Weekly Q&A — 9/15/14 Answers

Note: Presumably to keep the status of Brett Hundley’s injured left elbow under wraps, UCLA has shut down access almost entirely this bye week. Not only are practices closed, but the practice times have not been released.

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Q: Did the running game and OL have a breakthrough against Texas which may bode well for upcoming games, or was Texas just gassed at that point?

A: I think it was a legitimate step forward for the offensive line and running back Paul Perkins. UCLA only had a slight edge in time of possession (31:12 to Texas’ 28:48), so I don’t think the Longhorns defense was particularly worn down. Texas’ offense actually held a significant 10:56 to 4:04 edge in the second quarter, then came out of halftime to give up that 58-yard run to Perkins that set up the Bruins’ first touchdown.

But left tackle Malcolm Bunche injured his left foot; he reentered the game, but was seen on crutches afterward. Conor McDermott would likely start in Bunche’s place if needed.

Q: What do you think is going to happen with Asiantii Woulard? Jerry Neuheisel seems to have gotten a firm grip on the backup quarterback spot and Josh Rosen is coming in. Unless he makes a leap soon, is he the odd man out?

A: That’s going to be the big question heading into spring. Right now, Woulard isn’t in an ideal spot. I think Woulard will at least stick around and compete for the starting spot through spring. If he loses out, he could decide to stick around anyway, change positions or transfer — but it’s a bit early to say at this point.

Q: Do you think maybe UCLA has been playing with too much restraint and not enough heart through the first three games and Neuheisel the Younger stepping in uncorked their emotions?

A: No, I think the team just didn’t play all that well. Intangibles like “heart” are great as storylines, but games mostly just come down to schemes and execution — as coaches love to say.

Q: Some analysts have speculated that Mora has maintained conservative playcalling the first three relatively digestible non-conference games so as not to give away too much before conference play starts in earnest. Anything to that thought, or should the first three games be chalked up to inconsistency and lack of execution?

A: I think there’s something to that, but I’d still point toward the latter two areas more.

Q: We heard a lot about freshman linebacker Zach Whitley before training camp began and I was excited about the guy that tested better than Myles Jack. What happened in the offseason to cause him to fall behind Kenny Young?

A: Whitley suffered a concussion in San Bernardino and missed most of training camp, so that set him back a bit. But even when he was performing well in spring, he didn’t look better than Kenny Young — we just didn’t know that because Young hadn’t enrolled yet. Whitley also never “tested better” than Myles Jack. Myles gave him some big ups when he said, “I feel like he can be better than me,” but that was just him being polite; even Whitley kind of scoffed at that when the quote was relayed back to him.

Q: What does the depth chart look like at cornerback after Fabian Moreau, Ishmael Adams and Priest Willis? I was surprised to see Jalen Ortiz in there a lot instead of Marcus Rios.

A: After those five guys, it’d probably be Librado Barocio and Justin Combs. Rios was battling illness last week. Converted running back Adarius Pickett is practicing with the defensive backs again since the secondary is dinged up, so he’s an option.

Q: I think we miss Jordan Zumwalt, Cassius Marsh and Anthony Barr on defense. Also, seems like defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich doesn’t blitz all that much. I don’t think we are getting the same pressure on the opposing QB as last year. Is the problem the personnel or the playcalling?

A: A bit of both, as is the case in nearly everything. It’s almost impossible to lose three NFL draft picks and not feel the impact, especially when one of them became the team’s highest pick since 1996.

But part of it is schematic. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has said a few times that he isn’t overly concerned with sacks, and the Bruins have clearly relied heavily on three- or four-man pressure up front. The defensive line is responsible for three of the team’s four sacks this season.

Q: Based on the first few games, it looks like it won’t be long before the Bruins get one of their punts blocked. What is Matt Mengel’s status now? I understand he shared punting duties late in the Texas game.

A: He was subbed out because he took a hit on what sure looked like an uncalled roughing the passer penalty. I think Mengel’s the starter as long as he’s healthy, but at this point, the dropoff between him and walk-on Adam Searl certainly doesn’t look significant.

Q: What is the deal with Craig Lee? There was so much hype around his recruitment and he was rated so highly coming out of high school. After redshirting last year, I was expecting him to get some playing time, why is he in the doghouse? Nathan Starks is getting touches before him and he is a true freshman.

A: He hasn’t developed as much as anyone might have hoped over the last year. He can run if he gets into space, but he doesn’t have the patience or vision yet to find the right holes, and doesn’t offer much as a pass blocker.

Q: Seems like offensive Noel Mazzone was incredibly conservative in his play calling through the first three quarters, calling mostly swing passes. Was this due to Jerry Neuheisel stepping in or is Mazzone just kind of predictable?

A: Mazzone’s caught his fair share of flak over the last year or two, but he really doesn’t deserve it for this game. Neuheisel came through with a dime on that 33-yard, game-winning touchdown to Jordan Payton, but he also narrowly avoided a few interceptions and short-armed a four- or five-yard pass to fullback Nate Iese.

Q: What is the projected starting lineup for UCLA basketball now that Jon Octeus and Jonah Bolden won’t be suiting up this season, and how will this impact the team?

Center Tony Parker, forward Kevon Looney, guard Norman Powell, guard Isaac Hamilton, guard Bryce Alford. There isn’t much depth left without Octeus and Bolden, particularly in the backcourt. Noah Allen is the only other wing who has logged double-digit minutes in a game before.