UCLA football’s ongoing quarterback battle may have been the focus of attention leading up to Saturday’s scrimmage, but the team’s ground attack was the highlight of the night.
The Bruin’s running game was totally dominant this weekend. Anyone who watched last year’s team knows that the running game was working to an extent (175 yards per game) but now the Bruins have options.
Redshirt junior Johnathan Franklin, the team’s 1,000-yard rusher from a year ago, didn’t even touch the ball, and the backs racked up 134 yards on the ground, including quarterback runs.
On the fourth drive of the scrimmage ““ junior Richard Brehaut’s first with the first team ““ the offense ran the ball eight straight times. Senior Derrick Coleman had five of those, one of them going for 22 yards that included more than a few broken tackles.
Sophomore Malcolm Jones ran the ball effectively, as did sophomore Anthony Barr in short-yardage situations. Barr capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
“We have good backs,” offensive coordinator Mike Johnson said after the scrimmage. “We have backs that can run the ball and they’re different.
“Jetski (Franklin) is a back that’s elusive, and the other two guys are thumpers, and they have the ability to get outside when they have to. I’m excited about our running backs.”
What’s more exciting for Bruins fans is the tempo and cohesion with which that drive was run.
Brehaut was making all the right checks, the offensive line was throwing blocks left and right, and running game coordinator Jim Mastro was throwing off his headset in excitement.
Brehaut talked about the drive and the checks that he had to make to make it look so flawless.
“We have a chance on every run play to get us in the most advantageous call that’s going to be successful for our offense,” he said.
“Whether we’re running or passing, it’s always going to fall on the quarterback to make sure that we’re going through the right steps in order to have success.”
They certainly had success Saturday night, even if it was against their teammates.
Practices are closed to the public from here on out. The team will take the field again Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. with less than two weeks until the opener at Houston.