SR. . . . . 14
. . . . Stevenson Sylvester, So. . . . . 10
MLB . . . . JOE JIANNONI, SR. . . . . 44
. . . . Mike Wright, So. . . . . 20
SLB . . . . M. MOKOFISI, SR. . . . . 22
. . . . Kepa Gaison, So. . . . . 46
CB . . . . SEAN SMITH, SO. . . . . 4
. . . . Elijah Wesson, So. . . . . 8
CB . . . . BRICE MCCAIN, JR. . . . . 1
. . . . Justin Jones, So. . . . . 29
FS . . . . ROBERT JOHNSON, SO. . . . . 17
. . . . RJ Rice, Jr. . . . . 7
SS . . . . STEVE TATE, SR. . . . . 28
. . . . Joe Dale, So. . . . . 12
NB . . . . R.J. STANFORD, SO. . . . . 25
. . . . Terrell Cole, Jr. . . . . 21
P . . . . LOUIE SAKODA, JR. . . . . 35
. . . . Ben Vroman, So. . . . . 30
PR . . . . BRIAN HERNANDEZ, SR. . . . . 16
. . . . Marquis Wilson, Jr. . . . . 2
The Utes will once again be without QB Brian Johnson (shoulder separation), who hopes to play in next week's game at UNLV. DT Gabe Long is out two weeks with an MCL strain. TB Matt Asiata (broken leg) and WR Brent Casteel (knee) are out this season.