UCLA vs. Washington: Predicting the Key Numbers

Nico Iamaleava missed UCLA’s last game against No. 1 Ohio State — a matchup viewed as a personal revenge opportunity after the Buckeyes knocked him out of the playoffs last year at Tennessee. He has a real shot of playing against Washington. Earlier this week, he participated in drills during practice.

Iamaleava has played well against Big Ten opponents this season, showing flashes against Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan State. However, Washington has shown it can be a pretty good team this season, so it will be up to Iamaleava to keep up.

Stat Prediction vs Washington: 18/25, 173 yards, two touchdowns; 14 carries, 49 yards, one touchdown.

Jaivian Thomas | Running Back

Six different running backs saw action in the loss to Ohio State, a snapshot of a backfield that has struggled to find consistency all season. With no clear lead option emerging, it appears Jerry Neuheisel will continue splitting carries between Jaivian Thomas and Jalen Berger down the stretch.

After rushing for 626 yards and eight touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry last season with Cal, Thomas was expected to perform right out of the gate. This hasn't been the case, as all of his numbers have dropped significantly. However, given the crowded backfield, Thomas still has been the No.1 option to this point.

Unfortunately for Thomas, he’ll be facing a Washington defense that has steadily improved against the run. The Huskies held Purdue to just 100 rushing yards on 3.3 yards per carry last week.

Stat Prediction vs Washington: 13 carries, 40 yards

Kwazi Gilmer | Wide Receiver

After a hot start to the season, Kwazi Gilmer’s production has cooled off considerably. The sophomore led UCLA in receiving in three of the first five games, but in recent weeks, he has been overshadowed by other targets in the Bruins’ offense.

Last week, against a very strong Ohio State secondary, Gilmer was able to make his impact felt, scoring a touchdown as well as catching four passes for 37 yards. However, fans are still expecting him to do more.

Washington has repeatedly shown it can neutralize opposing No. 1 receivers. Fortunately for Gilmer, the rise of Rico Flores Jr. gives defenses another threat to worry about, likely forcing the Huskies to shift more attention toward Flores and easing some of the pressure on Gilmer.

Prediction vs Washington: 5 catches, 58 yards, one touchdown.

Rico Flores Jr | Wide Receiver

It has been the Rico Flores Jr. show since he returned from last season’s ACL injury. Since making his debut on Sept. 27 against Northwestern, Flores has led the Bruins in receiving, emerging as UCLA’s most reliable target.

In each of UCLA’s last three games, Flores has led the Bruins in receiving. During that stretch, he has totaled 12 catches for 161 yards — production that came against elite defenses, including No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana.

Gilmer and Flores Jr will be crucial in this matchup. If either of them gets going, this game can easily swing in the Bruins' direction.

Prediction vs Washington: 3 catches, 49 yards, one touchdown.

If these playmakers meet — or even exceed — their projected performances, UCLA will have a legitimate chance to walk out of senior night with a win.