Bruins Nation - UCLA-Washington: Huskies' PreviewsBlog Of The Bruins, By The Bruins, For The Bruinshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48017/bruinsnation_f.png2014-11-07T08:00:04-08:00http://www.bruinsnation.com/rss/stream/69215582014-11-07T08:00:04-08:002014-11-07T08:00:04-08:00UCLA Football Oppo Preview: A Look at UW's Offense
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<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A glance into the struggling Washington Huskies offense that has turned to a star defensive player at running back. </p> <p>Washington's offense is not very good. Just to get that out of the way early on in this preview.</p>
<p>To be clear, that is not meant to be bashing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.uwdawgpound.com/">Washington Huskies</a>. The Huskies are probably going to end up winning 8 or more games in Chris Petersen's first season as head coach. Tough for anyone to have expected much more than that considering that he has cleared house on the program, approaching double digits on dismissals.</p>
<p>They are pretty clearly the 3rd best program in the Pac-12 North and a talented team that would be competitive in any conference in the country. Probably somewhere around a top 40 team in the country despite their problems.</p>
<p>If UCLA takes the Huskies lightly in Seattle, they will be in for another long game that UW could easily win.</p>
<p>If UCLA's defense plays the way they did against Arizona, or even 90% as well as they did, the Huskies shouldn't score more than 14 points in this one on offense.</p>
<p>Let's get into the most important statistical categories (in my opinion)</p>
<p><b><i>Yards Per Play: </i></b></p>
<p>The Huskies are averaging just 4.7 yards per play against FBS teams, which ranks 106th overall in the NCAA and 11th in the Pac-12 (interestingly, only #17 Utah is ranked lower).</p>
<p><b><i>Points Per Game:</i></b></p>
<p>The Huskies average 27.2 points per game, which is 66th nationally and 10th in the Pac-12. Against the three decent football teams that Washington has played (Stanford, Arizona State and Oregon), the Huskies have scored 43 combined points and lost all 3 games.</p>
<p><b><i>3rd Down Conversion Percentage:</i></b></p>
<p>The Huskies convert just 35.4% of their 3rd downs, which is good for <a href="http://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/stat/third-down-conversion-pct" target="_blank">96th in the country</a> and 11th in the Pac-12 (only Oregon State is worse). The last 3 weeks, they've been worse than that at just 30.23%.</p>
<p><b><i>Red Zone Scoring Percentage:</i></b></p>
<p>The Huskies convert possession in the red zone into points on 83.33% of their chances this season. That is 61st in the country and 8th in the Pac-12.</p>
<p><i><b>Yards Per Carry:</b></i></p>
<p>3.8 yards per carry for the Huskies, which is why <span>Shaq Thompson</span> was forced to move to offense to try and give them a boost. That number ranks 88th nationally and 9th in the Pac-12.</p>
<p><b><i>Yards Per Attempt:</i></b></p>
<p>The Huskies rank 81st in the NCAA and 10th in the Pac-12 at 6.6 YPA.</p>
<p><i><b>Yards Per Completion:</b></i></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">The Huskies rank 108th in the NCAA and 9th in the Pac-12 at 10.5 yards per completion.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">Those numbers are reflective of what has been the most difficult offense to watch in the Pac-12. The Huskies are far too talented to be that bad offensively. But if you don't have a quarterback, then you really don't have an offense and the Huskies might have the worst QB in the conference.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><b>Quarterback</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><span>Cyler Miles</span> had some off-the-field issues prior to the season, <a href="http://blogs.seattletimes.com/huskyfootball/2014/03/31/uw-quarterback-cyler-miles-will-not-face-charges-in-alleged-assault/" target="_blank">which is sugar coating that he and a teammate assaulted a guy because he was a Seattle Seahawks fan in Seattle celebrating a Super Bowl victory</a>...allegedly.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">He was suspended for a game against Hawaii. A game the Huskies won by 1 point, 17-16.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">Miles' first real game experience was against UCLA last season after <span>Keith Price</span> was knocked out. He threw two TDs and two INTs in the 2nd half.</p>
<p>If you just look at the stats with no context, Miles looks to be having quite a debut season for the Huskies.</p>
<p>12 touchdowns to just 1 interception. Completing 66.5% of his passes. Has 3 rushing touchdowns and close to 200 yards on the ground.</p>
<p>ESPN's QBR tells a much better story as Miles ranks <a href="http://espn.go.com/ncf/qbr/_/page/3" target="_blank">104th in QBR</a>, along such stalwarts as <span>Jeff Driskel</span> of Florida and last among qualifying Pac-12 QBs.</p>
<p>UCLA has had an occasional habit of making marginal QBs seem effective, but Miles might not be capable of taking advantage.</p>
<p><b>Running Back</b></p>
<p>Shaq Thompson is going to get the start again this season.</p>
<p>I do not agree with the decision to do this by the Huskies, even though Thompson has been extremely effective at RB (more successful than <span>Myles Jack</span> has ever been and with far superior instincts as a runner).</p>
