Jim Mora took some time out of his weekly Monday press conference to applaud the play of his offensive line.
“Our offensive line did a tremendous job,” the UCLA football coach said. “And we recognize them as a team today – as a group.”
That acknowledgement was earned in a 44-37 win over Arizona State, in which junior quarterback Josh Rosen was never sacked, and the rushing attack picked up close to 200 yards.
That performance meant even more since it came against the Sun Devils – a team that has proven to have a stout defensive line this season. Even after failing to pick up a sack Saturday, the team is still third in the Pac-12 with 30 sacks.
According to Pro Football Focus, Arizona State entered the weekend as one of two teams in college football with at least three defensive linemen who have come up with 20 or more quarterback pressures.
This didn’t look like a favorable matchup for UCLA – especially considering the fact that Rosen’s injury came in a game when Washington sacked the quarterback four times.
“(Washington) was a good defensive line; there were a few times (when) we struggled on some of their stunts,” said redshirt freshman right guard Michael Alves. “We worked on it all week in practice. We’ve been working on it every single day for every practice, and I think we’re pretty good on stunts now.”
Alves added that the line was able to identify when Arizona State was planning on sending multiple linemen in one direction based on how the nose tackle was lined up, and that information helped the Bruin line adapt its footwork.
“We weren’t just taking normal footwork,” Alves said. “We were identifying what was coming, and taking footwork to prepare for that. And it really opened up some gaps.”
Those gaps were part of what allowed UCLA to put up such a prolific running attack: a season-high 192 yards on the ground.
The offensive line has also been able to stay healthy, a task that has proven difficult for every other Bruin position group. The offensive line has been able to put its first team on the field for all but one half this year: when senior left guard Najee Toran exited in the second half against Colorado.
“It’s good because we don’t have to worry about other people getting in the mix,” Alves said. “I mean, our twos are always ready, but our ones are pretty solid. We have a great group, and I think everybody’s just bought in.”
Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said the cohesiveness of the unit is where he’s seen the most improvement in the offensive line, adding that it has allowed the unit to make calls more quickly, play faster and eliminate mental errors.
Fisch also echoed Mora’s praise, saying the offensive line had their best game Saturday, but he also knows the challenge a USC team that leads the Pac-12 in sacks will present.
“We need to play even better this Saturday,” Fisch said.