1 Comment

Well, a quarter of the way through the season and I can say I’m happy, but not yet convinced. We should learn a lot this weekend. I’m not expecting a win on the road (not that I think it’s out of the question either), but even if we lose, there may be a big variance in how we see the team.

The offfense is looking strong as usual under Chip, but I’m not sure if the O-line and running backs are quite there. On the other hand, I think it’s the best receiver corps we’ve seen, and we’ve got a QB that can hit them downfield.

It’s the defense that worries me. Last year they looked ok early on, but the same issues we’ve seen again and again were exposed later in the season. I’d say the D-line has improved, and we’ll need them to generate pressure without relying on blitzes. I’m definitely not sold on the secondary yet. I think the D has benefited from playing opponents that have been run oriented (and without QBs that run option schemes). I don’t know how they’ll fare against a more mobile QB, and certainly worry about teams with good passing games.

Maybe it’s all just the long suffering Bruin fan in me doubting the results so far and actually this team will show that it has turned a corner and become more complete. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to watch this week’s game live, so at some point I’ll look up the score and peek through my fingers at the result, fearing the worst but wishing for the best. I guess that’s why we’re UCLA fans.

Expand full comment