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Another Oregon blowout. 42-30 this time, so it doesn't look quite as bad as the other times Oregon has run the UCLA Bruins out of the stadium.
This was much worse though.
I'm going to preface this Eye Test by saying that this game was over in my mind when the score became 42-10. I could easily make an argument that it was over before then, but losing by 32 points in early 4th quarter with the Rose Bowl 70% empty after having been nearly full seemed like a good point to start considering the action as garbage time.
It is a credit to the UCLA Bruin football players (just the players) that they did not just walk in to the locker room at that point and actually won the 4th quarter.
But I couldn't care less what happened in the 4th quarter as an evaluation of how UCLA played in this game.
There is a ton to say, so I'm not going to waste time with words, let's get to the grades:
1.) Is our defense prepared for each and every team we play?
The stats that the defense ran up in the game up until the 42-10 mark was reached.
- 34 carries for 232 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns (6.8 yards per carry) with two TFLs (1 by Myles Jack and Aaron Wallce on the 1st Oregon drive of the game, 1 by Aaron Wallace and Owamagbe Odighizuwa on the 2nd Oregon drive of the game).
- Marcus Mariota had 17 completions for 210 yards for 2 touchdowns on 27 attempts (7.8 yards per attempt, which is actually a solid day considering Mariota averages 10.46 yards per attempt this season). Complemented that with 75 rushing yards on 7 carries and 2 more touchdowns.
That is 442 yards on 61 plays, which is 7.24 yards per play.
That's awful.
No sacks, no interceptions, no forced fumbles, no big hits (even the disgusting punch that Eddie Vanderdoes threw was shrugged off by the Oregon lineman).
I'd also like to throw out the two TFLs that the UCLA stats try to put out when Oregon was taking a knee to end the game. I hope that was just a clerical error and not an actual attempt to inflate the stats of this woeful defensive performance.
Defense gets a D- (0.7) and even that feels too high.
2.) Do we call offensive plays to catch our opponents off guard?
The stats that the offense ran up in the game up until the 42-10 mark was reached:
- 40 rushing attempts for 256 yards with 1 rushing TD (6.4 yards per carry, which is a damn good day).
Note: The official number is 41 for 232 because of the sack on Hundley that was counted as a loss of 24 rushing yards somehow (the fumble was recovered 24 yards behind the line of scrimmage, that is how they arrive at that number. Statistically that is ridiculous, but I digress).
- 17 completions on 26 attempts for 106 yards with no touchdowns. That is an absolutely atrocious 4.07 yards per attempt, which would rank UCLA last in the NCAA over a full season.
Note: Stop before thinking of mentioning Oregon's secondary, which does feature two future NFL corners, being a tough matchup. In 2014, Oregon generally allows 7.4 yards per attempt against FBS opponents, 78th in the NCAA. Brett Hundley, including this game, has thrown for 9.42 per attempt on the season.
An optimist might look to the trick plays that UCLA threw out there in this game and think that Noel Mazzone and crew pulled out all the stops to try and get a win.
The flea-flicker was worthless. The weird end-around to Devin Fuller out of the backfield was telegraphed from the start. The Longest Yard style pass to Hundley fooled nobody. The two other options for that play were vertical routes by Nate Iese and Taylor Lagace against a Cover 3 look. Those aren't threats downfield.
Oregon's offense has package plays built in where Mariota has the option to give the ball to the RB, pull the ball and keep it, or throw to the WRs. UCLA has these on occasion, so they exist but are almost never called. The play right before the Hundley sack/fumble that led to Oregon's first TD was a perfect situation for this. Hundley had just scrambled for a 1st down and Oregon was committed to stopping the run. The CB blitzes and ends up being the read (it was probably a straight hand-off, but Hundley rides Perkins while looking at the CB). If Hundley pulls and throws to that WR, UCLA gets an easy 1st down. Oregon had just done this on their last drive for 12 yards. Instead it is a 1-yard gain up the middle.
Be innovative within your offense. Don't design trick plays that surprise nobody. That is what a bright mind does as an offensive coordinator.
When stuff worked, like the widened OL splits on the Myles Jack package the offense got 14 yards in three plays saved by spectacular open field tackles on Jack to get the ball to the 9-yard line. Then the normal offense subbed back in and gave Oregon time to sub as well. WHY? And then that set was never seen again in this game.
Also, know your personnel. Logan Sweet and Tyler Scott were in on a key 3rd down and 5 in the 1st quarter. WHY? There are no injuries at WR, why are two walk-ons playing in the first half?
