UCLA vs Texas A&M: Aggies In For A Long Day With the Bruin Running Backs

The UCLA offense has three incredible running backs that will go up against a Texas A&M defense that was not very good at stopping the run last year. If the Bruins want to win, the run game could be the key.

How does the UCLA Football team replace Paul Perkins? With three very talented tailbacks. If you have not heard by now, the Bruins are deep at the running back position and they are going to run it down the throats of their opposition.

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Nate Starks, Soso Jamabo and Bolu Olorunfunmi will be the three-headed monster that the Bruins will look to lead the ground game.

Last season Perkins ran for 1,343 yards. Combined, Starks, Jamabo and Olorunfunmi did not match that, but what we did see in 2015 is a lot of promise for the future.

Jamabo came in as a 5-star recruit and did not fail to produce in his true freshman year. He played in all 13 games last season and accumulated 404 yards with 4 touchdowns and an average of 6.1 yard per run. He is a tall back that has some elusive moves and has been working on staying low and making quicker cuts to enhance his game.

Though UCLA is going to cycle in all three RBs, Jamabo could be the one Bruin that gets consistent starts.

The Bruins also have an upper classmen in their midst as Starks will bring experience to the group. For the last two seasons he has backed up Perkins and did a fine job doing so. His skill comes in the form of tough, bruising runs. If any RB could claim the nickname “the human wrecking ball”, it is Starks.

Starks has excellent control of his body, stays low and his solid form allows him to take and give hits which allows him to get a few more yards after contact. Last season he had 334 yards, 4 TDs and a team high 6.4 yards per carry.

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The hybrid of both is Olorunfunmi. He has speed like Jamabo and a bulldozing mentality like Starks. He only played in seven games last year with 198 yards, but from what we saw then, in spring and in fall camp, he is only getting better. He looks faster and more elusive which makes us quite happy.

What that means in the big picture is UCLA will have three solid pieces to run the ground game and we will see that against Texas A&M.

Now here is the thing about that, though the Aggies have several very good players on the defensive line like Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, they had a bad time stopping the run last season as the Texas A&M defense gave up 213.7 yards per game.

The Aggies gave up just over 5 yards per run against their opponents, so if these three Bruins keep up with their averages and continue to run over 5 yards per play, needless to say, that will be a very good thing against Texas A&M. With UCLA looking to add power to their sets, if the Bruins stick with the run game, they will wear down Texas A&M.

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The Aggies are going to take risks and may even get to QB Josh Rosen and a few RBs in the backfield, so the Bruins have to counter that with smart play from their three-headed monster. If the Bruins run, run, run, they will be able to control the pace in this game and possibly rack up several yards in the process. That will lead to a Bruin victory.

Go Bruins!