SLIDESHOW
Click here to see more photos from UCLA Football’s game against
Washington State.
Columnist Jason Feder gives his grades for the Bruins’
performance on Saturday.
Pass Offense: D+
Pat Cowan struggled all day long, completing only 17 of 37
attempts for 252 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against
a pass defense that’s 99th in the country. The receiving
corps was essentially shut down after a promising show last week,
with the lone bright spot being Junior Taylor’s touchdown
reception. The Bruins’ attempt at a deep attack that they
used at Notre Dame did not work after the first half, despite
providing Cowan with plenty of protection. UCLA’s leading
receiver was running back Chris Markey with four catches for 64
yards, 28 of those coming on a well-executed screen.
Run Offense: D+
With the Cougars’ defense forced to play in a 3-4 because
of injuries and monster D-lineman Mkristo Bruce playing with a
tweaked knee, this was the Bruins’ chance to finally
establish the running game, and they couldn’t do it. The
backfield of Markey, Chane Moline and Derrick Williams combined for
75 yards on 19 carries. This especially hurt the Bruins in the
second half when the Washington State defense stopped biting on the
play action and could focus on stopping the pass. With the lack of
a running game, the offense forced a tired Bruin defense to be on
the field for almost 37 minutes.
Pass Defense: D-
The Bruins’ secondary was absolutely torched on Saturday.
Cougar quarterback Alex Brink had a career day, completing 28 of 38
passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns. The disappointing part
is that everyone saw this Cougar game-plan coming. Their running
backs have struggled and their passing offense is one of the best
in the country. The Cougars consistently picked on Rodney Van, who
was replaced in the fourth quarter by Alterraun Verner. The only
redeeming aspect of the secondary in this game was their two
interceptions, one of which was immediately negated by a fumble on
the return.
Run Defense: B+
This was not one of the D-line’s better games, but they
still played well. The Cougars netted 110 yards and two touchdowns
on the ground, mounting enough of a running game to keep the Bruin
defense off balance. The Bruins recorded 14 tackles for loss,
consistently getting pressure in the backfield, despite being on
the field for much longer than they should have been.
Special Teams: B
If the Bruins are trying to get Justin Medlock the Heisman,
they’re doing a good job. He was three for three on field
goal attempts with a long of 38 yards. With the Bruin offense shut
down for the most part (they did not record a first down in the
third quarter), punter Aaron Perez tried to pick up the slack,
downing two of his four punts inside the 20.
Coaching: D+
The Bruins looked like a completely different team than the one
that played at South Bend last week. The defense played uninspired
football and the playcalling on offense was lacking once again. The
Bruins committed nine penalties for 79 yards, although two of those
were 15-yard pass interference calls that were debatable.
It’s on the coaching staff to get players mentally up for the
game, and this week they failed to do that.