UCLA Football: Grading The Bruins’ Defense Vs. California
Secondary: F-
Bob Stanton-US PRESSWIRE
You can’t fail a class with an “F-minus” but because this is a pervasive issue, we’re going to give the secondary the worst possible score they can receive.
Because it was that group that Tedford had game-planned for all week. It was apparent that Cal knew the secondary was a major target for the Berkeley offense, especially when Cal wide-outs Keenan Allen and Richard Rodgers are lining up opposite Aaron Hester and Sheldon Price, two UCLA corners that have struggled mightily since being torched by Sean Mannion and the Oregon State offense a few weeks ago.
And it worked to perfection for the Bears. Fifteen of Maynard’s 25 completions when tot Rodgers and Allen, and 208 of Maynard’s 295 yards were thrown to those two wide-outs. It was clear that Hester and Price were going to be massively over-matched, and when the two corners are getting burned on nearly every pass play, it makes the jobs of solid players like safety Tevin McDonald that much harder.
Nothing is changing with this UCLA secondary. Aaron Hester was the clearly the worst player on the field for UCLA and Sheldon Price wasn’t far behind, but both continue to start. Jim Mora hasn’t been shy about burying players he liked initially in the depth chart — have you seen Steven Manfro much the past two games? Me neither — but Hester and Price are still starters halfway through the season.