The Bruins’ perfect record doesn’t indicate the
glaring weakness that the team can’t shrug off. While UCLA
may be undefeated and ranked No. 12 in the nation (AP), a
three-digit number is still shining right at the Bruins. Giving up
nearly 210 yards per game, UCLA is currently sitting at 105th in
the nation in run defense. That, combined with an
all-but-nonexistent pass rush, has made some players realize their
game needs to pick up. “Not good, that’s all I can
say,” defensive end Justin Hickman said. “It’s
mostly been our lack of tackling these past games and explosive
plays because it’s not like they’re pounding the ball
away on us.” So on Monday the Bruin defensive line harped on
cupping the football, hitting the right gaps, leverage, assignment
orientation and pursuing the ball carrier. In the past two games,
the Bruins have given up more than 100 yards rushing to three
different players ““ Cal running backs Marshawn Lynch and
Justin Forsett, along with Washington’s Louis Rankin. But it
didn’t stop there. UCLA has gotten progressively worse at
stopping the run since its win against Oklahoma, giving up an
average of over 233 yards a game on the ground. Undoubtedly, one
reason for the lack of run defense has been the change of
complexion of the defensive line. Three of the four starting
defensive linemen are currently injured. Their reserves are
battered and beat-up. But despite the injury-plagued season,
players like redshirt sophomore defensive ends Bruce Davis and
William Snead have stepped in to fill roles. “We see
ourselves as young, but not inexperienced,” Davis said.
“We have a couple of new guys that have shown they’re
up for the challenge.” Yet UCLA defensive line coach Thurmond
Moore is pleased to see the gusto that his unit has exuded in the
fourth quarter. The Bruins are allowing just 3.5 points in the
final period this season. Despite giving up 330 rushing yards
against Cal, the Bruin defense was still able to hold the Bears to
four field goal attempts inside the red zone. “We’re
young and we’re going to make mistakes, but we’ve been
blessed in the sense that we haven’t had those mistakes kill
us,” Moore said. “Bottom line is that we’re
blessed with a good offense, great special teams, and so far the
defense has been able to chip in when (the game) needed to not get
too far out of hand. “(The defensive linemen) understand that
there’s a point when enough is enough, and we’re
looking for some better things out of this group in these next
games.”
TICKETS: Student tickets to the USC game on
Dec. 3 were officially sold out yesterday. At 10 a.m. Monday
morning, 21,000 tickets to the USC game went on sale, 32 percent of
which were given out to students. The only tickets remaining are
those already purchased by student season ticket holders. There may
be a supplemental sale if some student season ticket holders fail
to pick up their tickets.