Down 28-10 in the 3rd quarter, Logan Sweet and Tyler Scott are on the field to start a drive. Logan Sweet is actually the single WR on the best cornerback in the country. WHY? Is anyone surprised that a walk-on WR fell down on his break in that situation?
Offense gets a D+ (1.3)
3.) Do our players look like they know what they should be doing at all times?
The defensive scheme here was patently absurd. Even the drives that went well had major issues that lucked out in UCLA's favor.
1st drive.
- 1st snap. The safeties aren't even in the frame. They're at least 15 yards from the line of scrimmage.
- Second snap, only 5 defenders in the box on a pass attempt. Mariota scrambles untouched around the corner for 12 yards.
- Third snap, Anthony Jefferson is facing the sideline and walking at the snap. 11 on 10 for the play. Oregon also gets away with a facemask on Owa which springs Freeman for 9 yards.
- Fifth snap, Deon Hollins is playing ILB for some reason and looks lost pre-snap and post-snap. Ishmael Adams is facing the sideline at the snap while running out to cover a player that Tahaan Goodman already had in man. Adams and Hollins are totally clueless on what to do on this snap against a formation I've seen Oregon in at least 15 times this year. They combine to totally vacate the area on the 2nd level that Oregon runs to while picking up 20 yards. Easily could have been a TD if not for Jefferson's awareness and Jaleel Wadood being in good position for an open field tackle
- Ninth snap, Wadood at safety is about 20 yards from the line of scrimmage on a 3rd and 6 from the UCLA 26-yard line. That's basically a Hail Mary defense. It works okay because of an OPI call, but this is telling an NFL-level QB that you are 100% playing man coverage with single high safety when he only needs 6 yards.
- Punt, Oregon is punting from the UCLA 42-yard line. There is no scenario where Adams is going to be able to return this punt, but UCLA sends no pressure whatsoever on a 4th and 21 punt. Overthinking the fake punt from last season's game a little too much.
That was from a drive that ended in a punt. There is no way that Oregon didn't look at that drive on the sideline and think "This is going to be easy as hell if this is the scheme they're throwing at us."
2nd drive:
- First snap, Tahaan Goodman is jogging to his position with his back to the QB when the ball is snapped. He's a single high safety on a passing play that isn't facing the line of scrimmage at the snap. Ends up being a dropped pass in the flat, but just a frightening lack of preparation defensively. You're playing Oregon, they snap the ball quickly. You need to be in position at the snap.
First TD:
- Anthony Jefferson follows the single WR way too far inside before the snap and then loses the ball and heads to the left while Mariota and a RB head right with the option. The play still should have been stopped because Aaron Wallace is unblocked as the read player and Eric Kendricks gets around a down block from an offensive tackle easily. Neither player actually gets to the right spot or realizes what is happening. Both get beat to the edge by both Mariota and the RB. Mariota scores easily.
4th Drive:
- 1st snap, Myles Jack is facing the Oregon sideline, adjusting his gloves and wandering out to the WR he's supposed to be covering. He's able to recover and match the WR because that player is running a swing pass to the side Jack is facing.
- 8th snap, Eric Kendricks guesses that Mariota is going to keep it outside instead of reading a play. Giving Oregon a free 8 yards by vacating the middle of the field. Touchdown saved by Goodman making a good read.
- 9th snap, 3 different players are not in position at the snap. UCLA lucks out of another huge gain because Mariota throws a high ball and Byron Marshall has it slip through his hands. 3 Oregon drops in the 1st half, by my count.
- 11th snap, out of a timeout. UCLA has Tahaan Goodman as the only DB to the right side. For some reason, he shifts from safety to an ILB spot on the opposite side of the field. This leaves no defender on that half of the field except a DE, which is Isaako Savaiinaea for some reason playing a spot he hasn't been in the entire season. Oregon runs a beautiful screen and Thomas Tyner is untouched for a 21-yard TD.
This was the play that happened right before the now infamous and monumentally embarrassing Jim Mora-Jeff Ulbrich shouting match on the sideline. Mora, as a former DB, was probably justifiably upset by the fact that a safety shifted across the field to an ILB spot that left half of the field uncovered. Literally any play to that side would have been a TD if Savaiinaea was blocked.
