UCLA Football: Bruins Aim to Capitalize on Beavers Vulnerable Left O-Line
The UCLA Bruins get another chance to showcase their dominant defense this weekend as they head up to Corvallis to take on the Oregon State Beavers. Oregon State is ranked 15th in the nation, so a win over them on the road would be huge for the Bruins resume.
They have surprised everyone with how great their defense has been, and they will have some challenges with this Oregon State offense. But if they come prepared, things should go their way, and the offense will just need to do their part.
One way the Bruins can get an advantage in this game will be to attack the Beavers weaknesses on the offensive line. It has been a problem for Oregon State this season, and UCLA should strike early.
“Oregon State starts redshirt junior left tackle Joshua Gray (6’4, 305). Gray has been actually a little leaky this year, and struggled against Utah in particular. He’s allowing the highest pressure rate among the starters, which is a little surprising, since he was considered one of Oregon State’s best this year. Redshirt senior left guard Heneti Bloomfield (6’4, 310) has probably been the second leakiest, with occasional communication issues between the two.”
If the Bruins can get pressure on the Oregon State offense, it could help them seal the win. The defense has been great about it all season, so there is no reason to think they won't be able to do it this weekend.
The UCLA defense will be the x-factor in this game. The Bruins offense should be good enough to finish the job if they can slow down the Beavers' offensive attack.
It seems that they have been getting better each week, and this is another solid test for this UCLA squad. They want to make some real noise inc-12, and getting a won on the road like this would go a long way in doing so.
The schedule is set up favorably for the Bruins after the Oregon State game, so they need to take advantage of things here. If they can, the Pac-12 Conference could be up for grabs with the Bruins as one of the frontrunners.
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