Know Your Opponent: UCLA Football vs. Arizona State 2018
Arizona State Defense
A 3-3-5 defensive scheme is not a particularly popular style to use, but it has been working for ASU and when I write “working”, it is in regards to the Sun Devils’ needs. Overall, they do not have a very impressive defense, but it has been advantageous in certain respects.
Like previous seasons, ASU continues to be very aggressive in trying to get into the backfield. Though they are not as spastic as the defenses under former coach Todd Graham, they are doing their part to disrupt offenses. The Devils’ defense is averaging 2.7 sacks and 7.8 tackles for a loss per game. That creates a lot of chaos but is also risk-based. ASU gives up 379 yards per game, nearly 159 on the ground and well over 200 through the air.
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The top defensive linemen of Jalen Bates, Tyler Johnson, and Renell Wren do not get a lot of tackles, but what they have gotten go for a loss as each has at least 4.5 on the season. The bigger push comes from ASU’s linebackers, specifically Merlin Robertson and Darien Butler, both of whom get after the ball. Not only are they #2 and #3 in total tackles, but they are also the top two in TFLs, with Robertson collecting 8 (five of which are sacks) and Butler with 7.
You can also see how the 3-3-5 is sharing the love, especially among the defensive backs who have 6 players among their top 8 tackles. There is not just a handful of defenders that are recording the majority of tackles as it seems they are sharing the love and having everyone get after the ball. Thirteen players have recorded over 20 tackles with DB Jalen Harvey leading all Sun Devils with 66 on the year. Though ASU’s defense is all over the field, they do not exactly disrupt the pass as they only have 6 INTs and 5 QB hurries on the year.
2018 Arizona State Defensive Stats
Total – 379.2 | Rushing – 158.7 | Passing – 220.6 | Scoring – 22.4
UCLA has found ways to have their offense play effectively on the ground and through the air. The Bruins’ offensive line has been performing very well as of late and has helped Joshua Kelley average 5.3 yards per attempt in the last four games. The Bruins also threw for nearly 300 yards last game, so they can definitely put a hurt on ASU. The Bruins seem to have equal results with either Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Wilton Speight, so as long as receivers stop dropping balls and Kelley is given the rock, the Bruins could do some damage.