Coming off a pummeling at the hands of the Stanford Cardinal this UCLA Football program needs a quick rebound win. They’ll play host to the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday but will this be the bounce back win the Bruins need or will the defense again sink the ship?
Last year Colorado took a little trip in a time machine and was the surprise winner of the PAC-12 South in eyebrow raising fashion. If the stars were aligned for them last year this year they’ve been a bit askew. After taking care of a rather pedestrian out of conference schedule the Buffaloes, just like the UCLA Football team, ran into a PAC-12 North wood chipper. Only instead of the Cardinal it was the Washington Huskies to the tune of a 37-10 loss.
Both teams need a win, especially in conference play to potentially salvage their seasons. The Bruins played a defensive, quagmire of a game last season before eventually losing 20-10 and in 2015 barely escaped with a 35-31 win in the Rose Bowl.
Washington shut down the best weapons Colorado could bring to bear and forced their young QB into three interceptions as he struggled to make plays happen for his team. Defensively this Colorado team is still struggling to find consistency especially after giving up 21 points to Northern Colorado raised some eyebrows. Those doubts were confirmed for some with the dominance of the Huskies during the game.
So this becomes the battle of not just teams looking to bounce back but for a pair of defenses looking to wipe some egg off their faces. Someone will lose this game. One team will end their night 1-1 in conference play while one will fall to a dreaded 0-2 standing.
Colorado Buffaloes Offense
Get ready for some anxiety. The Buffaloes want to run the football and have one of the better running backs in the PAC-12 to get it done with. RB Phillip Lindsay has been in school for what feels like almost ten years now and he’s only getting better and better. He’s not a big back at all and even 5 years ago someone might look at him and call him a scat-back but don’t be mistaken, he’s a bellcow for Colorado. Washington was able to shut him down with their massive defensive line and active linebackers but he shouldn’t be taken lightly. Can this UCLA Football defense known for porous run defense finally find the recipe for success?
The quarterback position is one of concern for the Buffs. Steven Montez takes over for Sefo Liufau after he brought the program back to relevance. Gifted with an NFL ready frame and a rocket arm, Montez has plenty of solid targets to throw to and a competent offensive line but is still young and relatively inexperienced. He can be rattled in the pocket and can be a little careless with the ball but if he can improve his fundamentals and the staff doesn’t coach the gunslinger out of him I expect to see him give the PAC-12 fits for awhile.
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On the outside the Buffaloes are well stocked with pass catchers including a guy who Montez should look for with more frequency. Shay Fields is another guy who feels like he’s spend the better part of the decade in college but has always been a sleeper. He’s sneaky fast and although he’s smaller in frame, he’s been a reliable pass catcher the past three seasons. He’s adjusting to a new QB but his talents are evident with the ball in his hand. He’s not doing it alone either. Keep an eye on Juwann Winfree who might have some of the strongest hands on the team. He’s a bigger guy at six-foot-three, 210 pounds but has the agility of a jitterbug receiver.
This offensive line could give the UCLA Football defense plenty of trouble. They’re large, athletic and the Buffaloes use a variety of formations to get the looks they want. Case in point, Colorado came out on third and one with a two receivers outside and three backs in the backfield stacked in an elongated I-formation. This forced the defense into a bunched up look in the box. Colorado fed the ball to the up-man who was also the fullback for a first down but the middle back came out on a fake pitch while the deepest back had a fake swing pass thrown his way. The Buffaloes can use a variety of formations because this line is solid and defenses have to pick their poison. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this formation used against the Bruins in short yardage situations.
Colorado Defense
The 2017 NFL Draft wasn’t kind to Colorado. They had to replace almost their entire secondary and their front seven was hit hard by defections as well whether to graduation or the draft. They also lost their defensive coordinator and so it seems like the “blank statement” that the defense would be a in a rebuild mode seemed like an applicable one.
Instead this defense has looked strong especially in the secondary which is incredible given what they lost to the NFL over the offseason. The Buffs would like to play man in the back end and have the pieces to do it. Free safety Afolabi Laguda is a rangy safety that allows the Buffs to show single high safety looks and can go sideline to sideline to back it up.
The linebackers thrive in the 3-4 that makes up the bulk of this Colorado defense. Rick Gamboa is the rock in the middle of this defense and makes running the football a hazard to ball carriers. He’s not the most athletic guy in the world but is smart and will find ways to find the ball. Think of him like former University of Arizona LB Scooby Wright. Drew Lewis on the other hand is a much more athletic linebacker that gives this group a run and chase presence.
On the defensive line the Buffaloes have size but they don’t necessarily have tons of depth. While they can make like very difficult for opposing offenses, they can be worn down with tempo and sustained drives. They took a body blow with the dismissal of Frank Umu and while they held up through non-conference play that lack of depth showed itself against the Huskies. Can the UCLA Football offensive line find a way to push around this otherwise impressive Colorado DL?
Final Word
This Colorado team already seems to be out of the conversation for the PAC-12 South championship. They just don’t have the same magic and even though it’s just one loss, this team might have too many issues to overcome. They have tons of young talent and the coaching in Mike MacIntyre to put together strong games but there are just too many hurdles for me to feel comfortable penciling them in as a challenger.
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The UCLA Football team gets a few nods from me. They have QB Josh Rosen and right now he’s hands down the pick over Montez. They also have home field advantage which hasn’t always been paramount in their history but the last time the Bruins won they were home. UCLA needs this game and I expect them to come out and play with a sense of urgency.
Prediction
UCLA Football 45-Colorado 41