Not many were giving the UCLA Bruins a chance against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but at halftime, the Bruins lead, 10-0.
This game marks the first time the team has shut a team out in the first half this season. The defense has been stout. The Gophers’ strength is their rushing attack and UCLA has held them to just 26 yards on 13 attempts. Star running back Darius Taylor was averaging 5.5 yards on the season, but in this game, he is averaging just 1.6 yards on only eight carries. That is the lowest average of his 11-game career.
This has forced Minnesota to rely on their feeble passing attack and the result has been 10 catches for 58 yards.
UCLA Bruins Defense Dominate in 1st Half Vs Minnesota
A big reason for the UCLA Bruins’ success is the play of junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger. The 6 foot 2, 210-pound LA native, already leads the Bruins in tackles by a country mile. His 49 combined tackles are 21 more than Kain Medrano’s 28. That number is also the most among all Big 10 defenders. He also has two tackles for loss and a forced fumble this year.
Against Minnesota in the first half, Schwesinger has picked up another six tackles, including a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
His sack came on a 3rd and 2 with the Gophers pushing near Bruins territory. Schwesinger got deep penetration to cause a nine-yard loss, resulting in a punt on 4th and 11.
The UCLA Bruins racked up a total of five tackles for loss and two sacks. KJ Wallace and Kaylin Moore both notched a TFL in the first half. Siale Taupaki got the team’s other sack and added a TFL as well. It won’t show up on the stat sheet, but oft-double-teamed defensive lineman Jay Toia’s quarterback pressure is helping keep Gopher QB Max Brosmer in check