Renewed rumors of a coaching change? Two injured quarterbacks? Yet another
loss to Cal? Bruin football futures took a steep plunge on the market this last
week, as very little seemed to go right in Baby Blue Land. Hampered by
graduation and injuries, the Bruins (4-3, 1-2) have played an unprecedented nine
true freshman this year… and will probably burn a tenth redshirt on Saturday
with the unveiling of Matt Moore at quarterback.
Unlike the previous few years, little seems to be on the line this year from
a Stanford perspective. Stanford-UCLA recruiting rivalries aren’t as intense
this year as in years past, and many Cardinal fans have largely resigned
themselves to a rebuilding year- even if it’s the O and not the D that seems
to need more work. UCLA might, however, see it differently. It’s a
season-defining game for UCLA head coach Bob Toledo (isn’t it always?), as men
of ripe judgment estimate he needs seven wins to achieve even stop-gap job
security. Quite frankly, Toledo can’t afford to lose this game. UCLA’s
quarterback fiascos may make his task difficult – if Stanford can keep moving
the chains and not turn the ball over, there’s a very good chance for a
Cardinal dubya…
Offense:
Exactly how the Bruins maneuvered themselves into this quarterbacking
quagmire has me puzzled – three freshmen are vying for the starting position,
and one of them is already injured. What has Toledo been doing with his
QB recruits for the last few years? The more important question remains,
however: how good is Matt Moore, the projected starter this weekend? Reports
point to an accurate arm, a tight spiral, and legit 6’4" height. On the
downside, he’ll be taking his first snaps in a college game, is six months out
of high school, weighs just 185 lbs, and there’s little chance he’ll be
ready for the speed and ferocity of D-1A football. Sack-master Julian Jenkins is
assuredly licking his chops at the prospect of turning Moore into a pretzel at
his first opportunity.
Of further interest is the fact that Moore and Stanford QB Kyle Matter, who
each figure to play extensively this weekend, are both graduates of Hart High
School in Newhall, California. Add Hart grad Kyle Boller to the list, and the
Pac-10 could conceivably start three QBs from the same high school this weekend.
When is the last time that happened? I dug up Matt Moore’s and Kyle
Matter’s old high school stats for a casual comparison (senior years only),
and found some striking similarities:
| |
Nat'l QB rankings |
Yds passing |
TDs |
Completion % |
INTs |
| Moore |
8, 9, 17 |
3343 |
33 |
66 |
? |
| Matter |
5, 12 |
3754 |
33 |
66 |
9 |
Another QB to look out for is John Sciarra, who stepped in after Drew Olson
went down in the fourth quarter last week. Sciarra had a disastrous outing,
hitting one of seven passes, fumbling twice, and throwing an interception.
Fortunately for the Card, even with its two starting quarterbacks,
UCLA’s offense was never more than adequate. The Bruins average 30 points and
400 yards of total offense a game, numbers that place them from 5th
to 7th in the Pac-10 offensively. Fortunately for the Bruins, they’re
facing a team this Saturday that gives up 366 yards a game (seventh in the
conference), and ranks dead last in points allowed per game (33).
Wide receivers Craig Bragg and Tab Perry highlight a passing game that has
been picking up 265 yards per game. Tab Perry, a 6’3" junior, is a load
for any backfield, and was given top billing coming into the season. It has been
Bragg, however, who has most impressed. A 6’2" sophomore who runs a nasty
slant, Bragg leads the team with 36 catches for 633 yards and seven touchdowns.
He had an unbelievable night against Oregon two weeks back, exploding for 230
yards and three touchdowns on nine catches. In comparison, Perry has just 25
catches and one touchdown on the entire season.
The two receivers are complemented by one of the best receiving tight ends in
the nations, Mike Seidman. The 6’5" senior is tied for second on the team
with 25 receptions this year, and has 3 touchdowns to his credit.
The offensive line has been the offense’s chief disappointment thus far.
Returning all but one starter, and laden with size and experience, the line has
successfully created holes for Bruin backs (who are gaining 142 yds per game at
3.5 yds per carry clip) but has nevertheless provided simply wretched pass
protection. The Bruins have allowed a conference-leading 102 sacks over the last
three seasons, and UCLA QBs have been drilled 16 times in the last three games.
Not exactly an ideal situation for the team’s two true freshman QBs to walk
into this weekend, even against Stanford’s historically anemic pass rush.
Heading up the O-line is Mike Saffer (6’5, 304), an Outland and Lombardi
Award candidate who has 36 starts to his credit. Redshirt sophomore Mike
McCloskey (6’5, 280) is snapping the ball at center, which is the only
position on the line without a returning starter. Senior Bryce Bohlander (6’6,
296) starts at left tackle, and sophomore Eyoseph Efseaff (6’3, 301) starts at
LG.
Tyler Ebell has done a terrific job at running back this year, ever since he
came off the bench vs. Oregon State to run for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
Standing just 5’9" and 170 lbs, Ebell is picking up a shifty five yards
per carry, and may be one of the most dangerous playmakers Stanford faces this
year. The Bruins are also looking forward to the return of big, bruising running
back Manuel White, who is capable of picking up crucial inches in 3rd
and short situations.
Defense:
The Bruins are coming off a fabulous defensive game at Cal, where they
allowed just 173 net yards to the Bears, including a mere 40 on the ground.
While UCLA ranks 3rd in the conference in total defense (338.9 yds
allowed per game), they rank a sobering 9th in rush defense, allowing
140 yards a game and four yards per play on the ground. Stanford, meanwhile, has
the 2nd ranked rushing offense in the Pac-10, and has high hopes to
repeat last week’s 199-yard rushing performance against UCLA.
UCLA has some future stars on defense, particularly in the secondary. Senior
corner Ricky Manning, a candidate for All-America honors and the Thorpe Award,
has started 39 straight games for the Bruins and has 27 tackles to his credit.
Matt Ware, known for his freakish combination of size, speed and athleticism, is
playing both cornerback and free safety this year. Ware was the only true frosh
to play last year, and has the honor of being the first UCLA true freshman to
start every regular season game since 1972.
If Manning and Ware aren’t enough for Stanford’s receivers to grapple
with, Ben Emanuel is also hiding out in the Bruin secondary. The speedy
sophomore safety was the number two DB in the country out of high school, and
with 28 tackles and 2 interceptions to his credit on the year, Ben is a key part
of the Bruins’ stellar pass defense.
The loss of junior defensive tackle Rodney Leisle to injury was a major blow
to the Bruin defensive line, and without him the unit has struggled. Senior
Steve Morgan (6’3, 313) and junior Ryan Boschetti (6’4, 274) start at tackle
in his absence, and 6’6" pass rush specialist Dave Ball has 16 tackles
and 6 sacks on the year at DE.
The linebacking corps is also not up to last year’s lofty standards, when
Nece and Thomas were prowling the line of scrimmage. The linebackers played a
stellar game against Cal, however, and have shown consistent improvement over
the last several games. Marcus Reese is the heart and soul of the linebacking
corps, and leads the team with 52 tackles and a sack. The senior is accompanied
in the backfield by the surprising Spencer Havner (a redshirt freshman who
collected 11 tackles against Cal and leads the team in both interceptions and
solo tackles) and the solid Brandon Chillar at strongside linebacker.
Prediction:
It’s amazing to look at UCLA’s roster, year in and year out, and to see
all that underachieving talent. I think UCLA is just about ready to call it a
season, and will begin their funk in style this homecoming weekend. Stanford
takes it, 27-17.