UCLA Football: 5 Things That Must Change for Bruins to Improve in 2015

At the conclusion of each season, every college football staff has a self-reflection period to gauge the current state of their respective programs. 

As for Jim Mora and the UCLA football program, an introspective look will likely lead to the realization that there are areas within the team in need of improvement.

This piece will take a look at five specific things that could stand to see refinement.

Two of these principles deal strictly with scheme. One delves into a specific position unit, and the last two items speak about a collective mindset within the squad.

Protecting the Quarterback

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Caleb Benenoch protecting in a passing situation.

A major bugaboo this past year was the inability to protect quarterback Brett Hundley. 

UCLA ranked dead last in the conference with 41 sacks allowed. The offensive line especially had an abhorrent effort versus Utah, where the Utes tallied 10 sacks on the evening. 

With the Bruins breaking in a new quarterback in 2015, there's no question the offensive line needs to up its play considerably. By giving the quarterback more time in the pocket, the offense should (in theory) be more successful in the passing game. 

None of the potential new options at the position (Josh Rosen, Asiantii Woulard, Jerry Neuheisel) possess Hundley's ability to scramble when the play breaks down. This development makes the protection of the eventual starting signal-caller—and the prevention of negative plays— even more significant. 

Curbing the Penalties

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Mora was not pleased with the lack of discipline at times.

UCLA ranked No. 117 nationally in penalties per game. This equates out to an 8.0 penalty-per-game average.

If the program is to catapult into the upper echelon of the conference, it has to work doggedly at fixing the penalty problem. It's been a glaring weakness throughout the Mora tenure. 

UCLA has been a very inexperienced team the past two years, primarily relying upon freshmen and sophomores. In 2015, this can no longer be used as an excuse. A good chunk of the team has now been in the program for three years. 

There's really nothing else that needs to be said. Much of the penalty problem comes down to concentration and discipline. It's an aspect that surely will be emphasized throughout the offseason.

Improving on the Pass Rush

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Deon Hollins going in for the sack.

With Anthony Barr and Cassius Marsh departing for the NFL, the pass rush was a real concern heading into 2014. 

As it turned out, this facet of the defense did prove to be somewhat problematic. 

UCLA ranked tied for No. 8 in the conference in sacks with 29. Both Deon Hollins and Owamagbe Odighizuwa were effective at times, but the defensive line as a whole struggled with consistency.

New defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was also reluctant to blitz and bring pressure. This led to quarterbacks getting considerable time in the pocket to survey the field and make throws. 

To be fair to Ulbrich, he did become more exotic with his blitz packages as the season progressed. For UCLA fans, hopefully this trend can continue in 2015. 

Expect Hollins and Takkarist McKinley to be UCLA's best assets in terms of getting after the opposing quarterback. True freshman Keisean Lucier-South also might be able to figure into the mix. 

Tweaking the Passing Game

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Jordan Payton running for a big gain.

It wasn't as if the passing attack was poor in 2014. However, there needs to be an improvement in terms of picking up big chunks of yardage. 

The middle of the field was rarely utilized—the same goes for the mere attempt of making throws down the field vertically. UCLA relied extensively on short throws to the perimeter. 

Much of this had to do with the said personnel available, while some of it lies within offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone's scheme. The continual insistence on quick throws made UCLA's offense predictable at times. 

There needs to be much more of a concerted effort to exploit all areas on the field from a passing standpoint. Crossing routes over the middle of the field with Mossi Johnson and Devin Fuller seem ideal, while deep throws to the likes of Kenneth Walker and Jordan Lasley should—at the very least—be attempted. 

Putting Teams Away

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Marcus Rios icing the game away for the Bruins versus Cal.

Stepping on the proverbial neck of an opponent in peril is the mark of a good team. 

UCLA had multiple opportunities to exercise this power and shorten the game versus a struggling foe. There were four games (Colorado, Cal, Virginia, Kansas State) in which UCLA was up by double digits at halftime—and barely held on for the eventual victory. 

It truly does come down to maintaining a high intensity level.

Against Kansas State in the Alamo Bowl, the Bruins were up 31-6 at the break. As opposed to coming out in the second half with the same amount of urgency, UCLA took its foot off of the gas pedal. 

Kansas State came back furiously and nearly won the contest. This same sort of scenario simply cannot continue in the future. UCLA was fortunate to win all of its games in which the opponent launched second-half comebacks. 

However, there's a real chance the ball could bounce a different way next season should UCLA see itself pitted with a similar scenario.