UCLA Football Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley should not be underestimated. In fact, he and his Bruins should be feared.
Like the Wu-Tang Clan, Tom Bradley and his defense ain’t nothin’ to [mess] with. In his third year with the UCLA Football team, Bradley has turned the Bruins defense into one of the most stingy and efficient defenses in the Pac-12.
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With the 2017 season nearly upon us, we could be looking at the next stage in the Bruin defense’s evolution as they transform into a squad that could be the most feared in Pac-12 (and dare I write “the nation”?). Teams on UCLA’s schedule should take note.
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“Yo, there is no place to hide as I step inside the room.”
This is year three in the Bradley era and in that time the DC has been paired with three different offensive coordinators. As The Bruins struggled to find offensive consistency with three OCs in as many years, Bradley has calmed the waters on defense (interestingly enough, he was UCLA’s third DC in three years when he started).
When Head Coach Jim Mora first took the job, as a “defensive guy”, he wanted the Bruins to defined by a tough defense and that all started with Lou Spanos who made the Bruins as tough as anyone in the conference in Mora’s first two years.
Unfortunately, he abandoned his post as his love for the NFL landed him a gig with the Tennessee Titans. In Mora’s third year, he promoted Jeff Ulbrich to DC. Ulbrich did not seem to be the best fit in this position (remember the “beard grab”?), and like Spanos, eventually returned to the NFL.
Mora then went outside his comfort zone to find a new DC. Instead of hiring or promoting someone in his coaching tree, he had his sights on a coach that knows exactly how to handle a defense and would be dedicated to the game of college football. Former Penn State Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley met that criteria with flying colors.
Many looked to Bradley’s pedigree as a reason to believe that he would bring balance and success to the defense. In his last final seven seasons at Penn State, Bradley had the Nittany Lions ranked third in the nation in scoring defense and fifth in total defense. In 2005, Bradley was named AP Defensive Coordinator of the Year.
Things were going to change for UCLA, but like all things, it would take some time.
“Dr. Doom, prepare for the BOOM!”
In his first season, Bradley started to show that he was once again a professor of defense as he had the Bruins make strides from previous season.
Mora has done a great job recruiting solid defensive players, so Bradley did not necessarily have the cupboard bare. In his first season he was able to work with players like Ishmael Adams, Fabian Moreau, Kenny Clark, Myles Jack and Deon Hollins. The only thing he had to figure out is how they could all work together under his guidance.
2015 Defensive Stats
- Total Defense: 401.7 (5th in Pac-12)
- Scoring Defense: 26.0 (5th)
- Rush Defense: 198.5 (8th)
- Pass Defense: 203.2 (1st)
- Pass Def. Efficiency: 113.4 (1st)
- Interceptions: 12 (9)
They were improving, but they also displayed a certain level of toughness. No one could necessarily say that the Bruin defense did not do their part as it takes two sides to win a football game. Still, they looked good under Bradley’s tutelage, but there was a blemish on his first season: the run defense. This became more and more evident in the Bruins’ final games of the 2015 season as teams ran right through the defensive line.
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The good news was that the run defense seemed to be the only problem, which Bradley focused on correcting heading into his second season. Because of that, his defense took a step forward, but not many people saw this.
2016 Defensive Stats
- Total Defense: 382.0 (5th in Pac-12)
- Scoring Defense: 27.5 (7th)
- Rush Defense: 171.5 (8th)
- Pass Defense: 210.5 (3rd)
- Pass Def. Efficiency: 105.8 (2nd)
- Interceptions: 15 (4th)
Unfortunately, no one really noticed the defensive improvements as the Bruins stumbled on the offensive side of the ball. It also did not help when Josh Rosen went down with an injury in game six and was out for the season. That put a lot of pressure on the defense.
“Coming’ to a fork in the road, which way to go? Just follow.”
With anything and everything going wrong on the offensive side of the ball, the defense had to be the saviors, to a certain point. Unfortunately the Bruins’ woes were too much to overcome and UCLA fell to 4-8 on the season, missing a bowl game for the first time in Mora’s tenure.
With the offense producing more four and outs than than touchdowns, that meant the defense was on the field more often than not. They were tired. They were beat. They were overworked. Sill, they were mighty.
UCLA’s Offensive Production
- 2015: Total 465.8 (6th), Scoring 32.2 (7th), T.O.P. 25:55 (12th)
- 2016: Total 379.8 (10th), Scoring 24.9 (11th), T.O.P. 26:44 (10th)
*Stats in ( ) determine Pac-12 ranking, T.O.P. Is time of possession.
In 2015, the defense had to work with a Noel Mazzone offense that got down the field and scored quickly (hence the low T.O.P.). In 2016, the defense had to deal with a Kenndy Polamalu offense that barely got down the field. Despite the imbalance in offensive/defensive play, Bradley’s guys did all they could to hold teams back, but that was to change as several defenders would be gone after the season.
After 2016, questions arose about how the team would be as a whole with the defense losing several key players. As the stength of the team, the defense was one of the few shining lights, and it seemed to be dimming after going 4-8, but for those that truly pay attention to UCLA Football know that Bradley’s defense was far from depleted and would continue to shine bright
Losing Eddie Vanderdoes, Jayon Brown, Fabian Moreau and the one and only Takkarist McKinley would be a problem at most schools, but most schools don’t have a coach like Bradley.
The Bruins have recruited well, they have developed their players and with Bradley in charge, the defense heads into every season and every game prepped and ready for battle. That is why it should be no surprise that the Bruins will continue to be tough heading into 2017.
“It ain’t safe no more.”
The Bruins might have lost several players on defense after the 2016 season, but they have a lot of upperclassmen ready to step into leadership roles as well as several young players that will make an impact in this season.
Players like Kenny Young, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and Jaleel Wadood will lead the defense with their experience. Most of these upperclassmen have been in Westwood since Bradley got there. With Bradley and his players functioning under the same mindset, they have grown together in the DC’s defensive system.
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That mindset is now being embedded into younger players which look to keeping the defense competitive and fierce going forward.
Just as we have seen every year in the Mora era, we will continue to see several young athletes play heavy minutes if they are up to the task. Boss Tagaloa, Lokeni Toailoa, Darnay Holmes and Jaelan Phillips will all have their names attached to big plays under the teachings of Bradley and his staff. UCLA has done an excellent job of spotting talent on the defensive side and putting that talent in the best position to succeed.
The point is, UCLA is not going to have a dropoff on defense from year to year, not with Bradley in charge. He may tinker with his formations to utilize stronger, deeper position groups (going from 4-3 to 5-2 to nickel and back again), but he will always have his players ready.
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The Bruins might have lost a bevy of defenders, but all they do is reload. This is why Bradley’s defense needs to be respected (and feared), especially if the UCLA offense can be more productive than the last two years. If the defense is rested (and on the field less than the offense), they well bring hell with them. Know this.