Scouting UCLA and where we stand

Football
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UCLA lost to a OK Tx A&M on it’s opener, then beat a pass happy UNLV game. I watched that game and UNLV had UCLA sweating until the 4th quarter when they finally pulled away.

Who to watch for:
Rosen is the star QB who has underwhelmed up until the UNLV game. He was inconsistent in 2015 and he started off the year with 3 interceptions in the A&M game, costing them a win on the last goal line 4 and out. One of the balls was perfect and their WO just whiffed.

Rosen is a pure pocket passer. Unlike the AZ and Utah games, BYU will not have to deal with a mobile QB but we will have to get pressure on him so that he does not pick us apart. He has only 2 passing TDs for the season but don’t let that fool you, he can really throw.

UCLA has hurt BYU in the past with their run game and it appears that they have the horses again. BYU did a good job last year on the Bruins run game until the 4th quarter (do you see a theme going on here?) Can we turn the tide this year.

UCLA averages 33 points a game, they allow 26 PPG. BYU will be able to score on UCLA. Hill will have several scores by himself in this game, I think. A&M has a similar QB to Hill, in that he is mobile.

On defense, I just hope that the news lines don’t read like this: BYU loses a close one after giving up 4 UCLA passing scores in the 1st half. Really sucks that Nacua has to sit the first half. If the game is close after the half, we will be fine. UCLA is a sea level so I don’t see BYU losing steam in the 4th as in the past 2 games.

BYU is playing to good of defense to be out of any game this season.

The early odds are UCLA by 3 points. Sagarin has them ranked 14th. I think BYU saw the best Defense of the year in Utah. BYU 27-24 UCLA

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I think losing Nacua is monumental. Hanneman is an offensive TD waiting to happen. What did Utah do after Nacua was kicked out? Deep crossing route for major yards. Deep ball for an obvious PI on Wilcox. And, wait for it, on 3rd and long they called a TO and said, “Wherever #7 is, throw it there.” Our corner released his man through the zone, and Hanneman, failing to realize what was going on, was, oh, like a mile from the open receiver. Nacua recognizes that route and shuts it down. So I think the biggest problem losing Nacua is that Hanneman will get absolutely blown up by UCLA in the middle of the field. No one even knows who the backups are, because they are all fungible…and at corner it’s Davis on one side and some weird revolving door on the other side. We got zero pass rush on a terrible, really bad Utah QB and he made us look bad in the back without Nacua; I think the first half will be pretty ugly vs UCLA. Maybe because we are home we can stay within a couple scores and have a chance late. Rosen is cocky and arrogant beyond comprehension (read the recent SI article if you don’t believe me) and I could see him making a few really dumb mistakes to allow us to keep it close. I have little confidence in our passing game right now and we better not forget Jamaal is on the team like Detmer did last week.