5th drive:
- 2nd snap, Oregon is in a 4 WR set, twins to each side. UCLA's scheme to combat this, with Marcus Mariota and a 5* RB in the backfield, is to put a 3-man bracket on each twins set (a corner, a safety over the top and a slot player inside) with 4 down linemen and Eric Kendricks against 7 Oregon players inside. Oregon runs right up the middle for 23 yards because that was the obvious thing to do. After Kendricks there is no defender in the middle of the field between Freeman and the endzone.
- 4th snap, Eric Kendricks guesses at the snap again instead of reading the play. Mariota keeps and picks up an easy 11 yards. Goodman gets away with another near-targeting penalty after he lowers the crown of his helmet and dives into a tackle late, inches away from hitting Myles Jack in the head and knocking him out of the game. Someone needs to teach Goodman to avoid these types of things, going to end up costing UCLA in a big way eventually. Myles Jack also shoves Mariota in to the ground while getting up, which just continues the undisciplined play of this defense.
1st drive of the 2nd half:
- 2nd snap, Eric Kendricks on a zone read to the right side of the offense with Mariota facing right and the running back getting the handoff to the right and no pulling linemen. He instantly goes left at the snap. As does Deon Hollins, who is the end on that side. This gives Royce Freeman an easy six yards for a 1st down.
- 5th snap, Myles Jack is in man coverage at the Nickel ILB spot on Pharaoh Brown whom is at H-back to the right side of the offense. For some reason, Jack takes an extra step inside. This gives Brown the easiest flat route ever for 9 yards on 1st and 10.
- 10th snap, UCLA is actually in a 4-3 defense. Kenny Young is at MLB, Kendricks is at OLB to the left of the offense. Oregon runs a zone-read and Young blows through to make a play on Freeman. Mariota keeps it and there is no UCLA player between him and the end zone off the left side. Aaron Wallace is playing DE for some reason and gets down blocked easily by Jake Fisher. I have no idea what Kendricks was doing on this play. He takes the right step to the outside but then turns inside to look at Young tackling Freeman. Mariota drops the ball, scoops it up and is still untouched for a 23-yard TD run.
2nd drive of the 2nd half:
- 2nd snap, UCLA is defending a 2nd and goal from the 4-yard line. Oregon has 5 OL, a true TE, an H-back and a 5* RB. They've run the ball effectively all game. The Bruins decide that this would be a good time to have a 6-man defensive line with only Kenny Young as a 2nd level defender. Adams is at safety on the 2nd level, I guess. But the 5'8", 180 pound Adams isn't exactly a goal-line interior defensive player. Kenny Young picks the wrong hole and Freeman scores basically untouched right up the middle because there was no linebacker on that level to make a tackle.
3rd drive of the 2nd half:
- 2nd snap, Ishmael Adams is jogging out to his man and facing the sideline at the snap. Myles Jack is not in position at the snap, runs around the edge of the line for no reason. Ends up being a run right through his vacated area for a 1st down. Undisciplined play.
- 11th snap, Myles Jack is conferring to Anthony Jefferson at the snap, not paying attention to the play. UCLA lucks out that Mariota rolls out to the other side of the field.
4th drive of the 2nd half:
- 1st snap, Bryon Marshall motions across the formation. UCLA is clearly in man coverage and the linebackers switch on the motion. Once he motions, it becomes Eric Kendricks' responsibility. He doesn't recognize that and stays in instead of widening out to account for the motion. Once he does recognize it, the play is already in progress. Mariota swings it to Marshall and he picks up 29 yards because there was no one covering him out of the backfield. Then, to compound his error, Kendricks take a poor angle and misses the tackle in the open field which gives Marshall an additional 10 yards.
- 3rd snap, UCLA is in man coverage again with the safety around 25 yards deep for some reason. Mariota rolls out to the right side at the snap. Myles Jack is over the TE Pharaoh Brown again. He looks at Brown after the snap, sees Brown selling a block on Owa and then he starts cheating to the right despite having no chance to make a play over there. Brown slips out for a screen, Jack gets blocked easily by a WR running a slant inside. Brown gets 31 yards and puts Oregon inside the 10-yard line.
- 5th snap, UCLA's entire DL is not prepared for the quick snap by Oregon at the 2-yard line. Oregon scores easily to go up 42-10.
The offense wasn't exempt from looking totally lost at times either. On the flea-flicker on the 2nd drive of the game, Eldridge Massington doesn't run any route in particular and then follows Jordan Payton to the sideline, giving Hundley no option on a trick play. Either that or the Bruins ran a flea-flicker where the deepest route was a 15-yard sideline out...on 2nd thought, that probably was what happened. I can totally imagine a scenario where Mazzone thinks that a 15-yard out is a solid first read on a trick play.
