This is an interesting matchup this weekend.
For the better part of a decade; Stanford has been using UCLA as a doormat to wipe their feet with...during the Mora era these games have been the last game or just past mid-season. Stanford is a team that has been vulnerable the earlier in the year you play them.
Will UCLA finally get a Stanford team that isn't clicking on all cylinders? We'll see. SC certainly wasn't facing a juggernaut last week. The Cardinal looked like a work in progress. The Offensive Line is a bit younger/less experienced than they've been; not quite dominating yet up front(though they probably will be in November). Ryan Burns didnt look like that SuperHogan character we've grown accustomed to.
The Stanford DL isn't as strong as we've seen--- Soloman Thomas is obviously a + guy on that unit; but they don't have that huge size and talent that we saw when guys like david Parry, Henry Anderson,,Shittu etc were terrorizing our OL...USC, which is a total circus right now, actually established the run early; but their interior OL is significantly bigger and better than ours at this time...
Stanford's identity is simple--- they beat you up with power on O and big plays to McCaffrey; along with back breakers to Shultz and Rector... And on D; they play a team D that forces the opposing QB to make reads, don't force it.. They disguise, they take away 1st and 2nd progressions, they do not beat themselves. They are an extremely fundamentally sound team- they don't miss tackles.
Taking all of their worts into account. They are still a team that routinely throttles Mora's guys. UCLA has yet to play a complete game. Vs A&M they were poor on both sides; vs UNLV the O had a nice plan while the D was pretty well gashed. Vs BYU the D was as good as it's been in years while the O was ugly.
To win this game-
1. Rosen needs to be great. Not just good, but great. Every game vs Stanford going back to 2012; we have given them
7 points off a pick6. That cannot happen, if they're giving us the check down take it... If they're giving us the middle? Take it.
2. The WRs need to catch the ball!
3. The Interior DL needs to step up again.... Eddie and Takk greatly change our front. They need to match the Stanford physicality.
4. We can't lose the turnover battle.
5. KP needs to call a game like he did vs Unlv
6, TB needs to call a game like BYU
7. Mora needs to sit down with Trevor and get their minds right
8. We need Stanford to do what they've done vs SC, Utah, ASU, Oregon etc in the past: have a subpar game....
Btw, I'd love to see a deep ball or two thrown to Theo Howard. Blocking/playbook or not; he can do things the others cannot.
For the better part of a decade; Stanford has been using UCLA as a doormat to wipe their feet with...during the Mora era these games have been the last game or just past mid-season. Stanford is a team that has been vulnerable the earlier in the year you play them.
Will UCLA finally get a Stanford team that isn't clicking on all cylinders? We'll see. SC certainly wasn't facing a juggernaut last week. The Cardinal looked like a work in progress. The Offensive Line is a bit younger/less experienced than they've been; not quite dominating yet up front(though they probably will be in November). Ryan Burns didnt look like that SuperHogan character we've grown accustomed to.
The Stanford DL isn't as strong as we've seen--- Soloman Thomas is obviously a + guy on that unit; but they don't have that huge size and talent that we saw when guys like david Parry, Henry Anderson,,Shittu etc were terrorizing our OL...USC, which is a total circus right now, actually established the run early; but their interior OL is significantly bigger and better than ours at this time...
Stanford's identity is simple--- they beat you up with power on O and big plays to McCaffrey; along with back breakers to Shultz and Rector... And on D; they play a team D that forces the opposing QB to make reads, don't force it.. They disguise, they take away 1st and 2nd progressions, they do not beat themselves. They are an extremely fundamentally sound team- they don't miss tackles.
Taking all of their worts into account. They are still a team that routinely throttles Mora's guys. UCLA has yet to play a complete game. Vs A&M they were poor on both sides; vs UNLV the O had a nice plan while the D was pretty well gashed. Vs BYU the D was as good as it's been in years while the O was ugly.
To win this game-
1. Rosen needs to be great. Not just good, but great. Every game vs Stanford going back to 2012; we have given them
7 points off a pick6. That cannot happen, if they're giving us the check down take it... If they're giving us the middle? Take it.
2. The WRs need to catch the ball!
3. The Interior DL needs to step up again.... Eddie and Takk greatly change our front. They need to match the Stanford physicality.
4. We can't lose the turnover battle.
5. KP needs to call a game like he did vs Unlv
6, TB needs to call a game like BYU
7. Mora needs to sit down with Trevor and get their minds right
8. We need Stanford to do what they've done vs SC, Utah, ASU, Oregon etc in the past: have a subpar game....
Btw, I'd love to see a deep ball or two thrown to Theo Howard. Blocking/playbook or not; he can do things the others cannot.
