Myles Jack and Coach Jim Mora return to Washington this Saturday. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Bruins against Washington at Husky Stadium this Saturday:
1) Stop the Shaq Attack
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Washington has had little going in the run game before pulling
Shaq Thompson
from the defense to tote the rock the last 2 games. Against ASU and Colorado, Thompson has averaged 136 YPG and 7.5 YPC while playing minimally on the defense. UCLA needs to shut down the run and force QB
Cyler Miles
and the Washington offense beat them through the air.
2) Avoid Foot-Shooting on Offense
Betsided
The UCLA offense only scored 17 points last week against Arizona which is roughly only half of there usual output in 2014. While the Bruins may have had trouble putting up points, the UCLA offense very rarely put the defense in a bad position against Arizona. In the Utah, Oregon, Cal and Colorado games almost half of the Bruins offensive drives ended without a 1st down or ended in a turnover (27 of 55 drives over those 4 games). Against Arizona, the Bruin offense had only 3 such drives out of 13 total possessions and never put their defense behind the 8 ball (even with all of the penalties). The result was the Bruins best defensive effort of the year. UCLA will have the opportunity to take shots at the Washington defense, but they need to play smart and control the ball first and foremost.
3) Be Patient
There are match-ups for UCLA to exploit on both sides of the ball against the Huskies, but they need to avoid early mistakes and pounce on their opportunities. On defense, the Washington front 7 is loaded with experienced NFL caliber talent. Will Shelton, Hau’oli Kikaha and possibly Shaq Thompson will all be looking to force a big play against the Bruins and seize some momentum for UW. However, its possible that the Washington secondary may play as many as 4 freshman at a time this Saturday. The Bruins need to absorb the fury of the Washington defense early and wear them out with the running game. The inexperience of the UW secondary can then best be exploited via play action and deep routes set up by the Bruins short passing game. Likewise, the Bruin defense needs to protect against big plays and have enough discipline to stop the UW running attack. UCLA needs to force Washington to make long drives in order to convert 3rd downs and scores
(an area that has not been a strength for Washington all year).
The November record is 1-0. The Bruins need to get a win at Husky Stadium and then head into the bye week to prepare for the Crosstown Showdown against the Trojans.
Can I get an 8-Clap?