UCLA Football: 2013 Season Preview
By Derek Hart
Dec 27, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterbacks Richard Brehaut (12), Brett Hundley (17), Jerry Neuheisel (11) and Kevin Prince (4) throw passes against the Baylor Bears in the 2012 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m not where I need to be, but Thank God I’m not where I used to be!”
This quote from a prominent evangelist describes UCLA’s football team perfectly, as these Bruins enter their 95th season.
Jim Mora was brought in last season to bring UCLA out of a mediocrity that had plagued the program for years, and through changing the culture of the team – no more “Over the Wall” stunts, for example – he largely succeeded as he begins his second year in Westwood:
* The Bruins won nine games, the most since 2005 when they won ten.
* They won the Pac-12 Conference’s South Division in a legitimate fashion, unlike in 2011 when they were awarded the title only because of crosstown rival USC’s sanctions.
* Speaking of USC, UCLA broke a five-year losing streak to the Trojans, getting back the Victory Bell in a convincing (and rain-marred) 38-28 triumph.
* Johnathan Franklin had the season of his life at running back, breaking both the school’s season and career rushing records.
* Anthony Barr became an absolute beast at linebacker with his 13.5 sacks, one of them – a vicious hit to USC quarterback Matt Barkley that ended his college career – being forever imbedded in Bruin lore.
And…
* The Bruins finally found a star quarterback as Brett Hundley broke UCLA season records in completions, passing yards and total offense.
Pretty heady stuff for Bruin Nation to gush over, but in the grand tradition of Sir Issac Newton’s law of whatever goes up having to come down, issues persisted with this team:
* UCLA had the dubious dishonor of being the most penalized football team in America in 2012, the referees throwing 130 yellow flags on them for a total of 1,281 yards, which showed that the Bruins had too many periods of playing sloppy and undisciplined. That must change.
November 30, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley (17) runs the ball for a touchdown during the first quarter of the Pac-12 Championship game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
* Only one team in the NCAA gave up more sacks than the Bruins’ 52, as the offensive line was young, inexperienced, and played like such in giving up 3.7 sacks per game.
On the plus side, however, that unit is expected to improve as four starters, led by Xavier Sua-Filo, return.
And…
* It seemed to some observers that the UCLA players thought their season was over with their win over USC, as the Bruins followed that with a season-ending three-game losing streak, the first two of them to Stanford – including a 27-24 loss in the Pac-12 Championship game – with the third loss an embarrassing 49-26 setback to Baylor in the Holiday Bowl that brought back some bad memories of previous years where the team would play badly in certain games and get blown out.
Despite these problems, most folks believe that this UCLA team will be formidable again; The Sporting News and the writers at the Pac-12 Media Day picked the Bruins to win the South again, while Athlon’s has them at 3rd.
If these band of Bruin brothers are to continue their progress and eventually become a national power, two things in particular must happen:
First, they need to find a replacement for Franklin as he is now a Green Bay Packer.
Several guys, including Jordon James, Steven Manfro, Malcolm Jones, and Damien Thigpen – provided that his recovery from a torn ACL progresses sufficiently enough – are up for the job. No one has really established himself as “The One” as of yet, and Mora has indicated that he will go with a running back by committee to start.
The second thing pertains to the defensive secondary, which is UCLA’s main concern as their most experienced player there, safety Tevin McDonald, was kicked off the team and subsequently left school while the Bruins’ other defensive back with decent experience, Dietrich Riley, was forced to retire due to lingering neck issues.
That leaves the Bruins with a bunch of young guys who can’t play like young guys, players like Ishmael Adams, Randall Goforth and five-star freshman Priest Willis, who has impressed at training camp. The alternative would be for opponents to try and beat UCLA by going to the air and exposing the inexperience among the back four.
To counter that, defensive coordinator Lou Spanos needs to take advantage of a front seven that was arguably the best in the conference, led not only by Barr but also by Eric Kendricks, who led the Pac-12 in tackles with 149. The defensive line, led by Cassius Marsh and (hopefully) Ellis McCarthy, should overcome the loss of Datone Jones, who is now Franklin’s teammate in Green Bay as he was a first round pick.
The key to Bruin success on defense this year will come down to one thing:
Pressuring the opposing quarterback.
December 27, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora prior to the game against the Baylor Bears in the Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Whoever is calling signals against UCLA cannot have time to throw, and must get sacked numerous times in order to take the pressure off the inexperienced secondary. If he is sitting in the pocket, it will be a bad sign.
Meanwhile, the Bruins shouldn’t have any problem with their passing game as Hundley will have plenty of receivers to throw to. Shaquelle Evans is the leading receiver returning with his 60 catches, while Devin Fuller and Jordan Payton are expected to contribute.
Although punter Jeff Locke has moved on to the Minnesota Vikings, with freshman Sean Covington replacing him and placekicker Kai’mi Fairbairn back for his second year, the kicking game shouldn’t be a problem, either.
SO, WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE FOR UCLA FOOTBALL THIS SEASON?
I think that these Bruins will be a better overall team, and that their progress as a program on the upswing will continue.
But…
Unfortunately, their 2013 win-loss record may not show that as their schedule is extremely brutal, especially on the road.
Not only does UCLA have to go to Nebraska, where a Cornhusker team will be waiting for them and wanting revenge for their loss at the Rose Bowl last year, but there will be a “Death March” for Mora’s team as they must spend consecutive weeks in October at Stanford and at Oregon, two teams that are merely ranked among the nation’s top six.
Bruin fans, you are now free to shout “YIKES!” now.
On a positive note, the home schedule is a winnable one as Arizona State will be the toughest game at the Rose Bowl, followed by Washington, which UCLA will face on a Friday night.
All of this points to this prediction for the 2013 season:
An overall record of eight wins and four losses, with a good shot at a 9-3 mark if the Bruins finish undefeated at home.
UCLA will have an excellent chance of winning the Pac-12 South, but regardless of whether or not that happens, they will be in the post-season again with a berth in either the Holiday Bowl or the Alamo Bowl.
This is a UCLA program that is undoubtedly on the rise, but is a year away as I see 2014 as the season where the Bruins really make a run at being a national contender, because that’s when the young players will really mature.
For now, however, I’m very much looking forward to seeing this team continue their progress.