UCLA Preview: Offense Versatile, Defense One-Dimensional

UCLA, which hosts Cal in the Rose Bowl Saturday night, has an explosive multi-faceted offense and a split personality defense. 

The Bruins (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12) are first in the conference in scoring (36 points per game) and second in total offense (440.82 yards per game). It all revolves around senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, he of the strong arm and quick feet.

Their defense on the other hand gives up 399 ypg,, only ninth-best in the league, despite allowing only 127 ypg. on the ground.

For Cal, which needs to win this one and next week vs. USC to attain bowl eligibility, turning UCLA’s numbers into strategy is simple enough. The Bears must limit the damage done by the Bruins’numerous offensive weapons and exploit UCLA’s problems defending the pass.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea - USA TODAY

Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro, who previously was DL coach at Cal, has sold his soul (or at least his secondary) into stopping the run. 

Cal’s Chase Garbers, on whose arm the Bears’ hopes ride, had good things to say about the UCLA defense this week. No use providing bulletin board material (or whatever the 21st-century equivalent is).

“Coach Az was here for one year when I was here,” Garbers said this week. “Very familiar with him, his defensive playstyle. They are pretty aggressive, pretty exotic. They like to create havoc. They have done a great job doing that, a great job playing their scheme.

“They are talented. They’re UCLA. They recruit well. Overall they’re a good team. Overall it is a good matchup for us this Saturday.”

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Chip Kelly has his say

UCLA’s philosophy seems to be that the quarterback can’t throw very well if he is on his back or on the run. Coach Az sends at least five men into the opposing backfield on virtually every play, sometimes it’s six or seven. If you are looking for the UCLA safety he generally is across the line of scrimmage pursuing the quarterback. The Bruins will give up the occasional big play, thus the bloated passing yards allowed, but Az and head coach Chip Kelly are willing to play the percentages.

“Very aggressive defense, very fast,” Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said. “I believe that every guy that starts -- not every guy that plays because they rotate players like most people -- are all seniors (correct). A veteran group that knows how to play.

“And as I mentioned, very fast. Linebackers, defensive line, everybody can run. It’s an aggressive group. We know Coach Az, he was with us for a year here. They are going to bring it from all angles. He’s done a nice job. They’re really good in the run game.”

Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, who has dueled with Azzinaro more than once, is the man charged with minimizing the Bruins’ strengths while exploiting their weaknesses.

“The defensive front is a very active group,” Musgrave saidl “They are not the biggest group, they don’t weigh the most. They are active and they are dynamic.

“Their secondary is a good group. They make a lot of plays. Carnell Lake’s son (Quentin) is making interceptions left and right.  Their nickel back (Qwuantrezz Knight) is really active. They use him as a rusher probably more than they put him in coverage. He is a playmaker.”

UCLA is Knight’s third campus stop. He began his college career at Kent State then transferred to Maryland before finding a home in Westwood. He leads the Bruins with 61 total tackles, including 2 ½ sacks, 

“He just makes everybody on the defense better,” said one TV analyst.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea - USA TODAY

Lake making a tackle

Redshirt senior defensive end Datona Jackson is the leader of the front seven, and he has 3 ½ sacks to show for his efforts.

It is on offense that the Bruins excel and it all starts with Thompson-Robinson, who accounted for six touchdowns in the rout of USC to earn conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. 

He has taken his share of hits this year and even was forced to miss a game when he was too banged up. He is imperturbable. The Trojans intercepted his first two passes last week and all he did was complete 16 of his next 20 for 349 yards and four TDs. He scored two TDs himself. On the second he went airborne and leaped over a USC defender on his way to the goal line.

“DTR is playing at a high level,” said Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon in large understatement. “I think it was play 53 when he hurdled the defender to score the touchdown. That was a pretty gosh darn impressive play. He’s distributing the ball well. He has a very talented arm.”

Wilcox knows what he is up against. “He’s always been a very good athlete. Each year he seems to improve as you’d expect a quarterback would in this conference,” he said. “You can turn the tape on, he’s made plays running the ball, he’s made plays throwing the ball, from the pocket, on the move. And he’s made plays off-schedule. He will drop back to pass, people are covered and then he will scramble on an unscheduled play.”

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Charbonnet

And he has plenty to work with. Wide receivers Kazmeir Allen and Kyle Phillips are sure-handed and fast. 

Running back Zach Charbonnet is a workhorse and if Brittain Brown comes back from injury the Bears will have their hands full.

Tight end Greg Dulcich is as good as there is in the conference, both blocking and receiving.

For all of this production this year, Kelly might not be long for his job. Bruin backers and several members of the media say it is too little, too late. They point to the fact that his overall record is still 17-25, and, amazingly enough, only two of those 17 wins are over teams that did (or will) finish with a winning record.

Notes

• UCLA leads the series, 56-34-1.
• The Bruins won last year, 34-10, in the hastily-arranged game that was scheduled only four days earlier because each team’s regular game was canceled due to COVID issues.
• Since the conference expanded in 2011, it has often forced UCLA and USC to meet on the second-to-last week of the regular season. The Bruins are 1-6 in regular-season games after playing the Trojans.
• UCLA will clinch at least a tie for second place in the South Division with a win which would be its highest finish in the South since it tied for second in 2014.
• UCLA has rushed for at least 200 yards in each of its seven wins in 2021.
•  Charbonnet's six 100-yard games are tied for most by a Pac-12 player this season (B.J. Baylor, Oregon State) and are the most by a Bruin since Josh Kelley (now with Chargers) had six in 2018 

Related:

Tuesday Report: Wilcox, Dancy and Hearns on the Mic

Ultimate Insider Podcast E21 - Cal HC Justin Wilcox Big Game Wrap-up, UCLA Preview -Audio