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UCLA Sports

Three things you need to know ahead of UCLA’s opener against Hawaii

Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro looks for a receiver.
Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro looks for a receiver during the first half against UNLV on Dec. 12, 2020, in Honolulu.
(Marco Garcia / Associated Press)
Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
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UCLA (0-0) vs. Hawaii (0-0)

Location: Rose Bowl.

Time: 12:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN.

Weather forecast: 95 degrees, sunny.

Latest line: UCLA by 18 points.

About UCLA: The Bruins hope to trumpet their best season under Chip Kelly — and ensure his survival as their coach — by winning an opening game for the first time since his arrival before the 2018 season. Kelly is also seeking his first nonconference win at the school after starting 0-6, including 0-4 against Group of Five opponents. A veteran roster that includes 20 returning starters, including senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, could help its coach secure the breakthrough.

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About Hawaii: Unless they have drastically resolved the protection issues and inability to stop the run that plagued them in 2020, the Rainbow Warriors appear to be an ideal matchup for the Bruins. Hawaii gave up 3.1 sacks and 211.7 rushing yards per game last season, categories in which UCLA thrived while generating 3.29 sacks and 230.6 rushing yards per game.

LOS ANGELES, CA, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 - Chip Kelly looks on from the sideline as the Bruiins play USC at the Coliseum. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

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Three things you need to know:

1. Thompson-Robinson has evolved into one of the Pac-12’s top quarterbacks but has struggled as the starter in season openers. He had four turnovers in a loss to Cincinnati in the 2019 opener and two turnovers in a loss to Colorado in the 2020 opener.

2. Kelly has faced Hawaii coach Todd Graham once before, in 2012, when Kelly was at Oregon and Graham at Arizona State. It didn’t go well for Graham. Oregon rolled up 43 points by halftime on the way to a 43-21 drubbing during Kelly’s final season in Eugene before heading for the NFL.

3. This will be a reunion of sorts for UCLA receiver Matt Sykes. He graduated from Saint Louis School in Honolulu, which also produced Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and a few other Rainbow Warriors.

PASADENA, CALIF. - AUG. 28, 2021. UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet breaks free for a touchdown.

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UCLA Sports
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

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