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Five Things: UCLA vs. Oregon

UCLA football engages in a team huddle during Saturday’s game against Oregon. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)

By Matthew Niiya

Sept. 29, 2024 8:07 p.m.

This post was updated Sept. 30 at 12:25 a.m.

UCLA football (1-3, 0-2 Big Ten) was defeated by Oregon (4-0, 1-0) by a score of 34-13 on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Contributor Matthew Niiya gives his five main takeaways from the Bruins’ contest against the Ducks.

UCLA defense: 7 UCLA offense: 6

(Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
Senior defensive lineman Jay Toia (left) stands beside redshirt senior defensive lineman Cherif Seye (middle) and redshirt junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger (right) stand on the field at the Rose Bowl. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)

It was no secret – the Bruin defense struggled to contain the Ducks, yielding 28 first-half points.

However, it was that very unit that kept the Bruins afloat going into halftime.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel lofted a dangerous pass in the red zone that was picked off by UCLA’s Bryan Addison. The redshirt senior defensive back – who spent his previous six seasons with the Ducks – returned the ball 96 yards the other direction for a touchdown with just four seconds remaining on the clock in the first half.

Addison’s effort likely erased points off the board for Oregon and clawed UCLA within 18 going into the locker room. The Bruin offense would also get the ball to start the second half, presenting another chance to draw even closer.

Ultimately, this was the only time UCLA found paydirt. The offensive unit punted five times and redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers tossed a pair of interceptions, while mustering just two scoring drives – neither of which sniffed the end zone.

The defense cannot be the main scoring threat if UCLA wants to contend with any teams, let alone in the Big Ten.

Pass rush performance issues

(Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel stands in the pocket, scanning the field to throw the ball. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)

Across its 2023 campaign, UCLA averaged 3.3 sacks per game, good for seventh-best in the nation.

Laiatu Latu – the first defensive player taken in the 2024 NFL draft – alongside Carl Jones Jr. and twins Gabriel and Grayson Murphy, combined for 28 sacks last year. Their departures along the front four forced a defensive overhaul in 2024.

Initially, it appeared that the unit picked up right where it left off, with five different players each logging a sack in UCLA’s season opener against Hawai’i.

Since then, it has been nothing but crickets in the pass rush department – with UCLA failing to log a sack against both Indiana and LSU.

And the Ducks’ offensive line kept Gabriel upright all night long, holding the Bruins sack-less for the third consecutive outing.

Far too often, quarterbacks squaring up against the UCLA defense have been given free rein to sit in the pocket and fire: a recipe for disaster for any defense.

Defensive third down disasters continue

(Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
UCLA’s defensive front and Oregon’s offensive linemen prepare as the Ducks snap the ball. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)

There are two main ways of getting off the field on defense: turnovers and third down stops.

The Bruins have only generated four takeaways in as many games, meaning third down stops are of utmost importance. UCLA’s defense doesn’t seem to have an exceedingly large amount of trouble forcing third down situations.

The problems arise when the pressure is on.

The Duck offense was forced into 15 third down scenarios but was successful on nine of the attempts. In comparison, Garbers and the Bruin offense went just 1-of-10 on third down conversions for the night.

Oregon’s 60% third down conversion rate continues a disturbing trend for the UCLA defense, as its opposing offenses this season have converted a staggering 57% of third downs – placing the Bruins a horrid 133rd out of 134 FBS teams.

Receiving corps rotating door

(Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
Freshman wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer attempts to evade an Oregon defender. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)

Coming into the season, the Bruins’ wide receiver unit was supposedly one of the deepest and most talented position rooms in the building.

The top two leaders in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns from last year – redshirt senior Logan Loya and redshirt junior J.Michael Sturdivant – returned with a full training camp with Garbers at the helm.

Four games in, and the receiving corps looks arguably the most inconsistent.

In Saturday’s contest against Oregon, Sturdivant logged a singular target while Loya was nowhere to be found on the stat sheet, seeing minimal action on offense and operating primarily as the punt returner.

Instead, it was Kwazi Gilmer who got the surprise start as the third wide receiver. The true freshman recorded his inaugural reception one week prior at LSU and paced the team against Oregon in his first career start with four catches for 31 yards on seven targets.

Sophomore Rico Flores Jr. – a Notre Dame transfer – was the only other wide receiver to make a grab.

Junior running back T.J. Harden and a trio of tight ends – redshirt sophomore Jack Pedersen, senior Moliki Matavao and redshirt senior Bryce Pierre – all connected with Garbers, but the disappearances of Loya and Sturdivant have yet to be explained.

Big Ten After Dark

(Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
Coach DeShaun Foster watches a play from the sideline. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)

Though Pac-12 After Dark may be a thing of the past for the Bruins, they are not exempt from late kickoffs in their new conference.

One of coach DeShaun Foster’s biggest goals has been to increase fan support on campus in Westwood and at the Rose Bowl. He has been fervent in his appeals to students and alumni – in person and online through social media – to come out and support the team.

On Saturday night, however, he did not see the fruits of his labor.

The attendance was announced at just 43,051 – over 4,000 less than UCLA’s home opener against Indiana and under 2023’s average of 47,950.

An 8 p.m. start time – UCLA’s latest on the West Coast since 1990 – certainly did not help, but Foster will need to put a better product out on the field if he wants to see attendance numbers climb.

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Matthew Niiya
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