UCLA facing offensive woes
PASADENA (AP) — Joe Williams essentially came out of the stands to rush for 179 yards last week for No. 19 Utah.
UCLA coach Jim Mora might be looking around the Rose Bowl on Saturday to see if there’s anybody sitting there who could help him beat the Utes.
The Bruins (3-4, 1-3 Pac-12) are in trouble, and their inept running game is just one reason. A season that began with plans to contend for the national title has come down to a fight for bowl eligibility.
The Utes (6-1, 3-1) are not a welcome sight to any team struggling on offense, no matter how good the Bruins’ defense has been playing lately. With Utah going through its own offensive inconsistencies, a defense-dominated afternoon seems likely in Arroyo Seco.
“If we can just keep building on the things we’re doing defensively and find a way to run the football, then we can get this thing turned around and going in the right direction,” Mora said. “But it all starts with being able to run the football. It’s just so obvious to everyone, it sounds redundant for me to stand here and say that.”
The Utes could have had the same problems after injuries decimated their depth at running back. Instead, Williams ended a onemonth retirement and returned to run wild against Oregon State , keeping Utah on top of the division standings alongside Colorado.
UCLA’s offensive line and its three talented tailbacks have all been utterly unable to move the ball, averaging a measly 91.1 yards per game — 126th out of 128 FBS teams. Mora and offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu have spent the week simplifying UCLA’s offense in hopes of getting it going on the ground.
But Utah’s imposing defensive line leads the nation’s 27thranked run defense, so the Bruins might want to rely on their passing game against a Utah secondary that’s likely to be without star safety Marcus Williams.
If only the Bruins knew who their quarterback will be. Josh Rosen could miss another game with an assortment of undisclosed injuries, and former walk-on Mike Fafaul could have to play for the third straight week. Mora claims he won’t know until game day.