UCLA Football Showcases Themselves, Several Players Standout

The Offense

The tweaks Head Coach Jim Mora and Offensive Coordinator Kennedy Polamalu have implemented will definitely add a new dimension to the offense, but know that there will not just be a ground and pound mentality. With QB Josh Rosen looking even better heading into his second year, the Bruins are going to be slinging the ball around plenty.

The receivers still look to be adjusting to the new system, but given time, they will continue to thrive. That is good knowing that the run game is going to be very good (I will discuss individual players shortly).

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The defense looked very good, especially when engaging the run. The UCLA Football team ran an interesting drill called the 9-on-7 which is specifically designed to create contact.

This drill allowed the defense to focus on the RB and often got into the backfield, though it did reveal that if running backs break through the first line of coverage, the next line was a bit suspect. This mostly had to do with the excellent group of running backs the Bruins are utilizing.

As for scrimmages, the offense continued to look a lot more fluid than they have been in Spring Practice. Last season I would often joke that former Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone only ran five plays. That is not the case now.

Rosen had several options at running back (which have shown to make plays on a consistent basis), had the use of fullbacks in the run, showed several options in the flat, receivers were running between 5 and 50-yard routes… needless to say, it was a breathe of fresh air not being able to predict the next play.

Next: The Defense