by Ross Coleman - Contributing Editor
September 9, 2009 22:40
After months of preparation and speculation we finally have seen the Bruins in an actual football game. Yes SDSU may not have been the best measuring stick game, but it presented challenges for the Bruins anyways.
It was really good to see what the coaching staff has in store this year, it seemed apparent that they have more firm plans for the team this year than they did a year ago. They know who their personal is and they seem to know what the capabilities of the players are.
Lets take a look at the offensive side of the ball and what we can take from the SDSU game going forward.
It seemed very apparent to me that although there is a lot of improvement on the offensive side of the ball, we are still going to have a roller coaster season. Prince did a great job of controlling the offensive flow. He made many accurate passes and seemed to know where to go with the ball most of the time. He also was able to throw it down field. Something that every Bruins fan was screaming for a year ago. The two interceptions that Prince threw were more a result of inexperience than bad decisions. Once Prince has learned morepre -snap reads he will be able to see the linebackers that will be moving into the flats and wait a second before throwing the ball. On Saturday he just took the snap and threw instead of waiting a beat. It is a fixable mistake.
The offensive line did a great job. Yes, Prince faced pressure a number of times but I think that has more to do with the rare defensive scheme thatSDSU was running and less of a factor of broken protections. SDSU runs a 3-3-5 three linemen, three linebackers, five defensive backs. They blitz a lot from all positions and it is difficult for any line to identify who is coming on a blitz. All-in-all I think the only big criticism is the center-quarterback exchange. A few times KaiMaiava had difficulty getting Prince the ball. Maiava is a first time starter at center. He played guard at Colorado where he was a freshman all-American. He will get better at the snap though.
The biggest surprise was the effectiveness of the running game. Jonathan Franklin took his first career carry 12 yards into the endzone. Derrick Coleman showed the combination of speed and strength that is going to make him a star. Milton Knox looked faster than I thought he looked in practice. He hits the hole hard and is a tough running back. DamienThigpen looked nervous and small carrying the ball, but he looked great on special teams as a gunner. The best part about the running back group is that each back is so different that they can each compliment each other well. This group will be exciting for years to come at UCLA.
The receivers and tight ends all had solid games. It should come as no surprise because coming into the season the pass catching positions were thought to be the most talented and deepest positions on the team. Taylor Embree is going to be a star for the Bruins. Prince seems to already have a good connection with Embree and looks to get him the ball. Terrance Austin is going to have a monster year. He looks faster and more explosive than he did last year when he set the school record for all-purpose yards. I expect big things from this group.
Now on to the defense.
It should come as no surprise that the Bruins gave up touchdowns on SDSU's first two possessions. SDSU has an all new coaching staff, a new scheme, and has had closed practices this fall. So those first two drives were the first that anyone had seem fromSDSU since last season. But once the experienced UCLA defense was able to figure out what SDSU was trying to do, they dominated the Aztecs.
It is shocking how much bigger everyone looks. Reggie Carter looks huge. He was already an all-American caliber player but now he adds some weight and keeps his speed means that he will be harder to block and will bring the wood a lot more this year. Brian Price's injury scare showed a glaring weakness in the Bruins armor. If injuries happen, the depth will not support the talent of the defense.
However I was impressed with how Jerzy Siewierski, Jess Ward, and David Carter all played at defensive tackle. In fact it seemed the two deep all up and down the defensive line played pretty well.
The linebacker depth is more scary than the defensive line. If Akeem Ayers or Kyle Bosworth go down, Reggie Carter will have to shift to the outside where he is not quite as effective as he is in the middle.
The secondary showed its talent and inexperience in the same game. Alterraun Verner showed that he will be just as dependable this year as he has been in years past. It was a shame to see Aaron Hester go down with a cracked fibula, but hopefully it won't keep him out too long. CourtneyViney played well, but he showed that it is going to be difficult for the Bruins to cover large receivers if Viney has to fill in for Hester for a large period this season. Andrew Abbott looked nervous and hopefully he will show his skill as the nicklecornerback against Tennessee.
At safety Rahim Moore showed that he is ready to be the next great UCLA safety. Last season he struggled with being a step late in coverage and a step out of position. However he seemed to be all over the field on Saturday. Those three interceptions were not a fluke and he could be UCLA's answer to Eric Berry from Tennessee. Tony Dye looked good at the strong safety spot and it looks like he has taken complete control of that position. But time will tell.
Finally special teams.
Special teams was where I thought UCLA would struggle the most this year and early on they looked shaky. The blocked extra point and the near muffed kick return early in the game made it look like UCLA was going to be in for a long season on special teams, but then it turned around. Terrence Austin had a few long kick returns, The punt coverage was surprisingly good, andJerzy Siewierski and Alterraun Verner combined for the blocked kick and scoop and score. I am now thinking that special teams could be a strength for the Bruins but the real test will be this Saturday against Tennessee.
Overall Grade: B-
I would like to give the Bruins a B- for the SDSU game. Yes they were able to run the ball but fumbles were a scary thing to see. Passing looked sharp but those two interceptions have to count against the Bruins and against a good team those will result in points for the other team. The defense looked sharp but started slow and so did the special teams. The real measuring stick game for the Bruins will be this weekend when they travel to Knoxville to play the Vols. After that game we will really know what kind of team we are dealing with.