Roles reverse as offense stands out, defense struggles versus Utah
UCLA’s defense had been one of its strongest assets. All season long, the Bruins had never given up more than 27 points in conference play. On Saturday, the defense let up a season-high 52 points. (Miriam Bribiesca/Photo editor)
By TuAnh Dam
Oct. 23, 2016 8:31 p.m.
The offense held its own this time – for the most part.
UCLA (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) matched a season-high 45 points behind redshirt senior quarterback Mike Fafaul’s school record of 40 completions and 70 pass attempts.
But the running game faltered and the defense couldn’t stifle the No. 22 Utah Utes (7-1, 4-1) who totaled over 500 yards to hand UCLA its third straight loss.
[Related: UCLA football falls 52-45 to Utah’s strong running game.]
The Bruins gave up 52 points on multiple big plays, including a 99 yard kickoff return on the opening play, after holding opponents to an average of 23 points in their last seven games.
“The big plays eat you alive,” said defensive coordinator Tom Bradley. “They had a 64-yarder. We didn’t make (Utah running back Joe Williams) earn the yardage.”
UCLA switched to a more up-tempo game plan, similar to what the team ran last season under offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, to try to help the offensive line and the struggling run game.
The shorter possession time, however, cost the Bruins on defense without much result from their running backs who had just 46 yards on 16 carries.
Sophomore Bolu Olorunfunmi got the starting nod in what offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu called his simplified offense, but only averaged 2.7 yards a carry.
Fellow running back junior Nate Starks did not play this game while sophomore Soso Jamabo rushed just once for negative yards.
On the defensive end of the ball, the Bruins were on “the wrong side of the blocks” according to Bradley and coach Jim Mora.
The defense has been keeping UCLA in games and was able to limit playmakers like Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey earlier in the season, but stumbled against Utah, letting the recently unretired Williams torch the defense for 332 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.
“Our defense has had so much pressure on it the last five weeks,” Mora said. “We’ve had 12 turnovers the last three games, so that’s pressure itself for the defense. You look back to last week’s game, the field position they were put in, they were under pressure all year long.”
The Bruins had five turnovers Saturday afternoon with the Utes capitalizing on two of them.
[Related: UCLA football’s run game, offensive line continue to struggle.]
Forty-five points would’ve been enough for the Bruins to win any of their past games, according to senior defensive lineman Takkarist McKinley who had a game-high three sacks and forced a fumble against Utah, but the defense couldn’t close for UCLA.
“The offense did their part. We have to do our part to not give up so many points,” McKinley said. “That’s honestly a damn shame. We have to move on, get ready for Colorado and find a way to win.”
