Utah at UCLA

Recap

The Big Storyline: In a dramatic and exciting meet that came down to the final routines, Maile O’Keefe notched a 9.975 in the anchor spot on beam for Utah to hold on for a victory over UCLA. The Utes stunningly counted a fall in the final rotation, but having gone 49.500-plus on their first three events, they were able to absorb the miss. The Bruins improved upon their season best total by over a full point but ultimately fell just short of the win.

Implications: Utah missed a big opportunity to break 198 for the first time this season, but will still hold off Florida in the rankings next week to be at least third. The Utes are still frontrunners for the Pac-12 regular season championship as they are currently undefeated, with UCLA likely out of the running with two conference losses already.

Records: Olympic silver medalists Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum both earned the first perfect scores of their careers. Chiles also won the all-around and floor exercise for the first time in collegiate competition.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 22 UCLA at No. 3 Utah

Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: Off to two drastically different starts to their seasons, Pac-12 leader Utah heads down to Pauley Pavilion for the annual and highly anticipated rivalry matchup with UCLA.

What We’re Watching: Although they’ve been struggling, the Bruins’ freshman class has the potential to be the best in the nation, and if they show up in this matchup, they could propel UCLA to a much-needed season-best performance. The Utes will be competing outside of the state of Utah for the first time this season, and all eyes will be on them to see if their home meet momentum can carry them while on the road.

What Else You Should Know Before Tuning In: This edition of the rivalry meet with be broadcast in primetime on ESPN2.