Weekly Q&A — 10/24/15 Answers

Q: Now that Utah has posted its first league loss, what do you think the Bruins’ chances are of winning the Pac-12 South?

A: Not bad, but I think UCLA basically needs to win out. Right now, I’d pick them to beat out everyone on the rest of their schedule except Utah — but that’s not an unwinnable game either. There’s also a chance that Arizona State can win out; in that case, the Sun Devils would hold a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Bruins.

Q: Is the fact that Christian McCaffrey, the nation’s all-purpose yardage leader at a gaudy 259.7 YPG, not ranked higher on the Heisman watch list proof of East Coast bias? (He was #9 as of 10/19 on E$PN.) Especially as he is the star of a top-10 team with one of the nation’s hottest offenses.

A: I was inclined to say no at first, but then I actually looked up some Heisman rankings and saw how low he was. McCaffrey is in the top-five on Sports Illustrated, on four of eight top-fives on CBS Sports, but only a consensus No. 7 on ESPN. Quarterbacks always have an advantage at the award, but McCaffrey is leading the country in all-purpose yards by 40 yards per game. Only two other players even top 200, and fourth place falls down to 175 yards per game. There’s no good reason that McCaffrey shouldn’t be a unanimous top-five pick unless people aren’t watching Stanford enough.

Q: For any top team to keep winning despite injuries, depth is crucial. Ohio State won the championship with their third string quarterback. USC walloped Utah behind freshman linebacker Cam Smith. Which UCLA offensive and defensive players can step up their games to take UCLA to the top?

A: On offense, the key is still for Josh Rosen to continue developing. If that happens, then the Bruins should be able to get rid of some of the lulls that have plagued them on and off this season. Kolton Miller played well enough at left tackle against Cal that UCLA can afford to rest Conor McDermott a little longer, and tailback Soso Jamabo should be fine against this soft part of the schedule while Paul Perkins (knee) and Nate Starks (head) are still out.

Linebacker Aaron Wallace and cornerback Johnny Johnson both had encouraging performances against the Bears. The former has gone from being a career backup to leading the team in sacks, and the latter could never stay healthy. If they can build on that game, that’ll go a long way to helping shore up a very banged-up UCLA defense.

Q: My understanding of the NFL rules is that players can’t be drafted until three years after their high school class graduates. For Rosen, that would mean May ’18, which means UCLA would have him until at least through his junior season. Is that correct? If so, what are the key pieces still missing around him for the Bruins to make a playoff run?

A: That’s correct. UCLA should still return a lot of talent next season, and Rosen should soon have the ability to mask a few holes too. A big concern will be losing fourth-year center Jake Brendel. There’s no replicating that type of experience, especially when communication is such a vital part of offensive line success. I’d guess that the Bruins turn to either Scott Quessenberry — out this season recovering from surgeries — or Fred Ulu-Perry, who will be a sophomore. Either one will likely be a noticeable drop-off from Brendel. The Bruins could also stand to add a really fast, dynamic receiver, which the roster hasn’t had in a while. Duarte will likely be around next year, but Jordan Payton and Devin Fuller won’t be.

Q: Can you talk about what makes Kenny Clark special? He doesn’t pile up huge sack numbers. What are the traits he possesses that make him so valuable? How does the scheme we run maximize his skills?

A: Clark really knows how to place his hands and gain leverage. He doesn’t have big sack numbers, but he excels more at being a run stopper than as a pass rusher. (No, UCLA hasn’t been a good run defense, but I Clark is still just one guy.) His pass rush moves have improved from years past, however, and he’s able to generate inside pressure on the pocket, registering three pass breakups this season. I think you’d be able to see him do even more in this scheme if Eddie Vanderdoes hadn’t gotten injured. Both of them can command double teams, which would open up some more space for Clark to potentially get to the quarterback.

Q: The offense moved much more effectively against Cal than on previous games. The pace seems far more rapid. What did Noel Mazzone do to improve the offense?

A: Better mix of playcalls, especially at the start of the game. Whereas UCLA went mostly with run plays to start the game against ASU, and then mostly through the air at Stanford, the game plan against Cal looked a lot more balanced, with Rosen getting a lot of run-pass options. It certainly helped that the Bruins took an early lead too.

Q: How do you think the rest of the season will play out for our two participants, UCLA and Cal?

A: I’d be a little surprised if UCLA loses more than one game the rest of the regular season; the Bruins’ schedule shapes up nicely the rest of the way, with Utah presenting the biggest matchup problems. And I’d be surprised if Cal can win more than two of their last five; I think the Bears’ defense has been exposed a bit, and they’re set to play better teams with an offense that struggles mightily if Goff is off his game.

Q: Why doesn’t UCLA recruit more linemen?

A: They’re definitely behind on offensive linemen this cycle with just one 2016 recruit committed, but that can be largely attributed to Adrian Klemm’s suspension in the spring. I wouldn’t say it’s been lacking otherwise, however. They could have used more than two in 2014, but took five this past spring and signed seven in 2013. The defensive line is where UCLA has fallen behind, particularly on the interior. I’d attribute that to the staff just plain missing on some prospects rather than some philosophical flew in recruiting.

Q: What was Jim Mora so hopping mad about at the end of the game? I heard he was yelling at the referees. And aren’t there sanctions that can be issued for coaches that mistreat referees?

A: Cal offensive lineman Jordan Rigsbee hit Kenny Clark well after the whistle, which looked like what sparked the scuffle that broke out between the teams after the clock ran out. I’d think that Mora probably wanted the refs to do more about that.

Q: Perception is everything when it comes to holding penalties. Do you think that these new flex fit uniforms make it harder for refs to see holding penalties? I think Deon Hollins gets held constantly and it just does not look as bad with the tight flex fit uniforms.

A: Hm, that’s an interesting theory. But I think if holding penalties are obvious enough to be seen from the press box, officials shouldn’t have too much more trouble just because the uniforms are different. I’m sure it’s more chaotic looking at it on the field than from an aerial view though.