There was better pass protection but still some huge busts in blitz pickup. Jake Brendel looked awful on one play at the end of the first half. He lets a NT in a 3-down lineman set go right past him while looking for a blitzing ILB that never comes.
Some positives from this game to offset how difficult this column will be to finish:
- Anthony Jefferson dislodging the ball from the WR on 3rd and 21 in the first quarter, broke on a route with confidence.
- The offense starting a drive from under center from the UCLA 3-yard line on 1st down. Gets the offense some room to work with instead of taking a shotgun snap in the endzone.
- Brett Hundley's decision making on the read-option plays that UCLA ran in this game.
- The friendly spot the officials gave UCLA on a slant for a 1st down to Eldridge Massington. Gave the Bruins an extra yard and a half. The officials would have issues with spots all game for both sides.
- The lucky bounce that UCLA got on a way too early snap by Jake Brendel. Went off Hundley right into Perkins' arms and the play was unimpeded for a 14-yard gain when it could have easily been another turnover.
- Scott Quessenberry and Kenny Lacy pulling on run plays, as well as Malcolm Bunche and Caleb Benenoch. This was the best first half that the offensive line has played this season, but UCLA only put up 10 points.
As always, the penalties are taken on a play-by-play basis:
- A 15-yard facemask by Caleb Benenoch on UCLA's first offensive drive. UCLA had just gotten a first down and then have Benenoch pull all the way around the LT from RT (weird in itself). He gets to his responsibility and instantly grabs the defenders facemask with his left hand and yanks down and that defender still sheds the block and makes the tackle. Turns a 2nd and 8 into a 1st and 19 at the 9-yard line. Kills the drive. UCLA gets another 1st down because Brett Hundley is incredible, but the rhythm of the offense is shot after that.
- A personal foul by Carl Hulick on a punt that was downed at the 17-yard line. Hulick gets trucked as one of the up-backs, so I'm assuming he got upset about that and unleashed his frustration on the Oregon player who hit him clean to try and block a punt. Typical undisciplined UCLA play under Jim Mora.
- Eldridge Massington undoes a big run by Hundley by pushing an Oregon defender in the back when Hundley already had him beat to the outside with speed. Lack of discipline once more. This was a deserved penalty, for clarification. Turns a 20+ yard run into a 1-yard loss.
- Ishmael Adams gives Oregon a free 1st down on a 3rd and 2 by holding his man. The throw wasn't even to this WR. This would have been a 3-and-out after UCLA had just made the score 8-3. Instead, Oregon gets a 1st down at the 46-yard line.
- Eddie Vanderdoes punches an Oregon lineman in the stomach because he's upset about getting driven backwards. Vanderdoes somehow avoids ejection, though he likely won't avoid being suspended next week. Still gets flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and gives the Ducks 15 free yards instead of making the Ducks convert a 3rd and 3. Lack of discipline shines again.
- Takkarist McKinley makes his first impact play as a UCLA Bruin. Blows up a fly sweep tap pass. Is in position to make a TFL on 1st and 10. Instead of getting into an athletic position and driving through to make the tackle, he reaches and grabs the facemask of Byron Marshall. Gives Oregon 15 yards and a 1st down.
This was a total embarrassment in this category. I'm going with a F (0.0) here. It is deserved. This was the most unprepared I have seen UCLA look in a game since the Neuheisel era.
4.) Do our players play for 60 G-D minutes every game?
The 20-7 win in the 4th quarter would lead you to believe that the Bruins played hard through the end and I agree with that sentiment. The players on the field gave their best effort (whether or not some of them should be on the field in this game is another question).
UCLA did not lose this game because of their effort level. They lost because they were totally unprepared for this game in every aspect. B (3.0)
5.) Do our players execute?
Skipping an intro and just getting right into the ugly stuff, with some positive sprinkled in.
Some observations about the dropped passes, sacks, fumbles, interceptions and missed tackles:
- On the first drive of the game, UCLA threw out a new look in the running game. Pulling the tackle on the opposite side all the way across the field to try and set an edge for Perkins. It was a smart thought considering that Bunche and Benenoch are both guards playing tackle. The first time resulted in a 15-yard penalty by Benenoch, then UCLA ran the exact same play 3 snaps later for 3 yards where Malcolm Bunche pancaked the hell out of a linebacker but the playside guard Scott Quessenberry whiffs on his man and then turns and tackles Perkins on accident. Net gain on these two plays: -12 yards.
