Ka’Deem Carey isn’t an easy tackle.
Seven different teams have learned the hard way that Arizona’s junior running back is capable of plowing through and running past even the toughest of run defenses.
No matter the opponent, he has proven effective. Against a USC front that ranks No. 13 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards allowed per game, he finished with 138 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry.
Defensive coordinator Lou Spanos has seen the tape of Carey, and on Wednesday he stressed the importance of his entire defense being ready to tackle the leading rusher in the NCAA last season when the Bruins travel to Tucson, Ariz., this Saturday.
“Actually we told all 11 players on the field to tackle him,” Spanos said. “He’s having a great season and he’s the real deal. If we could get another guy on the sideline to stop him, that’d be good, too.”
In 2012, the Bruins had some success against the 196-pound back. In beating Arizona 66-10 last season, UCLA also became the last team to hold him under 100 yards rushing and just the third team to do so in the last two years. For coach Jim Mora though, the circumstances of the blowout, in which the Bruins held a 28-0 lead less than four minutes into the second quarter, speak louder than the stat sheet.
“We got the lead early. … I think they had to throw it more than they wanted to,” Mora said. “You don’t necessarily bottle up Ka’Deem Carey. You try to limit his explosive plays against you. It’s going to be a great test for us.”
On defense, the Bruins have allowed a more middle-of-the-pack 169.5 yards per game on the ground, but said their defense – fast and versatile at the linebacker position and never afraid to deliver a few bone-rattling hits – adequately balances out the bruising and powerful, yet speedy aspect of Carey’s game.
“We’re fast and we’re physical and our whole defense is the same way, so it’s nice to have guys who can keep up and are physical,” said senior linebacker Jordan Zumwalt.
In a running back as feared as Carey, who has compiled 1072 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in just seven games, the Bruins feel they have met their match. That holds particularly true for senior outside linebacker Anthony Barr, who CBS Sports national football columnist Bruce Feldman ranked the No. 1 scariest player in college football just a week ago.
“That speaks for itself,” Zumwalt said of the title. “I would love that title, but I didn’t get it. A.B. is ‘The QB Slayer’ as a result of his past doings. So I would be scared as well.”
Okie dokie
UCLA has scheduled a home-and-home series for 2018 and 2019 with the University of Oklahoma, UCLA’s athletic department announced Wednesday.
The two schools will start the series in Norman, Okla., on Sept. 8, 2018, and will meet again at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 14 of the following year.
Athletic Director Dan Guerrero indicated in a written statement that a strong nonconference schedule puts the Bruins in a better future position, particularly with the college football playoff structure taking hold next season.
“Now more than ever, it’s important for UCLA to face marquee nonconference opponents,” Guerrero said in the statement. “With Oklahoma football recognized nationally and the new playoff system beginning next season, this is a great matchup for not only our team, but for our fans as well.”
The teams’ last meeting in 2005 resulted in a 41-24 UCLA win. They have met a total of four times, with the Sooners winning the first three.
The announcement comes less than a month after UCLA announced a home-and-home series with Michigan that is slated to take place in 2022 and 2023, starting with a 2022 matchup in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The title “QB Slayer” may be tru but he is going to have to chase the Arizona QB. The AZ QB Denker ran for 192 yards in a recent game. UCLA can key on KaDeem Carey but that leaves Nate Phillips and Denker etc. to deal with.
It will be a fun game.