The UCLA Football team travels to Memphis to take on the Tigers Saturday 12 p.m. in the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Here’s everything to expect in the Bruins’ first road game of the season.
It took a historic 34-point comeback against Texas A&M, before trouncing the Hawaii Warriors, for this UCLA Football team to find themselves 2-0 and number 25 in the AP Top 25 poll to start the season.
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PAC-12 play is just one more week away, but the Bruins can’t overlook their next opponent, the 1-0 Memphis Tigers, if they want to have a spotless record come conference competition.
"Did You Know… Before being named the Tigers in 1914, the team was referred to as the Blue and Gray Warriors of West Tennessee Normal School. Team names have since become more creative."
Memphis has all the tools to cause UCLA problems. Their linebackers can cover the pass and get into the backfield, and on offense, the Tigers have a deadly running back duo in Patrick Taylor Jr. and Darrell Henderson. Although the Bruins won their only matchup with Memphis 42-35 in 2014, it’s a new season, and UCLA would regret taking the Tigers lightly.
Memphis Offense
In their first game of the season, Memphis used their potent rushing attack to wear down the University of Louisiana-Monroe’s defense. Taylor Jr. got that game going with a 66-yard touchdown run, while Henderson tacked on touchdowns of 55 and 63 yards as the match progressed. Taylor Jr. finished with 131 yards in total, while Henderson finished with 169.
These video game-like numbers did come against a Warhawks team not known at all for their defense. They allowed opponents to score 39 points per game against them a season ago, which explains how Memphis was able to hang 37 points on Louisiana-Monroe with such ease. Against the run, the Warhawks allowed opposing runners 260.4 yards per game.
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This would be comforting news, if UCLA hadn’t already demonstrated an inability to stop the run so far in 2017. Trayveon Williams (203 yards, two touchdowns) and Keith Ford (114 yards, three touchdowns), had a field day agains the Bruins’ defense, and were the main reason UCLA needed to come back from 34 points down against Texas A&M. Even against a Hawaii team they dominated 56-23, the Bruins allowed Warriors running back Diocemy Saint Juste to run for 154 yards with a 5.7 yards per average.
A bright spot in UCLA’s front seven has been true freshman defensive end, Jaelan Phillips, who’s 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks are the best in both category. His propensity for making plays in the backfield will be looked to in order to stifle Memphis’ running backs. A defensive line of Phillips, Rick Wade, Osa Odighizuwa, and Keisean Lucier-South, look good on paper, so hopefully their struggles against the run are growing pains as the unit gels.
If they can slow down Taylor Jr. and Henderson, UCLA still has to contend with quarterback Riley Ferguson. Ferguson was named to the Manning Award Trophy Watch List in the offseason, and despite having a rough first game to start the year, he threw for 3,698 yards with 32 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions in 2016.
Ferguson will have his top target in Anthony Miller back this season, a year removed from a 1,434 yard, 14 touchdown season. The Bruins’ secondary has been strong against the pass, allowing just one touchdown per game, but have only collected one interception, which Darnay Holmes took 30-yards to the house for a touchdown against Hawaii.
They have been fortunate however in playing against Texas A&M’s Nick Starkel and Kellen Mond, and Hawaii’s Dru Brown. Ferguson will be the first real test for UCLA Football, and it will be very telling to see how they respond to good quarterback play, before taking on the likes of Sam Darnold, Luke Falk, and Jake Browning.
Memphis Defense
UCLA’s offensive line can take a bit of a breather this week, as getting to the quarterback is not Memphis’ strength on defense. In 2016, they tallied just 23 sacks in 12 games, which averages out to less than two sacks per game. Linebacker Gerald Avery led the team with five, but left the game against Louisiana-Monroe with an undisclosed injury before registering a sack. Avery is probable to play against UCLA.
"Did You Know… Memphis’ school colors of blue and gray were selected in the early 1900s to show unity as America recovered from the Civil War."
While the Tigers’ linebackers don’t often take down the opposing quarterback, the unit excels in pass coverage, Avery was one of five players with two interceptions last season, both of which he returned for touchdowns. Curtis Atkins, who had one interception last season, is also doing his part to cover the field in 2017, defending two passes in the game against the Warhawks.
When hot-hand QB, Josh Rosen, completes a pass against these linebackers, don’t think UCLA’s offense is out of the woods yet. Against Louisiana-Monroe, Avery forced two fumbles, while linebacker Tim Hart forced a third. The Bruins are fortunate to have a strong receiving tight end in Caleb Wilson, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Wilson struggles a bit against an equally strong linebacking core.
Memphis’s secondary took a hit with the loss of Arthur Maulet and Chris Morley. Both defensive backs had two interceptions in 2016, with Maulet defending 12 passes as well. This doesn’t mean that the Tigers’ secondary is full of holes, however.
Austin Hall, a redshirt sophomore, stands at 6’2” and 205 pounds, and has Memphis’ lone interception of the young season. His height will allow him to matchup with any one of Jordan Lasley, Theo Howard, or Eldridge Massington. True freshman Terrell Carter (6’2”, 185 pounds) has the size to cover any receiver Hall isn’t on.
Over the top Memphis has safeties Shaun Rupert (6’1”, 195 pounds) and Jonathan Cook (6’0”, 198 pounds), who combined for 10 total tackles, and three defended passes. Cook proved to be the ballhawk the team needed at free safety last season, defending against eight passes, good for second behind Maulet.
The Tigers are also adequately prepared to take on slot receiver Darren Andrews, who has already amassed five touchdowns in two games. Aside from Memphis’ linebackers covering the middle of the field, the combination of Christian Slaughter, Tito Windham, and Tim Gordon may be tough to figure out.
Final Word
A non-conference game against the likes of Memphis spells trap game. With all of the tools the Tigers have at their disposal, this UCLA Football team will lose if they get caught looking ahead to Stanford. That being said, it’s hard to imagine the Bruins won’t take this match up seriously, and should come out the winners of this game.
When Rosen has time in the pocket, which he should on Saturday, he makes magic happen. He may have trouble finding his targets at times with the variety of pass defenders Memphis has, but Rosen will ultimately have success against this secondary.
The backfield of Ferguson, Taylor Jr., and Henderson will cause problems for UCLA’s defense, and all signs point to a good old-fashioned shootout. Fortunately, UCLA has the best gunslinger in the country in Rosen.
Prediction
UCLA 45 – Memphis 31