Game Prediction: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at UCLA Bruins

The second most intriguing matchup of week zero is a matchup of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the UCLA Bruins. It's a big year for UCLA, who is coming off a 3-4 season that saw Chip Kelly's squad play much better than their record would indicate.

UCLA has a chance to make a jump up the Pac-12, and getting off to a good start against Hawaii is a must. Hawaii went 5-4 in Todd Graham's first season, which included a big win over Nevada, Fresno State and Houston in a bowl game.

Irish Breakdown has gone over this matchup and is ready to make its first season predictions of the season!

BRYAN DRISKELL, PUBLISHER

Prediction: UCLA 34, Hawaii 17

Hawaii was a quality squad last season and it saw a significant improvement on defense. That being said there's still a giant talent gap between these two programs.

I'm very high on the Bruins due to the return of Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback and the presence of one of the best backfields in the Pac-12. UCLA should be a strong running team this year thanks to that backfield (Brittain Brown, Zach Charbonnet) and the fact the Bruins return all five starters along the offensive line.

UCLA will push the tempo, pound the ball down Hawaii's throat and will pull away in the second half. Hawaii will struggle to move the ball against what I expect to be a much-improved UCLA defense.

VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST

Prediction: UCLA 42, Hawaii 28

The Bruins are entering the fourth year under Chip Kelly and they are looking for some flash from fourth year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He has the veteran leadership to take this team to its first bowl game since 2017 but the sights should be higher for UCLA this season.

Their first test of the year comes from a solid Hawaii team that is under the leadership of second year head coach Todd Graham. Coach Graham is very familiar with UCLA since he was at Arizona State earlier in his career and is no stranger to PAC12 play. Can they hang with the Bruins? Maybe for a half but the size and speed of UCLA will win out in the end.

SHAUN DAVIS, STAFF WRITER

Prediction: UCLA 38, Hawaii 27

This will be a battle of smooth dual threat quarterbacks as I expect Chevan Cordeiro and Dorian Thompson-Robinson to put on a fantastic offensive display through the air and on the ground. Hawaii has been quite successful against their recent Pac-12 opponents, as they’ve won two of the last three meetings.

Meanwhile, the Bruins are winless (0-6) in non-conference games under Chip Kelly. Hawaii has improved defensively under 2nd year head coach Todd Graham, going from 98th in points allowed to 54th nationally. Things could dicey for the Bruins as the sun sets over the San Gabriel mountains, but Robinson-Thompson and Demetric Felton make another plays in the fourth quarter to stave off defeat.

GRANT DELVECCHIO, STAFF WRITER

Prediction: UCLA 42, Hawaii 27

Yes, I’m aware that UCLA is 0-6 in non-conference games under head coach Chip Kelly, but I think this is the game that they break that streak.

To be clear, Hawaii won’t be any sort of pushover, as the Rainbow Warriors return a ton of talent, including 10 defensive starters, from a season ago and are coming off of their first full offseason under second year head coach Todd Graham.

With that being said, the Bruins return fourth-year starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, who had a 65.2 completion percentage and averaged 8.1 yards per attempt a season ago. Though the Bruins may have lost the heavy production of Demetric Felton, the tandem of Brittain Brown and Zach Charbonnet from Michigan should be able to pick up the slack. Will this season be the one UCLA finally breaks out under Kelly? I’m not quite sure, but the Bruins should start the season off on the right foot against Hawaii.

ANDREW MCDONOUGH, IB CONTRIBUTOR

Prediction: UCLA 45, Hawaii 20

Like Scott Frost at Nebraska, the time is getting to be now or never for Chip Kelly at UCLA, as he is only 10-21 in his first three seasons at the school. On paper, things could fall into place this year for the Bruins, as three-year starter and dynamic athlete Dorian Thompson-Robinson returns at QB, along with ten starters on defense. Robinson posted a QB rating of 156.3 last year in an abbreviated Pac-12 “season” (in contrast, Ian Book had a QB rating of 144.3). In a Pac-12 that again is without a great team, why can’t this be the year for the Bruins to break through?

Former Pitt and Arizona State coach Todd Graham led Hawaii to a bowl victory in his first season, but traveling to the mainland and matching up against the Bruins will be a tall order for the Rainbow Warriors, even with Chevan Cordeiro returning at QB. Were UCLA flying out to the islands it may be a different story, but with the game in the Rose Bowl, Hawaii ultimately will not have the athletes to hang with UCLA for four quarters. Look for Thompson-Robinson’s legs, rather than his arm, to get the Bruins rolling against a Hawaii defense that gave up over 200 yards rushing per game in 2020.

RYAN ROBERTS, RISENDRAFT

Prediction: UCLA 49, Hawaii 38

If you like defense, look away. The Chip Kelly era is another that has not quite lived up to the hype. However, there is plenty of Bruin firepower to make them a sneaky team entering the 2021 season. Led by dual-threat quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and former Duke transfer running back Brittain Brown, the Bruins have the chance to boast one of the better rushing attacks in all of the Pac 12 and college football. Throw in potential All-American tight end Greg Dulcich and UCLA starts the season with a bang. Hawaii will have the chance to hang around for a while behind the talented Chevan Cordeiro under center. Look for senior running back/wide receiver Calvin Turner, a former standout quarterback and defensive back at Jacksonville University, to put his name on the map with a big outing for Hawaii. Expect north of 150+ total yards for the talented playmaker in the loss.

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