UCLA vs. Texas A&M: Game Grades, Analysis for Bruins vs. Aggies
The Texas A&M Aggies salvaged a thrilling 31-24 overtime win Saturday over the UCLA Bruins after blowing a late lead and then coming though in the extra period.
After a dominant second half that saw the Aggies shut out the Bruins and top quarterback Josh Rosen, UCLA came back from a 24-9 deficit with just over four minutes to play to send the game to overtime. This included a 63-yard bomb from Rosen to Kenneth Walker III between two defenders and a subsequent two-point conversion.
This was arguably the biggest home win for Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, who enters this season on the hot seat after consecutive disappointing 8-5 seasons. The Aggies look stout on defense, but the offense could use some more improvements.
UCLA has to be proud of the way it fought back in a hostile environment, but the team will be kicking itself when reviewing the game film.
Let us now review the performance of both squads' individual units, as well as the coaching decisions in this wild contest at Kyle Field.
Texas A&M Offense
1 of 6
Grade: B-
Putting up 31 points usually signals a strong performance from an offense. But in Texas A&M's case, a lack of consistency from the unit nearly cost the team the game.
Quarterback Trevor Knight was solid in his Aggie debut, throwing for 239 yards and touchdown. Yet, his mediocre 22-for-42 passing performance and an interception put a serious blemish on Knight's day.
At times, he utilized his bevy of weapons nicely, as he found Christian Kirk in space and took advantage of Josh Reynolds' tremendous ball skills. Knight also rushed for two touchdowns, but he and the rest of the offense were too hot and cold.
The unit started out terribly, with numerous three-and-outs and an early fumble that allowed UCLA to march into the red zone. The offense then looked excellent in the second and third quarters, as it blended power running and downfield passing to take what seemed to be a comfortable lead over the Bruins.
Yet, the offense went cold in the fourth quarter. It had two drives in the last four minutes of regulation to seal the game, but it instead went three-and-out in roughly a minute, and UCLA took advantage.
Rushing for 203 yards and throwing for 229 as a team is reflective of great balance, but that was nowhere to be found in crunch-time in regulation. If the Aggies find more consistency, this will be a forceful offense that could bolt Texas A&M into SEC contention.
UCLA Offense
2 of 6
Grade: C-
The key matchup going into this game was UCLA's reshuffled offensive line against a fearsome Texas A&M pass. The Bruins sorely lost the battle.
Quarterback Josh Rosen was under pressure the entire afternoon, as he was sacked five times. The offensive line was blown off the ball, and it certainly rattled Rosen throughout most of the game. The normally high-powered Bruins were shut out for the majority of the second half until a late surge salvaged some of its ineptitude.
Despite that, the sophomore overcame numerous key drops and some early missed throws to total 343 yards and a score while completing 60 percent of his passes. The pressure contributed to his three picks, but Rosen made a particularly poor decision by throwing a late pass over the middle late to tarnish a potential game-winning drive.
Soso Jamabo was able to rack up 91 yards and a score on the ground, and Rosen showed tremendous poise late to bring UCLA back. Yet, the blocking must be better, as does the 5-for-18 rate on third down and one red zone touchdown on four trips.
Texas A&M Defense
3 of 6
Grade: B+
Everyone knows about Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, the Aggies' two star defensive ends. Yet, the entire pass rush was in on the action Saturday.
Garrett recorded a sack, but UCLA's double-teams of him allowed the rest of the unit to consistently pressure Rosen.
Justin Evans was all over the field, making great open-field tackles and adding an interception. Claude George was also a beast on the pass rush coming in on the blitz with Shaan Washington.
Rosen's hefty pass yardage was a result of UCLA being forced to throw. The Aggies were able to fluster him by stifling the run to the tune of 3.1 yards per carry, and the team forced three picks.
If not for a late-game collapse on a few long passing plays, this grade would have been an "A." Defensive coordinator John Chavis has really made a difference in his second year with the program.
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UCLA Defense
4 of 6
Grade B-
Containing an offense with so many explosive players on the road is a daunting task, but the Bruins were able to give the team a chance to win Saturday.
The team was obviously focused on taking away space on the perimeter, and it was mostly successful. Kirk only gained 58 yards on eight catches, but Reynolds was a killer downfield. He scored a huge touchdown on spotty coverage, which proved to be a key difference in the game.
Rushing defense was a problem against an offense not known to pound the rock. The Aggies went for over 200 yards, and Keith Ford was able to push the pile and find some room between the tackles.
The reason this unit gets a slightly positive grade was its play at the end of regulation. The Bruins quickly got their offense back on the field, which paid off.
Texas A&M Coaching
5 of 6
Grade: C+
Texas A&M should have handily won this game in regulation, but some poor decisions nearly cost it.
The defense played too conservative late in the fourth quarter, which allowed Rosen some space to find open receivers. UCLA struggled to pick up blitzes and pressure all game, so there was no reason to stray away from that strategy.
On offense, the Aggies were at their best when they were mixing in power runs and quick play-action passes. The play-calling was too sporadic, which kept the offense from finding a rhythm. This proved costly at the end of regulation, as two quick drives gave UCLA enough time to come back.
UCLA Coaching
6 of 6
Grade: C+
Offensively, there was not much schematically that UCLA could have done to help itself.
The offensive line was overwhelmed on pass plays, as bringing in extra blockers proved ineffective. The team tried to establish the run, but it was also met with mild success. If not for some dropped passes, the outcome could have been much different, so it is hard to put any serious heat on the coaching staff.
The biggest blemish defensively was the inability to adjust to A&M's rushing attack. The Bruins were obviously not prepared for a power game between the tackles, but UCLA never backed off of its boundary-guarding strategy. As a result, the Aggies notched three rushing touchdowns.
Statistics are courtesy of NCAA.com.
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