When opposing offenses prepared to face the UCLA defense last
season, their main focus was on the Bruins’ linebackers and
secondary.
Each unit contained an All-American and an All-Pac-10 performer
in linebacker Spencer Havner and cornerback Matt Clark.
Who opposing offensive coordinators didn’t gameplan for
was the Bruins’ defensive line, a unit that was young,
inexperienced, and undersized.
To make sure it wouldn’t be overlooked this season, new
UCLA defensive line coach Thurmond Moore was brought in to give the
Bruins’ young defensive linemen a new identity.
“I wanted them to be known for more than just being part
of the defense,” Moore said. “I wanted them to
distinguish themselves.
“I wanted them to be “˜rush-men.'”
The Bruin “˜rush-men’ will have the daunting task of
trying to improve a defense that allowed opposing offenses to
average 432.9 yards per game last season, the most of any team in
the Pac-10.
And according to redshirt freshman Kenneth Lombard, part of that
task will be developing the mentality that Moore has already
brought to Westwood.
“Coach Moore came in and just taught us to be
aggressive,” Lombard said. “He didn’t want us
just standing around; he wanted us to take advantage of our
athleticism and quickness.”
This season alone, the Bruins’ defensive line will face
vaunted running backs and 2004 Heisman Trophy finalists Adrian
Peterson of Oklahoma, and Reggie Bush of USC, who will likely put
the defensive line’s athleticism to the test.
Some of that athleticism will come from the three new defensive
lineman (Chinonso Anyanwu, Chase Moline and Jess Ward) the Bruins
have brought in this season.
And the one who has been the talk of fall camp so far has been
Moline.
“He has impressed me more than anyone,” Moore said.
“He has been working hard in the weight room all summer, and
his quickness and technique have been amazing.”
Moline is currently competing with the first and second team,
which includes eight returning players who rotate interchangably
between the top two units.
Of those players, the ones with the most experience and expected
to carry most of the load will be Kyle Morgan, Justin Hickman,
Nathaniel Skaggs, and Brigham Harwell.
Missing from the mix is junior Kevin Brown, who recently
underwent surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be out six
to eight weeks. Rumors have been circling around the UCLA program
that Brown might contemplate redshirting the season, which means
UCLA would be without its most dominant lineman for the entire
year.
“Kevin was expected to be at the center of our defensive
line,” Moore said. “His presence will sorely be
missed.”
Competing to replace Brown at tackle are Moline and sophomore
Nikola Dragovic, who saw limited playing action in nine games at
defensive end last season.
Both players, however, along with the rest of the defensive
line, are listed between 268-274 pounds, and their small size
presents a difficult problem for the entire defense.
“I think we might be smaller and not weigh as much as
everyone else,” Moline said. “But we’re stronger
and quicker, so it doesn’t make as much of a difference in
the end.”
Moline, for one, knows all about being underestimated and
undersized.
Despite being one of the top players on a nationally-ranked high
school team, Moline was barely looked at by Division I schools
because of his perceived lack of size and strength.
“I don’t pay attention to any of that stuff,”
Moline said. “They say the same things now, but we know as a
defense that we can prove everyone wrong.”
In the end, Moline’s play, along with the rest of the
young players on the defensive line, will be a large determinant as
to whether the Bruins can stop the run with more success than last
season, and establish itself as one of the strengths of the
team.