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UCLA Football: It’s not a bug, it’s an injury plague in 2017

By Michael Chavez

SEATTLE, WA - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback Devon Modster
SEATTLE, WA - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback Devon Modster /
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As the injury reports continue to pile in for the UCLA Football team, coaches have to try and fill on field positions. Who are the latest casualties of the 2017 season?

It’s hasn’t been the type of season you wanna hang your hat on. From hard to stomach run defense to the loss of playmakers on offense, this UCLA Football team hasn’t had the season fans were hoping for.

Today the Bruin faithful learned how many more names they need to add to the growing list and it isn’t pretty. Both Darren Andrews and Aniuu Taua are lost for the remainder of the season with knee injuries. Andrews’ injury might be the you notice most easily.

Before the knee injury Andrews had amassed 60 catches for 773 yards and ten scores. That production would be a season for many guys and there are still three games left in the season. Against Utah Andrews, playing with the back up QB Devon Modster, had three catches for 66 yards and a score. His impact will be sorely missed especially considering the UCLA Football team is already without Caleb Wilson and has been playing without WR Jordan Lasley who is being disciplined.

Speaking of Modster, he was replaced late in the game by third string QB Matt Lynch who came in because Modster hurt his thumb on a throw. We know now that he broke his thumb and will miss time meaning unless Josh Rosen can be cleared from the concussion he suffered against Washington, it will be Lynch’s first career start when the UCLA Football team takes on ASU on Saturday.

Taua might not have made many splash plays this season but had become a valuable rotational player for the defensive line. Bouncing between fullback and defensive lineman during his time as a Bruin, Taua never quite found his niche but was seeing more and more time on a thin DL unit that is already without DT Matt Dickerson who broke his collarbone.

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So then how do the Bruins replace those two? The Bruins have plenty of shifty guys but none as sure-handed as Andrews was. Perhaps a guy like Mossi Johnson can come over from the defense and work out of the slot some. Or perhaps someone like Demetric Felton continues to develop and using his explosive speed, the Bruins are able to force the defense into favorable looks.

For the DL there aren’t many guys left to play. Martin Andrus and Greg Rogers have already burned their redshirts and the only two linemen left on the roster that haven’t played aren’t guys this team wants to have to turn to. Do they take a guy like Josh Wariboko-Alali and move him over to the DL as a body with bulk?

The list of guys lost for the season is exceptionally long this year. RB Nate Starks, Matt Dickerson is essentially gone for the season with his injury, LB Josh Woods, Andrews, Taua DB Keyon Riley and WR Audie Omotosho. The Bruins aren’t just dealing with guys lost for the season either.

News broke Sunday regarding LB Breland Brandt and his status with the team. Brandt hasn’t played since the Hawaii game but it was during that game that he sustained a concussion. Turns out that wasn’t his first, second or third concussion. It was his fourth in three years. Because of that and the desire to protect his long term health, Brandt decided to medically retire from football.

He won’t lose his scholarship and he doesn’t count against the teams in terms of scholarship players but that didn’t seem to stop a staff member from lashing out at Brandt via text which he shared on social media.

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That’s not a good look for the UCLA Football program and it was addressed by head coach Jim Mora early Monday. We know what the Bruins have lost in terms of injuries. We know what they have lost in decommitments. Has this staff lost this team? The last three games of the season could answer that in spades.