UCLA Football: What You Should and Shouldn't Be Concerned About After Week 2
Although ranked as the No. 12 team in the latest AP poll, multiple concerns have surrounded Jim Mora and the UCLA football team after two weeks.
Much of the dissatisfaction likely stems from the expectations heading into the year. Not only was UCLA initially ranked No. 7 in the country, but many pundits—including ESPN's Lee Corso—had the Bruins competing for a spot in the playoff.
Two underwhelming victories to start the year have tempered those expectations a bit. While there are legitimate causes for concern, there are also reasons to feel relieved about where UCLA currently is.
This piece will look at pressing concerns for the team as well as areas to feel fine about.
Concern: A Lack of a Pass Rush
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New defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has to be a bit worried with the lack of sacks through the first two games.
UCLA has only managed one sack versus two (at best) average offensive lines. To be fair, the defensive line has been getting pressure off the edge—namely from Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Deon Hollins. Nevertheless, tangible sacks have not been present.
There hasn't been a great deal of creativity when it comes to ramping up pressure on the opposing quarterback. It appears as if Ulbrich is solely relying upon his defensive front to create pressure without having to blitz.
Against better opponents, this schematic method might not always work. Going forward, I'd expect Ulbrich to be more exotic with his blitz packages. This premise would theoretically confuse opposing signal-callers while also generating sacks in the process.
Not a Concern: Payton and Duarte Are Very Good
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Both Jordan Payton and Thomas Duarte have proven to be UCLA's top two receivers.
Payton leads the team with 15 catches and 202 yards receiving through the first two weeks. Compared to previous years, he's made gains in terms of speed and explosiveness.
Payton has also retained his overall strength and physicality. On more than one occasion last week, he was able to break tackles on the edge and push up field for extra yardage.
Duarte has looked incredibly smooth in the first two games of the season. The Mater Dei High School product is second on the team in receiving yards (149) and also has a 21.3 yards-per-catch average. He had two touchdown catches against Memphis last week.
Payton's toughness and Duarte's ability to separate from coverage make them potential all-conference performers. The duo truly do give quarterback Brett Hundley reliable targets in the passing game.
Concern: Usage of Offensive Personnel
3 of 5Specifically against Memphis, there were some bizarre personnel decisions on the offensive side of the ball.
Walk-on receivers Logan Sweet and Tyler Scott got extended minutes over the likes of Kenny Walker and Mossi Johnson, among others. Starting receiver Devin Lucien's time was also cut considerably shorter.
Against Virginia, the wide receiver corps dropped a lot of passes. This trend continued versus Memphis, as reported by Chris Kalra of the Daily Bruin.
With this in mind, why not explore other options?
A quick, dynamic receiver is an element desperately needed in UCLA's offense. In the Memphis game, Hundley found sophomore Kenneth Walker on a 62-yard bomb down the field for a touchdown. Walker simply used his speed to separate from the defender.
Curiously, Walker didn't have a catch after that point. In fact, he rarely played. With all due respect to Sweet and Scott, neither has the ability to stretch the field vertically compared to Walker.
It just seems strange to see walk-on receivers playing big minutes with other able-bodied scholarship options available. This isn't the norm for a Top 15 team.
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Concern: Inconsistency
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UCLA has yet to put together a complete football game—and it's a bit disconcerting.
Virginia and Memphis went a combined 5-19 in 2013. Mora's team struggled in both of these victories, winning by less than 10 points in each game.
Defensively versus Virginia, the team scored three touchdowns and was particularly dominant throughout. Against Memphis, the unit allowed 35 points and 469 yards of total offense.
Conversely, the offense struggled immensely in Charlottesville. At home the following week, the Bruins accrued 540 yards and 42 points.
A strong effort on both sides of the ball needs to come quickly. Quite possibly, Virginia and Memphis are better teams than a year ago. Fans of the UCLA football program would like to operate under this assumption.
If the Cavaliers and Tigers still remain underwhelming teams in '14, UCLA is unlikely to fulfill its immense expectations heading into this season.
Not a Concern: The Team Is 2-0
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The sky isn't falling in Westwood. Yes, the Bruins haven't exactly looked convincing after the first two weeks.
But it could be worse.
UCLA is undefeated right now. There are some causes for concern (as highlighted earlier in the piece). However, there's also a ton of room for improvement.
The Bruins are still a young team. As the year progresses, the squad will continue to mature. The beleaguered offensive line will theoretically gel and become a solid group.
Struggles early this year could have been due to the massive expectations placed on the team. UCLA might've underestimated its first two opponents. At this point, UCLA is no longer the hunter...its the hunted. Mora's team simply cannot take its foot off of the proverbial gas pedal.
The Bruins need to play with a heightened sense of urgency this upcoming week versus a high-profile opponent in Texas. With the lack of impressiveness in the victories, I think these first two weeks may have been a bit of a wake-up call.
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