As the UCLA Bruins embark on the final game of their murderers’ row, four stanza-stretch against ranked competition, this final contest versus the #7 Penn State Nittany Lions might be their toughest one yet. James Franklin’s squad is stout on both sides of the trenches with offensive linchpins being their monstrous dual-headed running backs in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who have combined for 697 rushing yards and four touchdowns through the season’s first four games.
That enables quarterback Drew Allar to go play-action and find his favorite tight-end weapon, Tyler Warren, to the tune of 20 catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns along with his home run threat duo of wide receivers Omari Evans and Harrison Wallace III, who have combined for 20 receptions, 401 yards and four touchdowns at a staggering 20.1 yards per catch. This is complemented by an aggressive defensive front that has produced 11 sacks and four forced fumbles on the season. Make no mistake, the Bruins’ ability to stay in this game as 27.5-point underdogs will be predicated on their much-maligned offensive and defensive lines.
Here are three players currently flying under the radar that could play significant roles on Saturday:
3 UCLA Bruins Breakout Candidates
Sam Yoon, C
There’s a growing sense the 6’5, 280-pound sophomore from Pasadena could replace Josh Carlin at center for the tussle in Happy Valley. While Carlin has done an admirable job filling in at center from his traditional guard spot, as Will Decker and I have discussed on “The Bruin Bible,” this transition is the NBA equivalent of asking a post-up center to become an exclusively perimeter-oriented three-point shooter – it’s simply too tall an order. Allowing Yoon to make his first career start at his natural position, thereby enabling Carlin to do the same at guard could provide the requisite continuity and comfort desperately needed for an offensive line struggling to even stay up-right.
Charif Seye, Edge
Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe alluded to playing Charif Seye more amidst his emotional, eloquent, and empathetic press conference on Wednesday. At 6’5, 250 pounds, Seye, who transferred from Florida A&M this past spring, has the length, explosiveness, and horizontal quickness to help manufacture a pass rush for a front four that hasn’t recorded a sack in the past three games. Seye’s unique frame, coupled with the incessant double-teams Jay Toia continuously commands, has the potential to generate the edge pressure Bruins fans have been desperately yearning for, and one that Allar has struggled with earlier in his career against marquee competition.
Luke Schuermann, IDL
The 6’4, 255-pound transfer from Johns Hopkins is another defensive line presence that has shown flashes of productivity, particularly last week against Oregon. Schuermann’s ability to complement Toia on the interior in addition to serving as an anchor on three-down lineman formations could prove invaluable in forcing Penn State to extend drives and run additional plays, thereby limiting the game’s total number of possessions. Schuermann’s lower center of gravity can also play a unique role in clogging up running lanes in between the tackles, to subsequently enable the likes of Kain Medrano and Femi Oladejo to finish tackles from the second level.
As Albert Einstein famously stated, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.” Look for the Bruins to break that cycle of the same thing with the likes of Yoon, Seye, and Schuermann. They’re going to need it.
