UCLA’s strength is the defense, but it needs some help from the offense to stay off the field and not wear down late in games.
The demise of the UCLA defense without their former coordinator D’Anton Lynn seems to have been premature.
While the offense is still struggling to move the ball down the field consistently, the defense is still keeping teams off the scoreboard as best it can.
Indiana had their way with UCLA in both teams’ Big Ten opener ans there was a little lapse at LSU where the Bayou Bengals put up 34 on the board. But that was on the road in SEC country and for the most part, UCLA did a good job. That game was tied 17-17 in the second half.
Coupled with the hot and humid weather plus being on the field way too long, the Bruins’ defense wore down. That seems to be a theme. The offense
isn’t exactly helping out and by the time the second half rolls around, the defense has had enough.
That might be the game plan for the Oregon Ducks as they head down to the Rose Bowl Saturday night to face the 1-2 UCLA team.
It won’t be that easy, however. The Ducks are coming off a bye, and the Bruins feel a little better about themselves despite losing to LSU.
Linebacker Kain Medrano leads the way for the Bruins with his 21 tackles, for for loss and a forced fumble. He’s done is all for UCLA so far and Medrano is one defender to look out for, according to Duck head coach Dan Lanning.
“When he pulls the trigger, he ends up in the backfield quickly. He’s got a good stop-and-go,” Lanning said. “He’s a knock-back tackler. So he’s, you know, he’s able to get guys on the ground when he shows up in special teams. It’s kind of like the kind of guy when he plays with his hair on fire when he’s on the field.”
UCLA has a familiar face in Bryan Addison, a former Duck that transferred out. He already has 14 tackles and a fumble recovery. Lanning says there has been a lot of changes on both sides that playing against Addison or tight end Moliki Matavao shouldn’t have any effect on the outcome.
“It’s been a while since either one of those guys were with us and there’s a new coaching staff and some changes on both sides,” Lanning said. “So certainly, there are some advantages on the same note, you know, I think there’s a lot that’s different. You look at both these teams, you know, both of us, I would call, you know, Game Plan teams.
“We play differently based on the opponent we’re playing each week. So you’ll see some different wrinkles, probably from their side as well as our side. So I don’t know how much that’ll carry over.”
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