If UCLA wants to finally back up all that preseason hype, today’s the day. The Bruins have a primetime 5 p.m. PT kickoff against Texas on FOX, and a strong de facto road win at AT&T Stadium will assuage some of the concerns about their uneven performance through two games.
Here’s how the teams stack up.
UCLA offense vs. Texas defense:
Charlie Strong is a former defensive coordinator who has a lot of experience working specifically with the line, so the fact that the Longhorns’ have size and depth up front fits well into his coaching philosophy.
Junior defensive tackle Malcom Brown stands at 6-foot-2, 320 pounds, and leads the team with 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. Senior defensive end Cedric Reed (6-5, 272) has started the season more quietly, but was a first-team All-Big-12 selection who racked up 10 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles a year ago. Starting defensive end Shiro Jackson, starting defensive tackle Desmond Jackson and reserve tackle Hassan Ridgeway have combined for 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss through two games.
Linebackers Steve Edmond and Jordan Hicks are also threats, and have combined for 41 tackles — including five for loss.
So this game might prove a tougher night for Paul Perkins, who is coming off career highs of 23 carries, 98 yards and two touchdowns. UCLA’s new No. 1 back is still looking for his first career 100-yard game, and might need to wait another week. Also keep an eye on linebacker Myles Jack, who ran three times last weekend and should see his offensive package gradually expand as the season progresses.
But this Texas defense gets weaker the farther down the field you look, with even Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford calling his secondary “average” through two games.
Of Texas’ five interceptions this season, but four of those came in a season-opening blowout of North Texas. Still, the Longhorns have yet to allow a passing touchdown this season — taking most of the damage on the ground last week in a 41-7 loss to BYU. Senior safety Josh Turner’s suspension has also apparently been lifted after two games.
Quarterback Brett Hundley will face some pressure, but if the offensive line holds up, he’ll have time to make plays.
UCLA’s top three targets have been Jordan Payton, Thomas Duarte and Devin Fuller so far, but the second tier of the rotation is more unsettled — particularly with Eldridge Massington tweaking his ankle last weekend.
Sophomore Kenneth Walker caught a 62-yard touchdown on a post route last weekend, but only entered the game on one other play. Even if he isn’t targeted, just throwing him onto the field could force a defense to stretch out more than it would like. Also keep an eye on Mossi Johnson, who has yet to record a catch after starring in spring camp.
Edge: UCLA, slightly
UCLA defense vs. Texas offense:
Texas offense is a mess right now. Quarterback David Ash is out indefinitely with another concussion, one that raises questions about his career. Would-be starting receiver Daje Johnson is suspended, while all-conference honorable mention Jaxon Shipley is questionable with a head injury.
But the most problematic unit is the Longhorns’ offensive line, which lost 40 starts of experience when center Dominic Espinosa broke his ankle. Starting tackles Kennedy Estelle and Desmond Harrison remain suspended. That’s made life tough for running backs Malcolm Brown (an All-Big-12 second-teamer) and Johnathan Gray (a former five-star recruit); the two have combined to average 3.9 yards per carry.
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes is mobile and is big enough (6-4, 243) to shed a couple of tacklers if he scrambles. The sophomore has a strong arm, but the staff hasn’t trusted him to throw downfield much. On 44 career attempts, only one pass has resulted in at least a 15-yard gain.
UCLA has just one sack this season and is flirting with its lowest nonconference total since 2008, but both defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and his players think those numbers will tick up soon. And looking back at the film, there were some plays in which the Bruins were just a step or two away from another sack.
Even with the dearth of glamour stats, the Bruins have so much talent on the defensive front that they’ll likely gel soon and look more like they did at Virginia Tech (three interceptions, 4.6 yards/play) rather than against Memphis. The unit has become built around nose tackle Kenny Clark, a run-stuffing beast who can also add interior pressure on the pocket. His presence trickles out, giving players like Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Eddie Vanderdoes even more room to work.
Linebackers Eric Kendricks and Myles Jack will likely bounce back after missing tackles against Memphis. Safety Randall Goforth (shoulder) is out, so sophomore Tahaan Goodman should move into the starting base defense.
Edge: UCLA
Special teams:
UCLA is still exceptional on punt and kick return coverage, ranking top-20 nationally in both, while cornerback Ishmael Adams can threaten to score — or at least bust out a long gain — every time he touches the ball on special teams.
The problems have been on punting and kicking. Matt Mengel is averaging an abysmal 36.79 yards per punt, while Ka’imi Fairbairn has missed his only field goal attempt as well as an extra point.
But Texas hasn’t been extraordinary either. William Russ is averaging 40.9 yards per punt, with two 50-plus yarders, but kicker Nick Rose is only 1-of-3 this season — hitting a 34-yard field goal but missing from 38 and 43 yards.
Edge: Even
Prediction: Texas gets a bit of a home crowd bump at the “neutral site” of AT&T Stadium, but quarterback Brett Hundley survives the Longhorns’ big defensive line and finds the end zone with his arm and his legs. UCLA 31, Texas 21.