Ok today we are finally going to put the Rice game all behind us (but then again when Texas blows out the Owls, just j/k). A mixed-bag of Hump day roundup today which primarily focuses on our next opponent: Washington Huskies.
Bruin LBers are getting ready for the Huskies. As Dohn reports they all know despite their two good games against Utah and Rice, they still have a lot to prove:
The linebackers, according to defensive coordinator De- Wayne Walker, played "steady" in both games, but the real proving ground for Christian Taylor, Reggie Carter and Aaron Whittington might begin Sept. 23, when UCLA opens Pacific-10 Conference play at Washington.
"When we play Washington, that's going to be a linebacker game. Straight up, a linebacker game," Taylor said. "They're going to try and shove the ball right down the middle."
So far, the group hasn't faced a tough test. Taylor has a team-high eight tackles as UCLA held Rice to 53 yards rushing. Whittington is fourth on the team with seven tackles and Carter, who participated in only nine plays against Utah because of all the extra defensive back packages, played well against Rice.
These LBers are going to have their hands full. The Huskies racked up over 200 yards on the ground against a pretty hyped Sooner defense at Norman. They averaged a little better than 5 yards a carry last Saturday, and for the season they have piled up over 500 yards averaging better than 6 yards a carry. Considering their QB play has been very shaky, we can expect as Taylor said that the Dawgs will be pounding the ball down the Bruins throats. So we are going to find a lot about this new "attitude" that we have been hearing about the Walker defense for last few weeks. Sure their performance against a perhaps barely average team and a horrible team was spectacular, but we are going to find out how they hold up against a hungry Husky team when we play them on their own turf."When we play Washington, that's going to be a linebacker game. Straight up, a linebacker game," Taylor said. "They're going to try and shove the ball right down the middle."
So far, the group hasn't faced a tough test. Taylor has a team-high eight tackles as UCLA held Rice to 53 yards rushing. Whittington is fourth on the team with seven tackles and Carter, who participated in only nine plays against Utah because of all the extra defensive back packages, played well against Rice.
Meanwhile, on the side of the ball, the offense is expecting a conventional defense from the Huskies. From the OC Register:
The UCLA offense admittedly was unprepared for defensive twists from Utah and Rice.
When the Bruins open Pac-10 play at Washington on Sept. 23, they expect to see a more conventional defense than they have had to contend with in their opening victories - though that might not help much.
Last season, the Huskies held the Bruins to just 65 rushing yards and 352 yards total offense with a defense that could not have been more basic.
"They didn't do anything," Bruins quarterback Ben Olson said. "They just sat back in zone and gave us problems. When that can be a problem is when they're getting pressure with their front four where they don't have to blitz to get pressure.
"If a team can get pressure with just their front four and can just sit back and play zone, that's probably the ideal thing that a defense can possibly do. You like it when people blitz because it allows for people to be singled up (in coverage). There are a lot of holes."
We will have lot more on the face-off between this conventional Husky defense and a UCLA offense, whose coaches were somewhat out schemed by Texas high school level coaches from Rice. We will see how they when they go up against Willingham's staff in Seattle. Much more on this later today.When the Bruins open Pac-10 play at Washington on Sept. 23, they expect to see a more conventional defense than they have had to contend with in their opening victories - though that might not help much.
Last season, the Huskies held the Bruins to just 65 rushing yards and 352 yards total offense with a defense that could not have been more basic.
"They didn't do anything," Bruins quarterback Ben Olson said. "They just sat back in zone and gave us problems. When that can be a problem is when they're getting pressure with their front four where they don't have to blitz to get pressure.
"If a team can get pressure with just their front four and can just sit back and play zone, that's probably the ideal thing that a defense can possibly do. You like it when people blitz because it allows for people to be singled up (in coverage). There are a lot of holes."
Elsewhere, in the Daily News, Matthew Kredell has a nice profile of Bruin FS Dennis Keyes. And, in the LA Times, Lonnie White has written up bunch of paragraphs on Bruin kicker Justin Medlock. Yes White is on a roll with his exciting beat reporting from Spalding Field. We will end this roundup with a little amusing note from the blogosphere. Check out this tidbit from LSU blogger Geuax Tigers over at A.T.V.S. Looks like GT is just finding out CFR is really just nothing but a shill for Southern Cal's 'physical genius'. GT easily disposes of CFR's petty and totally unnecessary dig at the SEC. Not suprising considering that is really CFR's MO who is always taking petty and classless dig at the Bruins (i.e. taking cheap shots at BO's age), while pretending to be an objective commentator on all things related to college football. Kyle over at Dawg Sports follows up with even more thorough dismantling of this cheap shot artist from Southen Cal. Nicely done fellas. But he really is not worth your time.As mentioned above we will have much on the Husky defense later today. Just because its a bye week doesn't mean we will go easy on talking up UCLA football.
GO BRUINS.