Scouting Report: UCLA vs. California

UCLA football (4-7, 4-4 Pac-12) will finish off its season at home against California (6-5, 3-5) on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. With no bowl game to look forward to, can the Bruins end the season with positive momentum, or will the Golden Bears end coach Chip Kelly’s second year in defeat? Here is this week’s scouting report by Daily Bruin staff writer Jack Perez – who would like to thank his editor Sam Connon for allowing him to continue to write these reports while thousands of miles away from the confines of Westwood.

California’s offense

Base formations: Spread

Run-pass percentage: 56.9% run, 43.1% pass

Strength: Mobile protection

Weakness: Explosive runs, quarterback protection

X-factor: QBs Chase Garbers and Devon Modster

While Cal has a winning record, the Bears’ offense has not played particularly well this season.

Garbers and Modster have switched off as starting quarterbacks due to injuries. The starter should be Garbers on Saturday, as he led Cal to a win over Stanford on Nov. 23.

Both have put up decent numbers, but neither has stayed the starter long enough to put up huge stats. Garbers has 144.76 passing yards per game on 92 completions for nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Modster is worse off at 104.69 average yards through the air through six games played, with five touchdowns and five interceptions.

With no running back breaking through, California has turned to a committee approach on the ground. Running back Christopher Brown Jr. is leading the team with 170 carries for 731 yards and six touchdowns. Garbers and Modster are third and fourth on the team, respectively, with a combined 119 carries and 370 years, although this is brought down due to sacks.

Speaking of sacks, the offensive line has not successfully protected either quarterback this season. The Bears have allowed 43 sacks in 11 games, losing 249 yards in the process.

If Cal does not protect its quarterback well on Saturday, it may face another change at the position against UCLA. If the Bruins do not get to Garbers or Modster, UCLA will be in for a long season finale.

California’s defense

Base defense: 3-4

Blitz tendency: Medium

Strength: Rushing defense

Weakness: Limited scoring

X-factor: LB Evan Weaver

Unlike the offense, the defensive unit has fared well in 2019 and is the main reason the Bears have already qualified for the postseason.

Cal is the 34th best defense in the nation, allowing just 247 points on the season and averaging 384.1 yards allowed per contest.

The defense has been hot and cold during its Pac-12 schedule. While they’ve allowed 35 and 41 points to Utah and USC, respectively, the Bears have not allowed a conference opponent to score more than 24 points.

The rushing defense has led the way for Cal. The Bears rank 29th in rushing defense in the nation as they have given up just 129 yards on the ground per game.

Although Cal’s passing defense isn’t ranked as highly, it hasn’t been bad this year. While the Bears’ pass coverage is just 103th in the FBS at 255.1 yards in the air allowed per game, it has only given up 14 passing touchdowns while facing top passing attacks such as USC and Washington State.

Weaver has carried the Cal defense the whole season, posting 164 tackles – 10 for loss – and 2.5 sacks, as well has forcing three fumbles in his final season in Berkeley.

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On the UCLA side, sophomore quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson will have a chance to bound back from consecutive losses and finish the season on a high note. The Bear defense will try to force him into pressure and look to gain momentum before its postseason run.