Bruin defense prepares to take on tall order in Utah

At 6 feet 7 inches tall , Utah quarterback Travis Wilson towers above the rest of the quarterbacks this UCLA team has faced so far – or will face, for that matter.

But that doesn’t seem to mean much to defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s 4-11 or 6-7. If he plays that position, he has the ability to throw it,” Martin said. “We have to be on top of their receivers all the time.”

He has the frame of a small forward, but Wilson has shown the athletic ability of a quarterback six inches shorter. In a mid-September Pac-12 matchup with Oregon State, he showed an incredible ability to make the Beavers’ defenders miss in the open field, racking up 142 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Even with five total rushing touchdowns in just four games, the sophomore has the accuracy and poise of a true pocket passer.

“I think he’s more comfortable throwing the ball than running the ball, but he’s definitely accepted that role as far as running that (zone read) and getting out in space and making people miss,” said senior linebacker Anthony Barr. “We have to respect him as both a passer and a runner.”

Wilson wears the same opposing dual-threat quarterback label that has become a cliche for the 2013 UCLA defense’s opponents, but is in a league of his own through the air with a higher passer rating and higher yards-per-pass attempt than Nevada’s Cody Fajardo and Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez. Some players, including senior inside linebacker Jordan Zumwalt, attribute that difference to Wilson standing in a different airspace.

“He’s a stud, man,” Zumwalt said. “He has a great arm and we have a tall pass rush, and he can get it over our pass rush.”

Big-Play Country

Through three games, the Bruin defense has been like durable elastic, bending on occasion but never quite to the breaking point.

UCLA allowed three passing touchdowns to Nebraska in the first half and 140 rushing yards to Nevada, but managed to shut both down in the second half of their respective games.

Even more promising for defensive coordinator Lou Spanos’ defense so far has been a lack of big plays allowed, limiting its errors to the effect of just one play of 40 yards or more.

“The key is assignment football,” said Zumwalt, adding a “knock on wood” for good measure. “You get guys that are going out and trying to make plays. I’m a victim of this as well. You go out and you try to make plays, you don’t do your job and that’s when they break plays.”

Wilson has picked apart defenses this year to the tune of over 1,100 yards. He has also knifed his way through secondaries, his low for a single-game long pass sitting at 49 yards.

While that slightly hints at Wilson’s ability to complete a higher percentage of home-run passes, the Bruins are hoping it’s a sign of a break in the Utes’ game plan come Thursday.

“Sometimes they like to run, run, run and then bomb it when the run doesn’t work. Everybody tries to take shots,” Zumwalt said. “You want them to resort to their tricks in the bag because that means that whatever they’re doing isn’t working.”

In order to prevent a Utah offensive spectacle, UCLA will need to frustrate Wilson early on, and a beefed-up pass rush might just be the answer.

“That’s something that we haven’t faced this year, his size,” Barr said. “We’ll feel him out, but we have to start fast and hit him early.”