Four key factors: UCLA vs. Arizona State

On Saturday, No. 7 UCLA was upset on its home field by an unranked Arizona State team. Below are the four key factors that led to the Sun Devils pulling off the huge win over the Bruins.

No. 1: UCLA was outschemed, outcoached

From watching the first four drives of the game, it was clear that Arizona State knew exactly what UCLA’s offense was going to do.

The Sun Devils stacked the box heavily, but the Bruins still stuck to the run. Just like last week’s game against Arizona, UCLA ran the ball to start each of its first four drives. While that game plan may have worked against a porous Wildcat defense last week, it was exposed by a more stingy and prepared Sun Devil defense this week.

“I gotta do a better job maybe with protecting our running game a little bit more than I did tonight,” said offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. “And not be so stubborn and keep trying to force the issue on the run game sometimes and let our passing game (go).”

The Bruins’ lack of efficiency on first-down plays came back to haunt them. UCLA went three-and-out on its first three drives, and committed a safety on the third play of the fourth drive.

Once Mazzone started to switch up the play-calling on first down, UCLA’s offense saw a little more success. But by the time he made that adjustment, the Bruins were already in a 9-0 hole that they could never fully come back from.

No. 2: Arizona State’s dominance of special teams

Field position is a factor in almost any football game, but it was particularly important on Saturday. UCLA only started one drive in ASU territory all game, and it resulted in a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Outside of that drive, the Bruins’ average starting field position was at their own 23-yard line. By comparison, the Sun Devils’ average starting field position was at their own 32-yard line. It doesn’t seem like much, but it makes a difference. Two plays proved that.

The first big special teams play came early in the first quarter, when ASU was set to return a safety kickoff from UCLA. The Sun Devil kick returner broke several tackles and took the ball 63 yards – all the way back to the Bruins’ 31-yard line. Arizona State would go on to score a touchdown three plays later, taking a 9-0 lead.

Perhaps the most pivotal play in the entire game was Arizona State’s coffin-corner punt late in the fourth quarter. Prior to that punt, the momentum looked to be entirely in UCLA’s favor: The Bruins had scored two straight offensive touchdowns and were within six points of the Sun Devils.

But with the Bruins clawing closer and closer to a comeback victory, the Sun Devils just pinned them back. Their coffin-corner punt bounced out of bounds at the UCLA 1-yard line, forcing the Bruins to take the ball the length of the field if they wanted to tie the game. It turned out to be too tall a task, as UCLA went three-and-out and committed a self-imposed safety.

No. 3: UCLA’s dropped passes

At the start of the second half, UCLA got the ball, trailing 15-10. The Bruins put together a methodical drive, pushing the ball to the Arizona State 49-yard line.Then, freshman quarterback Josh Rosen threw a completion over the middle to redshirt junior F-back Nate Iese for a first down.

Only problem was: Iese didn’t catch the ball.

Iese’s drop turned what could have been a field goal or touchdown-scoring drive for UCLA into a punt. The Bruins would only have 10 plays in Arizona State territory for the rest of the second half.

Overall, the second half was littered with dropped passes by the Bruins. After a spotless first half, the Bruins had four drops in the second half, two of which came on third down. Those dropped passes left a lot of yards on the field for UCLA.

No. 4: Arizona State wanted it more

This factor was epitomized late in the fourth quarter, on Arizona State’s final drive of the game. Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage was hit by UCLA defenders after gaining three yards. At that point, it looked like the play was over. But then the Sun Devils’ offensive line pushed Ballage from behind and essentially carried him for 20 yards all the way into the end zone.

“The last play was disappointing,” said defensive coordinator Tom Bradley. “(We) were clawing and fighting back, we just gotta come up with bigger stops at bigger times and we did not get that done tonight.”

That last play basically summed the game up: When the Sun Devils needed a play, they got it. They finished the game 10-23 on third downs, and 1-1 on fourth down. Conversely, the Bruins went 3-14 on third down and 0-1 on fourth down.

“Something that we have been good at is converting third downs and we struggled there,” said coach Jim Mora. “Once again, hats off to Arizona State and how they played. We have to find a way to rebound and we will.”