UCLA Football: 50 Days to Kickoff, 50 Things to Look For in 2016

11. Defensive Backs On Top of the Pac

Last season, UCLA had horrible run defense, which is probably why teams ran the ball more than the passed against UCLA. Still, the Bruins were pretty solid defending the air and they return four starters from last season. It seems logical the Bruins will continue to be a solid pass defense team.

12. Jim Mora’s Separation

We haven’t really talked about Jim Mora’s separation here at Go Joe Bruin, because it’s none of our business. But there is the lingering worried that Mora will be a bit distracted this year. Will that affect how he runs the team?

13. Balance of Power

Last year the Bruins had an awkward balance between offense and defense. With the offense using a more uptempo style of play, they were often off the field quickly after a quick score or three and out, putting a tired defense back on the field. Can the new offense kill the clock or will the D be on the field double the time the offense is (again)?

14. The Punt and Position Game

The punting game was atrocious for UCLA last year. We’re not exactly sure what happen with Matt Mengel and the experiment with Kenneth Walker, but it was an overall failure. Because of it, this caused a lot of field position problems that gave way too many advantages to Bruin opponents. That changes this year as UCLA gets #2 punter in the nation, Austin Kent and we cannot wait to see how he improves the punting game.

15. The Backup QB Battle

Not only does UCLA have a solid quarterback, but they also have potentially three solid backup quarterbacks. This fall it’s going to be interesting to see who is the number two. Devon Modster, Matt Lynch or (long shot) Dymond Lee.

Next: 16-20