- On a 3rd and 7, Hundley scrambles for 6 yards (I'd argue that he easily got 7 yards and got a poor spot from the side judge) but loses his helmet and has to sit out a play or force UCLA to use a timeout to get him back on the field for a 4th down conversion (which is what should have happened in a must win game, but NFL mindset wins out). On first viewing, it looked like Oregon ripped off Hundley's helmet. In reality, IT WAS KENNY LACY TRYING TO PULL HUNDLEY FORWARD. A Bruin offensive lineman took off his QB's helmet. That happened in this game.
- The sack and fumble was rough to rewatch because you see a visible adjustment made by Hundley backfire on him. Last week, Hundley got sacked once because he didn't recognize a corner blitz off the left side. Oregon shows the same corner blitz early and Hundley does what he is supposed to do as a QB. Signals to the WR for a hot route in case of a blitz. While Hundley looks back for the snap, the corner drops out to cover the hot route WR in man and the slot defender from the right side blitzes instead. While Caleb Benenoch does a poor job of not recognizing a defensive end blitzing from the slot (probably should have been a red flag that Tony Washington was over Jordan Payton on this play) and helps inside, leaving Washington unblocked. Hundley looks to the single WR, who is covered and is sacked at 2.28 seconds after the snap by my watch. Hit sends the ball 10 yards back and Oregon recovers.
- Anthony Jefferson gets juked by Taylor Alie on the 2 point conversion. Not a good look for a very good player. If UCLA gets the stop there, then 6-0 Oregon after they got the ball at the 13-yard line to start a drive isn't bad.
- Cameron Judge, who has probably been the special teams player of the year for UCLA thus far, whiffs on his man on a kickoff return. Adams get tackled at the 15-yard line. This game was so bad that the special teams even played poorly.
- Scott Quessenberry gets beat inside instantly on a 2nd and 5 that ends up being a 1-yard loss by Hundley. This was a sack that wasn't counted as one for some reason by the official stats.
- Kenny Young does everything right, but misses a tackle and turns a 1-yard gain into a 9-yard gain on 1st down in the process.
- Myles Jack just gets flat out beat in man coverage by Pharaoh Brown for a TD.
- Negative for Brett Hundley: He tries to do way too much on another sack that wasn't counted as a sack. Oregon does that DE from the slot corner blitz again, but Perkins is swinging into the flat right where the blitz comes from. Hundley is looking that way, sees Perkins with no defender in front of him for at least 10 yards and tucks and tries to get around the left side. He also has Duarte on a curl wide open for a 2nd read. This was one play after he'd scrambled for 25 yards, so he looked to be trying to single handedly take UCLA into the endzone when he just needed to trust his teammates.
- Positive for Hundley: The next play he does exactly what he's supposed to do against the exact same blitz. Dumps it to Duarte in the vacated area for 8 yards to make 3rd down manageable.
- Positive for Hundley: Making an unblocked NT miss on a pass play and then throwing it away to keep the clock from running down.
- Ishmael Adams gets trucked by Freeman in the open field, giving Freeman an extra 5 yards.
- Tahaan Goodman decides that it is a good idea to trash talk Byron Marshall after Marshall picked up 7 yards and a first down to give Oregon a 1st and 10 from the UCLA 23-yard line.
- Tyler Scott is for some reason still in the game on the drive after UCLA goes down 35-10. He runs an atrocious route as Hundley's primary read, gets rerouted and forces Hundley to check down to Fuller for no gain. WHY WAS HE IN THE GAME?
- Malcolm Bunche gets embarrassed on a key 3rd and 5. DE runs right around the edge and tackles Hundley for no gain, which is the only way this avoids being a sack.
- Some kind of missed communication between Caleb Benenoch and Ben Wysocki (who actually came in for Scott Quessenberry late in the 3rd quarter) on a 2nd and 10 on UCLA's last drive of the 3rd quarter. It's a read option to the left side and Wysocki down blocks, which seems like the way UCLA normally blocks this play. But Benenoch just kind of floats out to the right. This looks bizarre on replay. He's just in the middle of the field with no defender or offensive player within 5 yards of him. Bunche gets beat inside on the left side of the play. Whether Perkins or Hundley got this ball it was going to be a TFL.
This wasn't nearly as bad as the third section, but still a rough outing on all 3 aspects of on-the-field play. C- (1.7)
6.) Do we have leaders on the field?
2nd week in a row I am redirecting this a little bit towards the sideline.
