UCLA (3-7, 3-4) host the Huskies (7-3, 4-3) in Pasadena while trying to shake a 3-game losing streak. The Bruins have come back to earth after a 3-week mid-season jolt after dismissing HC DeShaun Foster. However, the magic appears to have run out. Now, heading into this weekend on a 3-game skid (albeit one that included #1 Ohio State & #2 Indiana), the Bruin defense has to contend with a mercurial Husky whose offense can keep up with the best in the nation at times while also posting lethargic performances on the road. In what may be the Huskies’ final regular season Rose Bowl trip, this UW offense vs. UCLA defense may be the pivotal match up that determines if the Dawgs can escape unscathed from what’s historically been a house of horrors.
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The Scheme & Personnel
Along with the Foster ouster, interim HC Tim Skipper cleaned house at the coordinator positions. Former Husky player and coach, Ikaika Malloe, was let go and replaced with Kevin Coyle. Coyle, a long time college and NFL assistant, has emphasized taking the defense back to basics and then adding back layers week-by-week. At its core, the defense is still an Even front-based scheme that wants to lean on big bodies up front to allow second level players to make plays. Former transfer defensive linemen like Siale Taupaki (6-4, 335, Oregon State), Gary Smith III (6-2, 340, Duke), and Keanu Williams (6-5, 320, Oregon) are veteran talents up front who could pose a real challenge against a depleted UW offensive line that’ll look to establish the run game early. While the Bruin DL rotation seems loaded with size and talent to execute their gap control scheme, actual run fits and gap integrity has been a challenge this season. UCLA is averaging ~194 rushing yards per game this season and is 124th in the country in scoring defense per game. Some of that is skewed by early season performances such as their games against Utah (286 rushing yards allowed) and New Mexico (298 rushing yards allowed), which is also why Coyle made an effort to get back to fundamentals once he took over play calling.
From a personnel perspective, outside of the linemen noted above, a few players to watch are LBs JonJon Vaughns and Isaiah Chisom, as well as safety Key Lawrence. Those three make up UCLA’s top three tacklers and most consistent contributors. If UCLA’s going to stop the UW offense, one of these three will likely have a big game.
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Keys to the Game
From the UW perspective, the game will likely go as far as the rushing attack will take us. With Jonah Coleman trending towards being available this week after an injury against Wisconsin, and with Denzel Boston and Raiden Vines-Bright both looking unlikely, the RB room looks to be in far better shape than the receiving corps. The offense looked as explosive as it ever has last week against Purdue, thanks to both young players, such as RB Jordan Washington and WR Audric Harris, stepping up and Jedd Fisch putting a bigger emphasis on running a diverse rushing attack. Fisch utilized a wider variety of run concepts and formations to run them out of, and those tweaks seemed to make a difference.
Now it should still be pointed out that the UW offensive line will be thin as well. We still aren’t sure about RT Drew Azzopardi’s availability, and while John Mills played well in his first start moving from LG to RT, there’s no guarantee that he, or any of the three backup interior offensive linemen who played extended snaps last week, can keep up that level of play on the road against a much larger and more physical defensive front. If they can hold their own, then it’ll be up to Coleman, Mohammed, and Washington to deliver the win in a throwback Pac-12/Big Ten After Dark matchup.