<p>He has 45 carries for 356 yards and will likely become the Huskies leading rusher on the season in this game, even If UCLA has a good game. That is how bad the performance has been from the Huskies' backfield.</p>
<p>Deonte Cooper (a Southern California kid) has been getting more touches of late as well, he's more of a change of pace back but is capable of making big plays.</p>
<p>Redshirt freshman <span>Lavon Coleman</span> (5'11", 217) is the current leading rusher on the Huskies, but he did not garner a touch in last week's game with Thompson at RB.</p>
<p><b>Offensive LIne</b></p>
<p>The offensive line that started against Colorado is as follows:</p>
<p>Senior Micah Hatchie (6'5", 306) at left tackle. Junior Siosifa Tufunga (6'3", 321) at left guard. Senior Colin Tanagawa (6'3", 292) at center. Massive senior <span>James Atoe</span> (<b>6'7", 381!!</b>) at right guard. Redshirt freshman <span>Coleman Shelton</span> (6'4", 281) at right tackle.</p>
<p>It is an experienced group for sure. This lineup could change due to health or something of that nature, they did a pretty solid job against Colorado, allowing just one sack and two TFLs in 60 snaps.</p>
<p><b>Wide Receivers</b></p>
<p><b></b>Sophomore John Ross (5'11", 179) and junior <span>Jaydon Mickens</span> (5'11", 174, but if you've seen UW play you know that is generous) are the real workhorses of this struggling passing games. They're the only player over 300 yards receiving (371 and 329, respectively). Senior DiAndre Campbell (6'2", 206) and freshman <span>Dante Pettis</span> (6', 170) are another players to keep an eye on.</p>
<p>Senior Kasen Williams (6'3", 217) is an intriguing player, as he was Honorable Mention Pac-12 in 2012 and looked on his way to being a 1st or 2nd teamer in 2013 before a season-ending injury. He hasn't looked to be at full speed yet despite playing in games this year. Immensely talented, but just does not appear to be the same player any longer. Hopefully he can get there at some point, but hopefully not in this contest.</p>
<p>Go Bruins!</p>
https://www.bruinsnation.com/ucla_bruins_washington-huskies/2014/11/7/7172609/ucla-football-oppo-preview-a-closer-look-at-the-washington-offenseIE Angel2014-11-06T09:45:14-08:002014-11-06T09:45:14-08:00UCLA Oppo Preview: A Closer Look at the Huskie D
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<figcaption>Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>While Chris Petersen's offense has gotten off to a slow start, the defense has held things together in Washington. Will the Bruins be able to hold the nations leading pass rusher at bay?</p> <p>When Justin Wilcox took over as Washington's defensive coordinator, the Huskies had one of the worst defenses in the country. In a couple of seasons, the Huskies D improved significantly, and Pete Kwiatkowski has maintained the improvement in his first season after taking over from Wilcox.</p>
<p>This season, the Huskies are allowing just 30.8 ppg, but that hides the fact that the defense has only allowed more than 24 points in a game twice this season; Oregon scored 45, and Eastern Washington managed 52 points in the second week of the season. They've held opponents to 20 points or less 5 times this season. Make no mistake, the Washington defense is not elite. They still allow far too many yards (409.8 ypg, 77<sup>th</sup> nationally), especially through the air where opponents are completing 65.1% of their passes for 275.3 ypg. But they have a knack for keeping points off the board, in part because of their ability to create negative plays. Washington has 37 sacks and 67 tackles for loss, which rank 2<sup>nd</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup> nationally in those categories.</p>
<p>Up front, Washington two big tackles in <span>Danny Shelton</span> (6'1 339 lbs. Sr.), <span>Evan Hudson</span> (6'6 273 lbs. Jr.), and end Andre Hudson (6'3, 246 lbs., Sr.). Shelton has the size of a prototypical nose, but he's really improved this season at getting in the backfield and making plays. He's second on the team with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, and leads the team with 70 tackles. If our interior line cannot block Shelton, it is going to be a long night for the Bruins. Evan and <span>Andrew Hudson</span> also have the ability to penetrate the backfield, but their production is nowhere near Shelton's at this point. These three provide the girth on the defense, and the Huskies want opposing teams to run around edges where the rest of the defense can utilize its speed to chase down ball carriers.</p>
<p>Washington boasts a pair of dynamic linebackers in pass rushing Ha'oli Kikaha (6'3 250 lbs. Jr.), and do it all WLB Shaq Thompson (6'2, 224 lbs., Jr.). Kikaha leads the nation with 15.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. Despite playing running back, Thompson has tallied 53 tackles, and has scored 4 defensive touchdowns this season. Thompson is a converted safety and easily one of the best athletes in the Pac-12. The other two linebackers are MLB John Timu (6'1, 235 lbs., Sr.), and Travis Freeney (6'4, 218 lbs., Jr.).</p>
<p>The secondary is led by corner, <span>Marcus Peters</span> (5'11 193 lbs. Jr.), who will generally match up with our best receiver. The other corner is <span>Sidney Jones</span> (6'0, 171 lbs., Fr.). Given the speed and coverage ability of Washington's linebackers, they will not have to come out of their base defense very often.</p>
