UCLA sure didn't play well enough to stay in the game so it was nice of Arizona to keep them in it. Three first half interceptions, two of which came inside the red zone, let the Bruins hang around, but despite that, UCLA's offense didn't manage a touchdown. It was a defensive touchdown and two field goals that accounted for UCLA's points in their 27-13 loss to Arizona in Tucson. You can check out the box score here.
Any time you use three quarterbacks, you know your offense wasn't great and the UCLA offense was far from great. Kevin Prince got the offense off to a bad start, Kevin Craft wasn't terrible, but his play wouldn't be described as good and Richard Brehaut was less than inspiring in garbage time that didn't provide a fair look at the freshman. In total, the UCLA quarterbacks were 15-35 for 146 without a touchdown or pick.
While the Wildcats did turn the ball over to keep UCLA in the game, they were always in control of the game, even after losing Nic Grigsby to injury. At 5-2, Mike Stoops has the Arizona program on the rise.
The UCLA defense gave up 27 points, but did score 7 of their own as Akeem Ayers knocked a lateral down that Tony Dye ran in for a score as everyone stood around assuming the pass was incomplete. There are still some major issues with the UCLA defense and Chuck Bullough. Two first half blitzes resulted in interceptions for the Bruins, yet despite the success, Bullough called very few blitzes or anything that could be described as remotely creative the rest of the way. The defense was also repeatedly burned by wide receiver reverses, showing little in the way of adjustments, but this game cant be blamed on the defense, even if there are legitimate concerns about the unit.This game rests on an increasingly impotent offense. After a game versus Cal in which they looked respectable and improving, the offense was downright awful in Tucson. None of the quarterbacks showed anything to make the statement that they deserved to be the starter, while the pass catchers had a case of the drops again, led by Nelson Rosario. The offensive line also played their worst game of the year. Losing Eddie Williams and having to insert Nick Ekbatani plagued the unit that lacked the continuity it showed in weeks past, while Ekbatani had himself a rough game.
Four losses in a row now with a trip to Corvallis on tap. Things aren't getting any easier and our Bruins aren't getting any better. Something is going to have to change if the 6 wins and elusive bowl game are to even be a remote possibility. Share your thoughts on the game here or if you have any extensive thoughts, throw them into a fanpost. This is your postgame thread.