The UCLA football team might be 0-5, but their aplomb performance against Washington showed progress. Here are the five biggest takeaways from that game.
Well, it looks like we have a team after all, folks! Things looked dire after the UCLA football team’s humdrum performance against Colorado, which led to many expecting a blow out at the hands of #10 Washington. That did not happen. In fact, this was almost an upset.
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Despite UCLA’s inability to get the win, the Bruins put forth a profound effort on both sides of the ball. There are still a few things UCLA has to work on, but for the most part, they did not play like one of the worst teams in college football.
Here are 5 things we learned after the 31-24 loss to the Huskies.
1. UCLA Has Found Their Premier Running Back
UCLA no longer appears to have a running game decided by the committee as Chip Kelly seems to have settled on junior walk-on transfer Joshua Kelley as his premier back. Though many fans would like to see seniors Soso Jamabo and Bolu Olorunfunmi get more reps, and there are those who are patiently waiting for freshman speedsters Kazmeir Allen and Martel Irby to emerge onto the scene, for now, it seems the best bet is Joshua Kelley.
Kelley has been named a starter in each of the Bruins’ five games, though questions surfaced about his playing time after he was a no-show in the Fresno State game. Since then he has not only taken the majority of snaps among all the RBs, but in these last two games, he topped 100-yards, a feat that has not been accomplished since 2015.
Though Kelly still seems to be experimenting with his running game and the balance with the passing game (UCLA passed the ball 17 times and ran it 8 times in the first half against Washington), he has found a back that can consistently get yards in chunks. Against Washington, Kelley averaged 6.3 yards on 20 carries. The back with the next highest amount of carries was Allen who had three for a total of 4 rushing yards.
But that was not all, with Dorian Thompson-Robinson leading the offense to 272 passing yards against the Huskies, Kelley contributed 39 receiving yards of his own, averaging 13.0 yards per catch.
We should see a mixture of the five other backs in different packages, but the majority of snaps from here on out will be in the hands of Kelley.
2. The Pass Defense Still Has Holes In It
The defense is making a lot of improvements, but they still have a few issues they are dealing with. UCLA was known for having a solid pass defense throughout the Jim Mora era and that was believed to carry through into the Kelly era.
The Bruins are deep and have a lot of talent among their DBs. Adarius Pickett, Quentin Lake, Nate Meadors, and Darnay Holmes are all among the top eight tackles on the team, so there is activity, but QBs are still able to get the ball to open receivers.
The give and take here has to do with the linebackers who have not necessarily struck fear into the hearts of the opposition, at least from a collective standpoint.
If teams are looking to pass against the Bruins, they will do so across the middle of the field. UCLA has had several injuries and is utilizing a lot of youth, which also means there is a lot of inexperience. We once again saw an elite QB dissect the Bruins’ pass defense as Washington’s Jake Browning threw for 265 yards against UCLA.
The Bruins have really been tested in the first five games of the season as four of the five starting QBs they have faced are all among the top 40 in passing yards per game. Though they have faced big-time competition, they still need to figure out how to lock down that competition.
3. The Offensive Line Is Slowly Coming Together
It was quite an amazing feat to see the UCLA offensive line hold back one of the best defenses in the nation. The Bruin big men have been slowly improving despite possessing a thin depth chart which has partially caused by the loss of players due to injuries.
Both the O-line and linebackers are a big concern right now as both groups not only started off the season with a lot of inexperience but recently lost a few more players to injury. Last week, the line lost Justin Murphy in the fourth quarter of the Colorado game to a right knee injury. Despite missing him for Washington game, the line held.
Losing Murphy hurt, but the return of Boss Tagaloa came just in time. The converted defensive lineman was key to the O-line pushing forward UCLA’s best offensive performance of the season against Washington.
They opened holes for the running backs and they held back the rush long enough for Thompson-Robinson to throw a career-high 272 yards. Now that they have had a few games to make things work (and do not discount the occasional bump in the road), the line should continue to improve and even help lead the team to a win (or two or three).
4. Krys Barnes Was on FIRE!!!
Yes, it is true, the UCLA linebacker is thin and experiencing a lot of injuries. That’s not going to help the middle of the defense when you’re trying to take a step forward. Still, there was a huge bright spot among the linebackers against Washington as Krys Barnes set an example of how the Bruins are supposed to present themselves in each and every game they play.
Barnes has been playing well all year, but he stood out against Washington as he consistently found his way into the backfield. With UCLA using different looks close to the line, Barnes was able to get around blocks and penetrate gaps to get at the Browning and the ball carriers. Barnes finished the game with 9 tackles, 3 for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, and 1 quarterback hurry.
The sophomore is disrupting plays by knocking down balls, getting into the backfield for sacks and tackles for a loss and getting after runners trying to get into the open field. With his emergence, the linebackers are moving steadily along. Now can you imagine what this defense would be like if Josh Woods, Jaelan Phillips, Je’Vari Anderson and Mique Juarez were 100% healthy and helping this position group out? A lot of damage would be done.
5. It Was a Good Call to Keep Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the Game
After the Colorado game, many UCLA analysts were calling for head coach Chip Kelly to sit freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson after an atrocious second half. Those cries might have been warranted, but it was a little premature, especially considering the QB situation.
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A few weeks earlier, the Bruins lost Josh Rosen’s backup from last season, Devon Modster, who announced that he would be transferring from the program. Additionally, the starter in the season opener, Wilton Speight, is apparently not 100% after sustaining a back injury in that opener.
That only left Matt Lynch and Austin Burton as possible backups, but they might not have been the best selections considering they were not considered to be in the running for the starting gig late in fall camp.
Still, keeping DTR in the game was a smart move as it not only creates consistency but will help the freshman grow, and he did just that against Washington. Not only did he have a game/season/career-high 272 passing yards, but he helped UCLA put up the most points and total yards against one of the best defenses in the country.
Though he still had a few passes he would like to take back, his overall production helped the Bruins take a big step into the future as they try to get Chip Kelly’s system into place. As UCLA moves forward, DTR should continue to learn and grow and that is dangerous for his opponents.