Football Monday: UCLA vs. UNLV
Junior weakside linebacker Deon Hollins (left) stifles UNLV’s fake field goal attempt in the first half. With Hollins’ pressure, UNLV placeholder Troy Hawthorne (right) was forced to throw the ball away and turn the ball over to UCLA on downs. (Austin Yu/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Claire Fahy
Sept. 14, 2015 2:37 p.m.
Every postgame Monday, Daily Bruin Sports will break down the Bruins’ most recent game, outlining the good, the bad and the verdict of their performance.
This week, we take a closer look at UCLA’s 37-3 win over UNLV on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The good: Defense
The defining moment for the defense Saturday was probably when it shut down an attempted fake field goal play by UNLV. While losing his helmet, junior linebacker Deon Hollins won the play attacking Rebel defensive back Troy Hawthorne and foiling the trick play. Junior linebacker Myles Jack also continued to impress, gaining 29 yards on his first career kick return in addition to registering two solo tackles.
The bad: Offensive line
The bad being clearly relative in a 37-3 blowout, the offensive line simply didn’t perform as well as last week. On more than one possession, freshman quarterback Josh Rosen nearly missed errant snaps, often losing yardage trying to recover the play. The miscues also caused the Rebel defense to get its hands on Rosen more than the Cavaliers managed to last weekend. After keeping the pocket open play after play against Virginia, the offensive line was more inconsistent against UNLV. Much of that can be attributed to the replacement of senior center Jake Brendel with junior Alex Redmond in the second half for precautionary reasons after Brendel sustained a minor injury during practice last week.
The verdict: UCLA continues to look strong
Despite some sloppy play and a first-half failure to execute, the Bruins were in control from start to finish Saturday night. Rosen, while not as dominant as in his debut, was still consistent and composed in his second-ever NCAA game. UCLA revealed even more weapons as redshirt junior running back Paul Perkins came to life and the defense showed little lag after losing junior defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes to an ACL injury. As the Bruins prepare to face their first real test against the No.19 Brigham Young University Cougars next Saturday, the No. 10 team showed that its strength on both sides of the ball will remain difficult to beat.
Player of the game: Paul Perkins
Perkins was good for two touchdowns and 151 rushing yards Saturday, making himself the star play of Saturday a week after Rosen’s impressive collegiate debut overshadowed him. The running back ignited a Bruin offense that had lagged in the first half against an outmatched Rebel defense.
Quote of the week: Coach Jim Mora
“I told you to temper your expectations (with Rosen). It ain’t going to be as pretty every week as it was last week.”
Compiled by Claire Fahy, Bruin Sports senior staff.
