Despite starting 0-4, the UCLA football team has made some improvements from last year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Most notably, the Bruins are better at stopping the run.
Normally, one would not brag about giving up 423.0 yards per game, but when it is 60.7 yards less than what you were giving up last year, one should revel in the improvements. This is where the UCLA football team is at this point.
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The Bruins were giving up 483.7 yards per game last season. That is an ungodly number that put them at 121st out of 130 teams, so to shave off some of that fat is something to be proud of, especially when 2 out of the 4 teams they have played are in the AP Top 25 (3 out of 4 teams have received votes).
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On top of that, UCLA’s combined opponent record is 17-1, so not only is the defense improving, but they are doing it against better competition.
The biggest take away from this is the strides being made with the run defense. In 2017, a Pop Warner team could run through these Bruins. UCLA was allowing teams to put up 287.4 yards on them per game, second worst in the nation. This year, they have carved off over 100 yards, only giving up 184.5.
The switch to a 3-4 base defense has helped, but that does not tell the whole story. Defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro was determined to become more aggressive and we have seen a lot of that in the first four games. UCLA may be based in the 3-4, but they will often bring in an outside linebacker to bring pressure on the edge, making it look like a 4-3 formation. Azzinaro will also put six players on the line (not just in the box, on the line) to maximize the pressure.
If this was a goal for the defense, then they are surely meeting it. Unfortunately, there has been a drawback and that is with pass defense. Last season they only gave up 196.3 yards per game, though that might be solely due to the fact that teams always ran on the Bruins. This year, the amount of yards allowed has shot up to 238.5.
So does that mean the pass defense is really that much worse than last year?
As many Bruins fans know, UCLA has one of the toughest schedules in the nation, and that comes with some top-tier talent. Of the four starting QBs the Bruins have faced, three are among the top 30 in the nation in passing yards per game: Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray (293.8), Colorado’s Steven Montez (273.0) and Fresno State’s Marcus McMaryion (262.5). Brutal. Its hard to defend against talent like that.
UCLA Defensive Stats Comparison, 2017 vs. 2018
- Total Defense Yards (Nat’l Rank): 483.7 (121) in 2017 | 423.0 (85) in 2018
- Rush Defense Yards: 287.4 (129) in 2017 | 184.5 (86) in 2018
- Pass Defense Yards: 196.3 (29) in 2017 | 238.5 (78) in 2018
On top of that, UCLA’s starting DBs (Nate Meadors, Darnay Holmes, Quentin Lake, and Adarius Pickett) are among the Bruin’s top eight tacklers, with Pickett leading the way with a total of 45. The secondary is doing their job, they are just facing some steep competition.
Another part of the problems lies with the imbalance with the time of possession by the offense. Through the first four games, UCLA’s offense is on the field 25:32 (122nd in the nation), meaning the defense is on the field ten more minutes than that. With Azzinaro’s guys playing more, that gives the Bruins’ opponents more opportunities to pile on the stats, especially when the defense is exhausted by game’s end.
This pattern might continue on Saturday as the Bruins welcome #10 Washington to the Rose Bowl, and despite the score and total yards allowed, I fully expect the defense to fight, fight, fight.
Yes, Bruins fans, it does not look good, but always remember to look deeper. Things will not always be this way. UCLA will change for the better and though we are not seeing it in the win column, we are seeing it in the stats. Remember, trust the process.