UCLA Football Preview: Can the Bruins Score Against the Ohio State Defense?
Ohio State's defense is one of the best in the country.
While the Ohio State offense has been very good all season, it’s the Buckeyes’ defense which may be the more impressive unit of the two. The Buckeyes are ranked as the best in the country in total defense, red zone defense, and scoring defense. They are ranked second in passing yards allowed and fifth in rushing defense.
They have only allowed seven touchdowns in nine games. They shut out Grambling and Wisconsin. They held both Washington and Minnesota without a touchdown. The only two teams who managed to score two touchdowns against Ohio State were Illinois and Penn State.
Given all of these superlatives, the biggest question heading into tomorrow should probably be: Will the Bruins be able to score a touchdown against the Buckeyes?
They couldn’t do it against Indiana on the road, and I’m not so sure they will tomorrow in Columbus.
Let’s look at Ohio State’s defensive personnel.
Defensive Line
Three of the starters on the defensive line have each started all nine games for the Buckeyes this season. The two starting defensive ends will be seniors Kenyatta Jackson, Jr. and Caden Curry. Jackson has made 15 tackles including 7 TFLs and 4.5 sacks. He has also broken up two passes and had two quarterback hurries. Curry has made 38 tackles including a team-leading 10.5 TFLs and a team-leading seven sacks. He has also hurried opposing quarterbacks five times, broken up a pass and recovered a fumble.
On the inside, Kaden McDonald is the third lineman to start all nine games for Ohio State. He’s made 41 tackles including seven TFLs and three sacks. He has also forced two fumbles and recovered one to go with a QB hurry.
The other defensive tackle will be either grad student Tywone Malone, Jr. or sophomore Eddrick Houston. Malone has started six of the Buckeyes’ games while Houston started the other three. Malone has made 16 tackles and broken up two passes. He also has a QB hurry. Houston has made nine tackles with a TFL and a sack. He also has a QB hurry and a forced fumble.
Linebackers
As I mentioned in our coaching preview earlier this week, Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will run a tradition 4-3 defense as the Buckeyes’ base defense. So, they will start three linebackers tomorrow.
Junior Arvell Reese leads Ohio State in tackles with 55 including 10 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. Reese has also broken up two passes and hurried opposing QBs twice.
In addition to Reese, the Buckeyes will start a pair of brothers at the other linebacker spots. Redshirt senior Sonny Styles is the younger brother and grad student Lorenzo Styles, Jr. is the older one. The younger Styles has made 50 tackles including 2.5 TFLs. He’s also intercepted a pass, broken up two more, hurried opposing QBs twice and forced a fumble. Meanwhile, Lorenzo has made 19 tackles including 1.5 TFLs, and he has broken up a pass as well.
Secondary
The starting corners will be senior Davison Igbinosun and junior Jermaine Mathews, Jr. Igbinosun has made 32 tackles this season including half a TFL, and he leads the team with five pass breakups. Mathews has made 16 tackles including 1.5 TFLs and a sack. He is tied for the team lead in interceptions with two and he’s broken up three passes. He also has a forced fumble.
Junior Caleb Downs and sophomore Jaylen McClain will be the starting safeties. Downs is third on the team in tackles with 43 including three TFLs. His two picks ties him with Mathews for the most interceptions, and he has a QB hurry. McClain has made 35 tackles and broken up two passes.
Analysis
Unfortunately, we’ve seen what happens when the Bruin offense faces a good defense. They couldn’t score a touchdown against Indiana, and they struggled to score enough last week against Nebraska, too.
UCLA is going to find itself outmanned against what is, arguably, the best defense in the nation.
I just don’t see the Bruins scoring more than two touchdowns against the Buckeye defense, and that’s making an assumption that they will be able to score at all.
Go Bruins!
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