UCLA Football: Necessary Improvements vs. Memphis
By Rick Timmons
Aug 30, 2014; Charlottesville, VA, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive linemen line up against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Hopefully you saw last weeks game as UCLA opened the season against Virginia, and hopefully, you can erase most of it from your memory. Most of the defensive performance, because that’s out the window tonight; not to mention that was most of the game. It doesn’t matter how well the defense preforms, should the offense play that atrociously again, this game could ruin a season. Brett Hundley was outstanding last week, though not statistically. The only room for improvement is that at times he was looking for the deep ball when the short pass was wide open. Other than that, Hundley isn’t a concern tonight.
They say games are won in the trenches, and UCLA seemingly had no trenches. Never before have I seen such a poor performance from the offensive line of a heavy favorite. Without protection, offenses cant move. As far as I’m concerned, if the line isn’t unrecognizable in comparison to last week, you can consider it a failure.
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Furthermore, Paul Perkins need more touches running the ball — and he’ll likely get them with the sad news that Steven Manfro is done for the season. Again, though, Perkins might as well be Todd Gurley and produce the same amount if the line can’t open holes bigger than the tip of a sewing needle.
Finally, the receivers need to catch balls. By definition, a receiver is “a player who catches a pass or a kick.” Not a player who touches a pass or kick, not a player who runs a route, not even a player who runs a route, sheds coverage, and has the ball passed to him. No, a receiver catches the ball, and by all that is holy UCLA football didn’t do that enough against Virgina. Starting with Logan Sweet‘s dropped pass on the opening drive, the game was atrocious. Sponsors seemignly included Butterfingers and that grease on your hands after you eat a Chipotle quesadilla. It was even concerning, that not only were those passes dropped, but they were dropped by the likes of Devin Fuller and Devin Lucien, along with other standouts amongst this UCLA squad. Even a guy like Logan Sweet, who showed the “mitas touch” this off-season and through training camp, was the broken connection on crucial third downs.
If all that isn’t fixed against Memphis this week, UCLA is in real trouble, and their doubters may be proven right. Nonetheless, with the coaching staff they have, no other team in the nation is more likely to adjust in a pressured environment. Kickoff is at 7:00 as the Tigers visit the Rose Bowl.