UCLA vs. Kansas State: Postgame Grades for Bruins, Wildcats

In a game that looked like a blowout for UCLA, the Kansas State Wildcats stormed back in the second half only to be denied right at the death, as the Bruins won the Alamo Bowl, 40-35, despite leading 31-6 at one point. 

Brett Hundley and Paul Perkins both had great days, as did Jake Waters and Tyler Lockett. 

With that, let's check out the game grades for both teams, starting with the Bruins. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Rush Offense	A-	A
Pass Offense	B+	C
Rush Defense	A	A+
Pass Defense	B	C-
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	A	C

UCLA Bruins

Rush Offense: Behind Brett Hundley and Paul Perkins, who rushed for 96 and 194 yard, respectively, the Bruins racked up 331 yards on the ground and exposed K-State's front line. It was a 67-yard run in the fourth quarter that ultimately buried K-State. 

Pass Offense: Obviously since UCLA racked up over 300 yards on the ground, Hundley didn't have to pass that much. He finished with just 136 yards but did have a touchdown through the air. 

Rush Defense: Despite K-State being a traditional running team, UCLA gave up just 31 rushing yards and didn't let K-State establish a tempo in the run game all night. 

Pass Defense: Tyler Lockett could yell out to his defender "they're going to pass the ball to me on this play," and it wouldn't have mattered to UCLA, apparently. The Bruins got toasted by Lockett, who had 13 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns. As a whole, the Bruins gave up 338 yards through the air. 

Special Teams: The Bruins special teams didn't play a major role in the game, which is always good. It means there weren't any mishaps. 

Coaching: Even though Jim Mora won the game, the Bruins committed 15 penalties and nearly coughed up a 25-point lead. That's all on the coach. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Rush Offense	F	D-
Pass Offense	B-	A-
Rush Defense	D	F
Pass Defense	D+	B
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	D	B

Kansas State Wildcats

Rush Offense: K-State was limited to just 31 yards on the ground on 32 carries—meaning they averaged less than a yard per carry. If the Wildcats could've established a ground tempo early, they may not have fallen behind the way they did. 

Pass Offense: It seemed as though Tyler Lockett and Jake Waters were going to bring K-State back all by themselves, and they nearly did. Waters finished with 338 yards, and Lockett ended his career as a Wildcat with 164 yards and two touchdowns. 

Rush Defense: The Bruins toasted the Wildcats on the ground to the tune of 331 yards, and it was a big run by Perkins late in the fourth quarter that finally buried Bill Snyder's squad. 

Pass Defense: Brett Hundley didn't exactly rely on his arm in the game, but that's partly because the Wildcats weren't letting themselves get beat over the top. Despite a battered secondary, the Wildcats gave up just 136 yards through the air. 

Special Teams: There was a penalty that negated a Tyler Lockett touchdown return, and that could've played a bigger role than we'll ever know. But despite that, no significant shakeups in the special teams department. 

Coaching: In the first half, it appeared Mora was completely outworking Snyder. In the second half, it was Snyder and his staff's play-calling that nearly brought K-State back from 25 points down. It's always tough to beat Snyder, and it took a 25-point cushion to ultimately do it.