How Good was UCLA Football's Win over BYU?

Now that the dust has settled, rankings have been updated, and the talking heads have opined, I’m curious about what UCLA fans thought about UCLA Football’s victory over BYU on Saturday.

1. Covered in Glory

UCLA had a great win against a top opponent on Saturday. The defense was dominant, the offense showed its versatility, and the coaches did a great job of making creative adjustments and of managing the emotions of a team facing unexpected adversity. BYU played the kind of physical, aggressive game that has traditionally been the Bruins’ undoing, but UCLA held strong. Whoever won this game was going to be a top-5 caliber team, and UCLA’s victory demonstrated that they’re the team to beat in the Pac-12.

Sep 19, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Jordan Payton (9) is congratulated by UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Conor McDermott (68) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Rose Bowl. Ucla won 24-23.Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

2. Encouraging

UCLA had a good win against a non-cupcake. The defense kept the game from getting out of control until the offense could figure out how to move the ball. The offensive line did a good job run blocking and, while they did allow Josh Rosen to be pressured, did not allow a sack. Rosen’s performance shows that our post-UVA hopes were a little unrealistic but that the offense can still fall back on a more conservative approach to find success. It was frustrating to see UCLA have trouble with another physical team, but good to see the Bruins pull out the win.

3. That Don’t Impress Me Much

Eh. The Bruins were supposed to win, and they did. Despite the two touchdown line before the game, it looks like these were two very evenly matched teams. We know as little now about Rosen as we did before the season. Penalties are the same problem as always. Noel Mazzone showed the same unwillingness to make adjustments until absolutely necessary. This game tells me nothing about what to expect from UCLA as we enter conference play.

4. Discouraging

Rosen absolutely imploded, and yet Jim Mora was either too stubborn to turn to Jerry Neuheisel in relief or the quarterback competition was never really as close as he let on. After a week of talking about how dirty BYU was, it was the Bruins with the same old bone-headed penalties to extend BYU’s drives. Losing Kenny Young on the first drive was an embarrassment. The defense’s reliance on a soft scheme in the 4th quarter just shows that it’s not good enough to bail out this offense for an entire game. The best thing about Saturday was the final score in the Coliseum across town.

5. Fire Everyone!

Mora is a clown-fraud who didn’t have the team ready to play, and BYU punched the Bruins square in the teeth from the opening kickoff. The lack of discipline was alarming, if not surprising. It was only the overwhelming talent differential that kept UCLA in the game. Mazzone has no idea how to manage his running backs. Why was Soso Jamabo getting meaningful carries in the first half? Tom Bradley‘s soft prevent defense was reminiscent of the worst of Joe Tresey or Larry Kerr. Despite all the talent, UCLA is essentially equivalent to an independent G5 team. We’re going to get eaten alive by Arizona, Arizona State, Stanford, Utah, USC, and maybe even Cal.

I think what it comes down to are how you answer these two questions: how good is BYU? and how worrying is Rosen’s performance? Let me know. Hit me up on Twitter if you want to tell me how you voted and any additional thoughts you might have.

Next: Coaching Notes from UCLA's Win over BYU

How Good was UCLA Football’s Win over BYU? – Poll

By Nathan Eberhardt | Sep 22, 2015