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UCLA Football: Survival of the Offense-QB’s

By Michael Chavez

Oct 8, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) against the Arizona State Sun Devils 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 at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The UCLA Football team lost a number on contributors on defense last year but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about the guys lost on offense. Starting out on the offensive side of the coin I take a look at the quarterback situation in 2017.

Last year was one of the worst offensive performances for this UCLA Football team. While there were many factors contributing to this, one that was easy to focus on was the loss of Josh Rosen to a shoulder injury midway through the season.

Prior to his injury, this offense was still struggling to produce with an average of 26 points per game over the first six games.

After the injury the offense predictably struggled even more by averaging only 23 points in the final six games. On the season, the Bruins were held to 14 points or less five times.

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The man leading the charge in the final six games was Mike Fafaul but the lack of consistent offense cannot be laid at his feet. Just as Rosen struggled because of the offensive circumstances, so too was Fafaul a victim.

The Bruins had no running game to speak of and the line could barely protect. Receivers caught a case of the drops that could have rivaled the bubonic plague.

Now Fafaul is gone and it’s time to re-evaluate the depth as the Bruins search for a new number two and find out just how well healed Rosen is.

Who’s Gone: Mike Fafaul

Who’s New: Austin Burton

Breakdown:

All reports from spring seem to agree that Rosen’s shoulder is back as good as before. He’s demonstrating the ability to drive the ball and show touch when he needs it. His arm is a rare one and he can make every throw with deadly accuracy when given time in the pocket.

He can also throw from a multitude of platforms and arm angles. While not a particularly mobile QB, Rosen has quick and active feet that help him slide in the pocket. Rolling to his right he can be a surgeon but he will trust his arm too much and occasionally makes throws back across his body that are ill-advised.

Scanning the field isn’t a problem for him but he will get into streaks of locking onto a target early without looking off coverage. However, Rosen is still one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football and will likely have a bounce back year with an offense that is a little more tailored to his skill set and protecting him.