Bruins still confident in running back platoon
LOS ANGELES » UCLA coach Chip Kelly and running backs coach DeShaun Foster have continued to get the most out of their 1-2 punch in the backfield.
Running backs Carson Steele and TJ Harden have combined for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
“I think things are going well and we are running pretty efficiently,” Harden said. “Coach Foster and Coach Kelly are doing a good job inserting the run game early on.”
Harden led the Bruins (6-2 overall, 3-2 Pac12) with 20 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown against Colorado on Saturday night.
Steele had 11 carries for 75 yards, but he also fumbled the ball away twice in the 28-16 win over the Buffaloes. The Ball State transfer was fresh off a strong performance against Stanford, scoring three touchdowns in the first half.
“We always emphasize ball security,” Harden said. “Coach Foster always says, `Ball security is job security' anywhere you go . ... We are going to continue to emphasize ball security. Carson is a great player and he's just going to move on from that.”
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While there appears to be a focus on evenly distributing the ball between the two players, Kelly takes comfort in knowing what he has available in the running back room.
“DeShaun does an unbelievable job of rotating those guys,” Kelly said. “Play-call-wise, we don't change anything so we don't have to say, `Hey, he's in the game so we can only do this.' They all can run what we call and to have multiple guys at that position is a big deal for us.”
Checking the numbers
UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu was credited with sacking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders three times on Monday after he was initially listed as having two after Saturday's game.
As a result of the additional sack, he has matched his career high for a single game. He recorded three sacks against Colorado in 2022 and against Coastal Carolina in September.
Latu's sack total for this season is now 9.5, leaving him just one shy of his total of 10.5 from last season.
He is now tied for 10th with Mark Walen (1982-85) with 20 sacks as a Bruin.
Dave Ball (2000-03) holds the program's career record with 30.5 sacks. He set UCLA's single-season record with 16.5 sacks in 2003.
Latu and Gabriel Murphy are the two highestgraded defensive players, who've played a minimum of 20 snaps, on Pro Football Focus.
Locker room thefts
A video has surfaced on social media of some Colorado players explaining that their jewelry was stolen from their locker room at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
UCLA football coach Chip Kelly said he wasn't aware of the situation until moments before speaking with reporters on Monday.
“They've said the Pasadena police are looking into it, but I literally just found out about it,” Kelly explained. “That's awful for anybody. You would think that when you go anywhere that your valuables are safe.”
Tune in
The Bruins will host coach Kenny Dillingham and Arizona State at the Rose Bowl and will kick off at 6 p.m. on Nov. 11. The game will air on Pac12 Network.