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UCLA Football: What if Josh Rosen Can’t Play?

By Mike Regalado

Oct 8, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2016 UCLA Football season could be in danger (if not already) if QB Josh Rosen cannot play after sustaining two injuries in the Arizona State game.

It went through every UCLA Football fan’s mind after QB Josh Rosen was chased down by three Arizona State defensemen and sacked way behind the line of scrimmage: What if Josh Rosen has such a severe injury, he cannot play going forward?

The sophomore quarterback was running for his life against the ASU defense as he was pressured on more than half of his plays. It eventually caught up to him, literally,

With UCLA down by three with just over six minutes to go late in the Arizona State game, Rosen was pushing his team to get down the field. Unfortunately, the offensive line forgot to push the Sun Devil pass rush back and allowed three defenders to chase Rosen.

Related Story: UCLA Football and the Putrid Offense

Rosen was running for the sideline, looking for an open receiver. None were open, the defense caught up to him and dropped him to the ground. He came up holding his wrist and he was done for the game. Backup QB Mike Fafaul came in once again and was not able to do a darn thing.

Fafaul had to finish the game and try to get UCLA another score. With no timeouts and time winding down, Fafaul was sacked twice and picked off. UCLA lost.

Oct 8, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Koron Crump (4) and Edmond Boateng (97) in the fourth quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils defeated the Bruins 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Koron Crump (4) and Edmond Boateng (97) in the fourth quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils defeated the Bruins 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

For a more detailed analysis of what went down at the end of this game, check out Go Joe Bruin author Ashley Tellier‘s take on the situation in her article, UCLA Football: Backup QB Issues are a Symptom of a Bigger Problem.

If Rosen cannot play in the next game (or next few games), the Bruins are in trouble.

We already know the Bruins do not have a run game to fall back on and their offense is strictly coming through the air.

Rosen is averaging 319.2 yards per game, so if Rosen is sidelined, there is very little chance UCLA will be successful going forward as they are struggling with a “putrid” offense (Jim Mora‘s word, not ours).

It appears that Rosen’s injury is not season-ending, but if he misses enough games, UCLA’s season could end sooner than later.

If needed, UCLA could salvage their season if the talents of true freshmen Devon Modster or Matt Lynch (which are a step above Fafaul’s) can hold the offense together, but seeing as how Fafaul was far from prepared to replace Rosen, it is hard to believe these two will be in a better situation.

Next: Bruins Lose to Themselves, ASU Involved

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So as of now, let us hope that Rosen will be healthy and can forge ahead. If he cannot, then UCLA will have a tough time trying to win the Pac-12 South Division. In the mean time, the UCLA coaches have to get the backup QBs up to speed. If they do not, then the goal for the season will morph from “winning the Pac-12” to “trying to be bowl eligible”.