What to watch for when the Arizona Wildcats host UCLA

Here are three things to watch in the Arizona Wildcats’ Pac-12 opener vs. UCLA at Arizona Stadium (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN), plus a score prediction and some pertinent preview links:

1. WHAT’S REAL?

The raging debate this week has been about the legitimacy of the Bruins. They looked like one team for 3½ games – and a completely different one in the second half at Washington State. The thing is, the same paradigm could be applied to Arizona. The Wildcats struggled in multiple facets against Hawaii, left their fans wanting more despite beating NAU … then put it all together against Texas Tech. There’s no way to know until tonight what’s real and what isn’t, and that’s what makes this matchup so fascinating. If we had to lean one way or the other, Arizona’s performance against Texas Tech is more likely a closer reflection of reality than UCLA’s vs. WSU. For one thing, the Bruins had a larger body of work before that crazy comeback. For another, they shined for a half while the Wildcats almost put a complete game together. (I say almost because Khalil Tate had three turnovers in the first half, and the score was 14-13, Red Raiders, into the fourth quarter.) Defeating a ranked WSU team in Pullman is more impressive than beating Texas Tech at home, though. And the big worry if you’re Arizona is the possibility that that second half was the turning point for UCLA under Chip Kelly.

2. WHAT IF …

… Tate and tailback J.J. Taylor aren’t fully healthy? Tate, if you recall, came up gimpy after a keeper during Arizona’s 99-yard drive against Texas Tech. He was able to finish the game and obviously had an extra week to recuperate. Taylor, meanwhile, barely played after suffering an apparent injury to his lower right leg early in the second quarter. We have no reason to believe either will miss tonight’s game. But let’s say Tate re-aggravates whatever was bothering him late in the Tech game. (Back? Hip? Hamstring?) The next man up, based on usage during the NAU game and a legitimate change to the depth chart, likely would be freshman Grant Gunnell. Gunnell passed his first test with ease, going 9 of 11 for 151 yards and three touchdowns against NAU. UCLA would represent a gargantuan jump in competition. The Wildcats fared just fine without Taylor because their depth at running back is so good. Gary Brightwell could start for several teams in the Pac-12, and he’s one of four viable alternatives. Arizona certainly could get by for a game without Taylor if necessary. But you’d rather have him than not.

3. WHAT’S THE FOCAL POINT?

During the UCLA-WSU game, I tweeted that Arizona’s defensive focus ought to be Bruins tailback Joshua Kelley. Kelley rushed for 1,243 yards last season, including 136 against the Wildcats. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson was struggling at the time, so it made sense to put the burden on him by shutting down the run. Thompson-Robinson then went berserk, accounting for six second-half touchdowns and finishing with 564 yards of offense – more than he had in the first three games combined. I still think trying to limit Kelley is the way to go, though. Similar to the UA offense with Tate, if Kelley is able to run the ball effectively, it makes passing (and running) that much easier for Thompson-Robinson. If they can get him into third-and-long situations, the Wildcats should have the advantage. They’d be wise to play more zone coverage in those scenarios than WSU did. For one thing, it gives the quarterback a fuzzier picture. For another, it enables defenders to keep their eyes on Thompson-Robinson in the event he takes off and runs.