UCLA Football: UCLA vs Arizona Early Analysis

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Nov 22, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler (6) is pressured by UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes (47) and linebacker Deon Hollins (58) during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

UCLA Offense vs Arizona Defense

We should preface this by saying both of these units will be going through a great deal of transition early in the 2016 season. UCLA has a new offense coordinator in Kennedy Polamalu who will be looking to use power out of more traditional sets. Arizona brought in an entirely new defensive staff and of course they will be working on becoming more comfortable with their new defensive system.

That being said, the UCLA offense should be able to have plenty of success against the Wildcats. The Bruins have the potential for an explosive passing game if they can keep Josh Rosen upright but they may not be looking to pass all that often against the Wildcats. UCLA’s running game should be a major strength and the Arizona defense struggled heavily to stop the run last season and was one of the worst tackling teams I saw all season.

Although Yates was able to field one of the top run defenses at Boise St. I believe he’s still a couple years away from being able to have the same type of success in the desert. He also showed the ability to have multiple fronts and occasionally some exotic looks. At the point when this game takes place, look for Arizona to be focused heavily on fundamentals instead of reinventing the wheel.

UCLA Defense vs Arizona Offense

So the good news for Arizona is that Nick Wilson gets a chance to run for miles again on the Bruins. The bad news? UCLA will have a healthy DT Eddie Vanderdoes to terrorize both quarterbacks and runningbacks. The Bruins return a slew of players who were injured for this match up last season and have another year under defensive coordinator Tom Bradley‘s system. That alone should make the Bruins a better defense not to mention that they brought in a ton of talented players including a few key JUCO transfers who are physically ready to help the defense right away.

Arizona will still feature the patented Rich Rodriguez spread attack that he’s taken everywhere in his career. The Wildcats do have a stable of talented offensive players led by quarterback Solomon and Wilson on the ground.

However they will be replacing a few offensive linemen including their center and that could potentially spell disaster for a team that has been without their starting quarterback numerous times over the past few seasons. Even if the Wildcats spread the UCLA defense out, the Bruins have the players in the back end to contend with even five wide sets.

Next: Final Analysis and Prediction