UCLA at Arizona: Keys to Victory
UCLA heads to Tucson with a true freshman quarterback on offense and a defense that has been decimated by injury. Here’s are the Bruins Keys to Victory when they face the Arizona Wildcats this Saturday night.
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1. Continue Running the Ball –
The Wildcats play a 3-3-5 defense that will probably look pretty similar on many occasions to what the BYU defense showed the Bruins last week. There will be blitzes from unpredictable angles and layers of zone coverage attempting to masquerade as man to man defense. All the chaos the Cats defense attempts to create can be negated if the Bruin offensive line and running backs block and run in the same fashion they did against BYU. If the zone blocking and and running works then the Bruins will be able to accomplish Key #2…
Rosen needs to pass from a position of power. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
2. Allow quarterback Josh Rosen to Take it Slow – The Bruins are going to need Rosen to make big plays this season, but he is still learning on the fly and coming off of his worst game. If the running game is working, Rosen can make decisions from a position of power and take shots at unpredictable moments. If the Bruin offense is in 3rd and long situations too much, the chances of big mistakes from Rosen rise dramatically. UCLA will not survive another three turnover outing (four if you count the onside kick recovery by BYU). With all of the recent defensive injuries, the Bruins need to be productive and controlling on offense. That leads to Key #3 . . .
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3. Play Loose on Defense –
Nobody (except the Bruin players and coaches I’m sure) expect the Bruins to be able absorb the stunning losses from all three levels of the defense (
Eddie Vanderdoes, Myles Jack and Fabian Moreau
). Its unclear what kind of shape the reinstated Ishmael Adams will be in and the Bruins will be playing defensive backs that are wither out of position or inexperienced. In spite of all that the Bruins need to keep their swagger and keep attacking. Whatever talent the Bruins are missing, they are still loaded compared to any of the teams the Wildcats have faced so far.
Go Bruins
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