<p>The starting safeties are young, with SS Budda Baker (5'10, 173 lbs., Fr.) and FS Kevin King (6'3, 183 lbs., So.). Baker came close to committing to UCLA and is good friends with <span>Myles Jack</span>, and Saturday will give us our first glimpse at what could have been while watching Baker play. He's done a tremendous job starting as a true freshman and is third on the team with 58 tackles.</p>
<p>***</p>
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<p>That concludes the preview of the Washington defense. Fire away with additional thoughts and comments.</p>
https://www.bruinsnation.com/2014/11/6/7168833/ucla-football-oppo-preview-a-closer-look-at-the-huskie-dAHMB2014-11-04T10:00:03-08:002014-11-04T10:00:03-08:00UCLA Oppo Preview: Petersen > Seven Win Sark
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<figcaption>Stephen Brashear</figcaption>
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<p>Washington watched Seven Win Sark flee to Southern Cal in the offseason, but immediately upgraded the staff by landing Chris Petersen in his place. We'll take a closer look at Petersen's first season in Part 1 of our Washington preview.</p> <p>Chris Petersen's opening season in Washington has probably had Huskie fans about as frustrated as us Bruins at this point in the season. After struggling to beat Hawaii and allowing FBS Eastern Washington to score 52 points to open the season, the Huskies blew Illinois out 44-19 to open 3-0. The following game, they fell behind 14-0 to Georgia St., but rebounded with a huge second half to win 45-14. Then Stanford beat them 20-13 in a game where Washington managed only 179 yards of offense. They turned around and beat up Berkeley the following week, holding the Bears to 7 points. Then Oregon and Arizona St. came, both beating the Huskies easily. When the season seemed to be holding by a thread, they went to Boulder and pulled away from Colorado in the second half with a pick 6 and punt return touchdown. Up and down, down and up, the Huskies are sitting at 6-3 with four conference games left, and Petersen poised to match or top Seven Win Sark's best season at Washington.</p>
<p>Petersen may be new to the Pac-12, but he's well known by anyone who follows college football. He spent 12 years at Boise St. as offensive coordinator and then head coach from 2006-2013, running a unique <a href="http://smartfootball.com/gameplanning/breaking-down-boise-how-the-broncos-use-leverage-numbers-and-grass-to-gash-the-opposition#sthash.AhEj6j99.SAenQ67Q.dpbs">pro-style offense</a> that uses a lot of motion and capitalizes on defensive confusion to outnumber the defense at the point of attack and get desired matchups in the passing game. Petersen was extremely successful at Boise St., going 92-12, and of course winning the Fiesta Bowl in 2006 and 2009.</p>
<p>This year, Petersen has had to shuffle his offense around quite a bit, and the numbers are telling. Washington is only managing 364.9 ypg on offense. They've only topped 400 yards of total offense three times this season, and have yet to tally 300 yards passing in a game. In fact, they've only topped 200 yards passing three times this season. The Huskies have been much better on the ground, where they have topped 300 yards in a game and match the three 200+ yard efforts, despite losing their top two running backs to injury. In their place, Petersen has been creative, moving their top linebacker, <span>Shaq Thompson</span>, to running back.</p>
<p>Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski also came to Washington from Boise St. Kwiatkowski played at Boise St. in the 1980's and is a member of the Boise St. Athletic Hall of Fame, but when the Broncos hired Bryan Harsin as head coach, Kwiatkowski decided to follow Petersen to Washington. Thankfully for the Huskies, Kwiatkowski is replacing <span>Justin Wilcox</span>, who he had also replaced at Boise St., and the scheme is not all that different. The numbers for Washington's defense have not been great overall, but they have had a couple of outstanding performances, and they're clearly capable of playing some very stout defense.</p>
<p>On special teams, Washington has received solid placekicking from <span>Cameron Van Winkle</span> (11/13 FG's, 32/33 XP's), and are getting a hair over 40 yards per punt from <span>Korey Durkee</span>. They've also pooch punted 6 times already this season, which has to be some sort of record. The Huskies do struggle in kicking the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs, and are only managing a touchback rate of 22%. They've done well in covering those kickoffs, but they will give up plenty of chances.</p>
<p>In the return game, sophomore <span>John Ross</span> is the primary kick returner, and is averaging a little over 22 yards per return. The Huskies take touchbacks on just over 42% of their returns, and hopefully that trend continues. They also get about 12 yards per punt return from freshman <span>Dante Pettis</span>, which includes a touchdown last week against Colorado.</p>
<p>That concludes Part 1 of the Washington preview. Fire away with any additional comments, and be sure to check back in tomorrow when we preview Washington's offense.</p>
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<p>Go Bruins.</p>
https://www.bruinsnation.com/2014/11/4/7155097/ucla-football-oppo-preview-petersen-seven-win-sarkAHMB