Go Joe Bruin
Fansided

UCLA Football: UCLA vs. Washington State Early Analysis

By Michael Chavez

Nov 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Mike Leach argues a call during the second quarter against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Mike Leach argues a call during the second quarter against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Nov 14, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Luke Falk (4) throws a pass against the UCLA Bruins in a NCAA football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Luke Falk (4) throws a pass against the UCLA Bruins in a NCAA football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

3 Key Players

QB Luke Falk (RS-Jr)

Last season Falk led the Cougars into Pasadena an underdog against the Bruins. He displayed a toughness bordering on unsafe as he was knocked around constantly by an aggressive UCLA defense. At one point it seemed he had been knocked out of the game and struggled to stand or walk without wobbling.

He was however cleared by the Cougar athletic staff and threw a touchdown with three seconds remaining to steal a victory. He threw for over 4,500 yards and 38 scores in 2015 and there’s no reason to think he can’t repeat that kind of performance with another year in Leach’s air raid offense.

More from Go Joe Bruin

WR Gabe Marks (RS-Sr)

After redshirting in 2014 coming off stellar freshman and sophomore campaigns, Marks struck with a vengeance in 2015. He led the PAC-12 with 8.0 catches a game and his stat line of 104-1,192-15 would make any defensive coordinator nervous. Especially considering you knew he was coming week in and week out and couldn’t be stopped.

At 6’0″ 190lbs Marks is big enough to play outside but can kill you in the slot with his quick feet. It might be a stretch to say but the last time Leach had a receiver like this in his system was Michael Crabtree. If Marks puts together another season like last year’s, remember where you heard it first.

DB Shalom Luani (SR)

It’s been awhile since Washington State had a strong defense. That wasn’t a signature of Leach’s Texas Tech teams either. That being said, this Cougar team has playmakers across each level of the defense and have helped bring this unit really raise their game.

In the backend Luani roams the field as an enforcer, ballhawk, and emotional leader. He racked up 90 tackles, three of which were for loss and had six pass break ups. His four interceptions and two forced fumbles mean he can change the makeup of a game in an instant.

But it’s his ability to come down and really lay the wood that make him a terror on the field. Not the biggest at 6’0 205lbs, he’s drawn comparisons to the legendary Troy Polamalu with their “hair on fire” style and Polynesian heritage.

Stats

  • The Washington State Cougars had five different players with at least 10 tackles for loss in 2015.
  • Cougar QB Falk ranked second in the nation when it came to completion percentage (69.4) in 2015.
  • Josh Rosen’s 57 attempts against WSU last season were his highest number of attempts all season. It also marked a three game slide where his completion percentage dropped under 60%.
  • UCLA holds the lead all time against WSU, 39-20-1 but it was WSU who won the first match up in 1928, 28-0.

Next: Offenses Vs. Defenses