The NFL-mindset of Jim Mora isn't going away. It probably never will because it is asking a man to undo a lifetime of experience doing things one way.
Kicking a 20-yard FG against Oregon is not an option. 4th and goal from the 2-yard line on a team with Brett Hundley at QB, Myles Jack and Eddie Vanderdoes as options at RB and with a rushing offense that averaged 6+ yards per carry in this game and to end a 17 PLAY DRIVE. Inexcusable and cowardly, to be honest.
But that is the NFL way. Take the points. You need those 3s.
Realistically, in the worst case scenario, you're making Oregon go 98 yards to score after you've stopped them on both real drives in the 1st quarter.
Trying to kick a 41-yard FG on a 4th and 3 from the 23-yard line down 15-3 was perhaps even more cowardly. There is no difference between being down 12 points and being down 9 points in a football game. Mathematical difference, sure. But it is still a 2 score game, Oregon still has the confidence that they stopped you after scoring a touchdown on their last drive and having their offense start to click. That isn't even taking into consideration that Kai'mi Fairbairn is a totally different kicker (mentally, physically, whatever) from outside of 40 yards.
But that is the NFL way. Take the points. You need those 3s.
Punting on a 4th and 5 from the 42-yard line while your team is down 35-10 in the 3rd quarter was even more cowardly than any of those previous decisions.
Really, I should have stopped counting stats from this point forward because this is point where the coaching staff gave up on the game.
Is anyone surprised that the defense gave up more points after that decision? Punting there is a coach ending the game in the 3rd quarter. It's the most cowardly decision that I have seen Mora make.
As far as players go: Think of the stars of this team coming into the season. Myles Jack and Eric Kendricks on defense, the best linebacking tandem in the NCAA. Brett Hundley, the dual-threat Heisman candidate.
Myles Jack made back-to-back outstanding plays on the 2nd drive of the game. A TFL and a pass deflection, but he went out his way to taunt Oregon's sideline after both plays. If you want a little insight into why UCLA is the most penalized team in college football, look at those plays.
Remember Anthony Barr's celebrations? You shouldn't because he acknowledged his teammates and jogged back to the line of scrimmage unless it was a game ending sack against Southern Cal.
Jack is arguably the most talented linebacker in the NCAA, but he needed to be checked after those two plays. Discipline is taught from the top. It is no surprise he got beat deep on the 31-yard TD pass. Jamming a TE on the line when you have no safety help is an undisciplined play by a player that has been Cowboy-ing on defense the entire season.
Eric Kendricks was bad in this game. I don't know who was in his jersey in this game, but it wasn't the Eric Kendricks I have watched play over the years. Cheating instead of reading plays and then trusting your instincts is not the player that Kendricks is. He has to be furious with himself after this game.
Brett Hundley did play like a leader and carried the offense on his back in this game for long stretches but his coordinator was thoroughly out-coached by a defensive coordinator that also doubles as his team's linebacker coach (perhaps a concept worth looking into). Oregon's defensive game-plan was outstanding in this game.
A coordinator that puts in walk-on WRs in key situations, doesn't have enough courage to overrule a head coach on 4th down conversion attempts, creates trick plays that fool nobody, and who failed to maximize the running ability of a QB who rushed for nearly 1000 yards a season ago until the 6th game of the season does not belong coaching the talent on UCLA's roster.
There is no leadership from the sideline, how can you expect there to be tons of it on the field?
D (1.0) and this is the grade I am most upset about.
Final Grade Card for the Oregon Ducks
1.) Is our defense prepared for each and every team we play? D- (0.7)
2.) Do we call offensive plays to catch our opponents off guard? D+ (1.3)
3.) Do our players look like they know what they should be doing at all times? F (0.0)
4.) Do our players play for 60 G-D minutes every game? B (3.0)
5.) Do our players execute? C- (1.7)
6.) Do we have leaders on the field? D (1.0)
Oregon GPA: D+ (1.3)
For reference, the GPA in UCLA's previous loss to Utah was C-/D+ (1.6) and seemed like the low-point of 2014. The win over Arizona State was a B+ (3.4), which was the high mark of 2014. The wins over Texas C (2.2), Memphis C (2.2) and Virginia C+ (2.5) all saw UCLA look exceptionally mediocre.
There is not much else to be said. UCLA can either implode the rest of the season, keep winning games they should win and losing games they should lose, or rebound and win out for a Pac-12 Championship and a New Year's bowl game. The playoffs are out of the picture barring a further destruction of the college football landscape.
Go Bruins!