It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning, and
you’re a little groggy. So what do you do?
Well, if you flip to ABC, you can catch the UCLA v. Illinois
football game.
And if it’s anything like last year’s game, you
might promptly fall right back to sleep.
Lucky for you, both teams would be hard-pressed to replicate
last year’s 6-3 yawner, with its three field goals and 487
total yards between both teams. For comparison’s sake, UCLA
had 443 total yards by itself against Oklahoma State on
Saturday.
But where there were field goals last year, this year
we’re seeing touchdowns. Likewise, where there were
outstanding plays by the Bruin defensive front last season,
we’re seeing the last line of defense ““ the safeties
““ making all the plays. And that’s not a good
thing.
We could point out that UCLA never seems to have both a good
offense and a good defense at the same time, but that would be
moot. More importantly, it is something that fans, players and
coaches alike must recognize ““ that, to win, this team is
going to have to outscore the other team. The problem for the
Bruins is that engaging in a shootout with any team is risky and
not nearly as stable as engaging in a defensive battle. For one
thing, any mistakes by the offense become magnified. The four
turnovers against OSU doomed any chance at a UCLA comeback in the
second half.
The team’s success also depends on the offense’s
clicking on all cylinders. Fans saw glimpses of it last weekend,
and it will almost certainly need to be the case against Illinois.
That means Drew Olson has to be on the same page with his
receivers, tight end Marcedes Lewis and running backs Maurice Drew
and Manuel White Jr.
This isn’t to say this year’s squad can’t play
any defense. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and aside
from the probable return of defensive leader Justin London, coach
Karl Dorrell has elected to alter the personnel of the defensive
line. Those things alone should allow for vast improvement.
Furthermore, the Fighting Illini, with a not-so-impressive 1-11
last year, aren’t exactly an offensive machine. Granted,
Illinois is 1-0 with a 52-13 win over Florida A&M. But, come
on. What’s Florida A&M’s mascot? I won’t take
the trouble of looking it up, either.
Illinois quarterback Jon Beutjer, entering his sixth season, has
had everything from back injuries to even a freak accident in a
golf cart. Still, he’s 24 years old, an age most of us
college students fear due to the increasingly high level of
maturity. The Bruin secondary is still largely untested, even after
the OSU game. After all, if you were getting a first down every
single time you ran the ball, would you pass it? I think not.
Though Illinois will likely test UCLA’s run defense,
expect a more balanced attack. Still, both teams are going through
some key losses, especially among the defensive lines.
Theoretically, that means that the combo of White and Drew should
be enough to keep Illinois honest.
Theoretically.
Should UCLA take a while to wake up and end up falling behind
with the offense dropping into the mode of trying to do too much,
the Bruins could have a long morning on their hands.
UCLA’s schedule should be one of its allies. Though there
are no pushovers, there are no national powers, either (except
USC). It should be perfect for such a young team that still has a
lot of growing to do. But Illinois matches up well with UCLA, and a
0-2 start could spell doom psychologically. Not to mention the fans
calling for Dorrell’s head.
A must-win?
Maybe not, but it’s as close as you’re gonna
get.
Bruce is pulling for a 3-0 shutout. E-mail him your score
predictions at [email protected]