The 4-5 UCLA Bruins, who have suddenly become the BIG-10’s hottest team, enter the hostile confines of Husky Stadium to take on 5-5 Washington with two teams that have eerie similarities.
Both teams are establishing uniquely identifiable cultures with first-year coaches DeShaun Foster and Jedd Fisch, respectively.
Both teams are frantic for a victory to get bowl eligible – the Bruins need to win two of their final three games for a postseason berth, while the Huskies desperately need a victory over UCLA on their senior night with a road trip to #1 Oregon as their only other remaining game.
Both teams also have significant streaks on the line, as the Bruins are riding an improbable three-game winning streak while Washington has a 19-game home winning streak.
Here are three key matchups that will ultimately define Friday night’s primetime outcome.
UCLA Bruins Front Seven Versus Huskies Offensive Line
The heart, soul, and strength of this UCLA Bruins team is their quartet of defensive stalwarts – Jay Toia, Carson Schwesinger, Femi Oladejo, and Kain Medrano, who have combined for 130 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions on the season.
These four disruptive linchpins will go up against a patchwork Huskies offensive line that has struggled with consistent pass protection.
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How well UW holds up in obvious passing situations, while also enabling holes for running back Jonah Coleman and his 913 rushing yards, and seven touchdowns on six yards per carry, will go a long way in determining which team controls tempo, momentum, and possessions.
Huskies Wide Receivers Against UCLA Bruins Secondary
Passing game, rushing attack, run defense, turnover generation, special team precision…all have had their shining moments over this Bruins win streak, with the exception of the secondary. UCLA gave up 287 yards passing to a struggling Rutgers squad, allowed four pass plays of 20+ yards to an inept Nebraska bunch, and enabled Iowa wide receiver Jacob Gill to garner 138 yards on six receptions.
Many deficiencies were masked by the dramatic game-sealing interceptions by Bryan Addison and Kaylin Moore in consecutive weeks, but this group has struggled all year.
Couple that with Washington’s dynamic wide receiver duo of Giles Jackson and Denzel Boston, both of whom have combined for 115 receptions, 1,337 yards, and 11 touchdowns, and the UCLA Bruins will absolutely have their hands full on the back end.
How UCLA deals with one of the three most explosive teams it has faced all season, with LSU and Oregon being the others, will have significant ramifications on Washington’s ability to neutralize the UCLA Bruins vaunted front seven.
Eric Bieniemy Matched Up Against Huskies Defense
Washington comes in 4th in the country in passing defense, allowing a meager 155.6 yards per game. Eric Bieniemy’s ability to maintain balance and leverage his newly discovered outside zone run scheme concept with Ethan Garbers under center will be paramount to keep the Bruins ahead of schedule with respect to the chains.
Furthermore, given Washington’s success as a pass defense, particularly with the comfort of being at home, will force Bieniemy to instill a level of structure and control with Garbers, who was scintillating on the road against Rutgers and Nebraska, but seemed to play outside himself in route to three turnovers versus Iowa.
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Garbers’ ability to stay within the system and make quick simple reads without forcing unnecessary chunk plays when they aren’t presented, will be critical for the UCLA Bruins to play the game on their terms.
Just ask Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans about the detriment of having a pass/run imbalance against UW in Seattle (the Trojans had 29 first-half throws to just nine rushes in their 26-21 defeat to Washington).
Jedd Fisch has been somewhat of a Bruin killer each of the past two seasons as Arizona coach – defeating UCLA prior to the Victory Bell game and sending the Bruins into an abyss of self-doubt both years. For the Bruins to avoid that fate and set up a dramatic crosstown showdown with the Trojans next Saturday night in the Rose Bowl, winning at least two of the above three matchups will determine if a fourth consecutive triumph as an outright underdog is in the cards.
Fours Up.