UCLA Football: Return of the Jedd eye – An offensive force awakens
The UCLA Football team is in a resurgence with their offense and that is due to the eye of Offensive Coordinator Jedd Fisch, but that shouldn’t be a surprise after seeing what he did at Michigan.
I do not want to jump to conclusions, but it seems as though there is a new hope with the UCLA Football team. After the empire, I mean USC, struck back, along with a few other Pac-12 teams, the Bruins became the whipping post of the conference last season. In the off-season, they were a team that was unknown, but now UCLA is turning into a rogue one.
RELATED: UCLA cracks the AP Top 25 after blowout of Hawaii
The reason for this is the return of Jedd Fisch’s keen eye for offense. Last season, the Bruins had an abysmal offensive system which led them to a 4-8 season. After they struggled to move the ball, there was not a lot of optimism that UCLA could turn things around, even with Fisch. But seeing what he did in his previous position, hope in the new offense should be strong amongst the Bruin faithful.
Before he was at UCLA, Fisch was the passing game coordinator at Michigan (and occasionally called plays) and his two years in Ann Arbor helped turn that offense into one of the most potent in the Big 10 conference.
Michigan Offensive Stats
| Year | Scoring Offense | Total Offense | Passing Offense | Rushing Offense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 20.9 pts (13) | 333.0 yds (14) | 170.2 (11) | 162.8 (8) |
| 2015 | 31.4 (4) | 395.9 (4) | 237.7 (4) | 158.2 (8) |
| 2016 | 40.0 (1) | 424.9 (4) | 212.0 (7) | 212.9 (2) |
( ) -Big Ten ranking
In 2014, Michigan was at the bottom of most major offensive statistics. Things changed when Fisch implemented his style with the quarterbacks and the passing game which led to huge strides with the Wolverine offense as a whole.
More from Go Joe Bruin
- UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
- UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
- UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
- UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
- UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show
There is a reason Head Coach Jim Mora wanted Fisch at UCLA and in the early part of this season, we are starting to see why.
Like Michigan before Fisch got to UCLA, the Bruins were not a very efficient offensive team in 2016. Even when Josh Rosen played, the offense could not generate a lot of touchdowns, yards and or even a ground game.
Once Fisch got to UCLA, he said that he wanted to formulate schemes around the talent that he already has and not force his players into an ill-fitting offense like last season. Well lucky for him he has one of the biggest talents in the country in quarterback Josh Rosen.
Not only has he improved the overall production of the offense, but he is making Rosen thrive right now. Already, we are hearing Heisman talk for the “Chosen One”.
2017 UCLA Stats (Through 2 games)
Scoring Offense – 50.5 (2nd in Pac-12), Total Offense – 529.5 (3rd), Passing Offense 432.0 (1st)
It is all coming together for the Bruins and it is because of Fisch. His eye for offense is going to make UCLA a force to be reckoned with.
Understandably, it is early in 2017, and the Bruins really need to be tested with this offense (UCLA takes on Stanford in two weeks), but what we have seen from FIsch’s offense is a bit of a breath of fresh air.
Video is by
.
Next: Now all eyes will be on Rosen
If the offensive line holds, if the Bruins can get a ground game going and if the defense can help out with a little bit of stability, there is a force that will be awakened in this UCLA Football team.