UCLA Freshman QB Dante Moore, Chip Kelly’s five-star recruit, seems to have won the starting QB job from Junior Ethan Garbers although Kelly has yet to publicly admit it, still stressing that it remains a three-way competition with just one more week left before a critical conference opener on the road in Rice-Eccles Stadium against No. 12 Utah. In their game on the road at San Diego State Moore connected on 63% of his throws for 290 yards, 3 TD’s to three different receivers and no interceptions. In a very balanced attack the Bruins also picked up two more scores on the ground while rushing 39 times for 254 yards with Sophomore RB’s TJ Harden and Junior Carson Steele combining for 175 yards of that and a TD each on just 21 carries. It all added up to an easy 35-10 win against the Aztecs.
On the other side of the ball, this was the second week in a row that what seems to be a very improved Bruin defensive line held their opponent to under 65 yards on the ground all the while recording 3 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. In the air however they aren’t fairing as well giving up an average of 245 yards per game so far, an issue that could be a real problem against Utah in a couple of week’s if their starting QB, Cam Rising, is back under center. But that said, in spite of the yards gained in the air by the Aztecs they threw more interceptions than TD’s connecting just once for a score to Senior WR Sam Pinckney who also picked up 139 yards on just 9 receptions, an average of over 15 yards per catch.
The Bruins struggling with pass defense is nothing new really as, since Kelly’s arrival, they have ranked as low as second to last in the nation to only as high as 74th in 2021. It’s one of the reasons he hired D’Anton Lynn early in the year as UCLA’s new Defensive Coordinator. With his recent background as safeties coach for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens—a defense that surrendered just 18.5 points per game in 2022, third in the league—it is hoped that the play of the safeties and cornerbacks, which usually involve pass coverage towards the middle and sidelines, will improve under his tutelage. Last year they were ranked 92nd in the nation in passing yards allowed at 273 yards per game. In their first two games they’ve made about a thirty yard improvement but have stiffer competition on the horizon and will need to get a lot better sooner in order to compete against the top teams in the conference. Up next, UCLA will host North Carolina Central in the Rose Bowl this coming Saturday, September 16th, at 2:00pm.