UCLA Football Preview: Indiana's Defense Is One of the Best in the Nation
To win this game, the Bruins will need to get into the end zone against one of the stingiest teams in the FBS.
The Bruin offense is facing their biggest challenge of the season on Saturday.
The Indiana defense is allowing just 11.5 points per game this season. Only Oregon has scored 20 points against the Hoosiers this season, and no other team has scored more than the 15 points they allowed to Iowa.
As if that’s not enough, the Hoosier defense is allowing an average of just 85 yards rushing per game. To make it even worse, they are allowing an average of just 163.7 passing yards per game. So, it’s not like UCLA can choose to go to the air if they struggle to move the ball on the ground.
Last year, I wasn’t quite sure if the Hoosiers considered their defense a 4-2-5 or more of a 3-3-5. Well, given that the “Stud” position is being played by a guy who is listed on the roster as a defensive lineman, it looks like the Hoosiers are running a 4-2-5, but it’s really seems closer to the “Swarm D” that South Alabama ran against UCLA a few years ago than to the typical 4-2-5 nickel defense we’ve seen most teams play this year.
That’s primarily because defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has labeled the fifth defensive back as the “Rover” rather than the “Nickel.” While the Indiana game notes don’t indicate which of the starting corners will be the boundary corner and which will be the field corner, the Cignetti era James Madison game notes did provide a depth chart which did distinguish those two defensive positions when Haines was Cignetti’s DC there.
Let’s look at this season’s defensive personnel for the Hoosiers.
Defensive Line
Redshirt senior transfer Hosea Wheeler has started every game this season at nose guard. He joined Indiana this year after playing starting his collegiate career at Sacramento City College before moving on to Western Kentucky for the last three season. He’s made 17 tackles including two TFLs and he also has a quarterback hurry.
Tyrique Tucker is a redshirt junior who followed Cignetti from JMU. He will start at defensive tackle for the Hoosiers. He’s made 20 tackles this year including five TFLs and three sacks. Tucker also has two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
At this point, the Hoosier defensive line becomes a bit of a question mark. At the beginning of the season, InsideTheHall.com predicted that Mikail Kamara would be the starting Stud, even though he played defensive end last season. Ultimately, Kamara was left at defensive end when the season started. Without a doubt, Kamara will be starting tomorrow, but whether he starts at defensive end or stud really depends on how Haines fills the void left on the line by the long-term injury to starting Stud Kellen Wyatt. So, Kamara may be asked to switch over to Stud to fill that void. If they do move him, expect either senior transfer Stephen Daley or sophomore Mario Landino to start at end. If they don’t move Kamara, then Daley or Landino will probably start at the Stud spot.
While Kamara entered the season with the hopes of being named an All-American this year, his stats really haven’t made a strong case for that honor. He’s made just 12 tackles with 2.5 TFLs and a sack while breaking up a pass and hurrying opposing QBs three times.
Meanwhile, both Daley and Landino have tallied slightly more impressive stats even though neither has started a game yet. Daley has made 16 tackles with 7.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. Daley also has a quarterback hurry. Landino has 15 tackles with 4.5 TFLs and four sacks. He also has a pass breakup and a QB hurry.
Linebackers
For every game except the one against Oregon, Indiana has started two linebackers.
Middle linebacker Aiden Fisher is tied for the team lead in tackles with 48. He’s also made 6.5 TFLs. He’s one of the team’s best at pressuring opposing QBs, sacking them two and a half times and forcing four QB hurries.
True sophomore Rolijah Hardy will start at Will. Hardy is fourth on the team in tackles with 36 including seven TFLs and four sacks. He also has a QB hurry.
Against the Ducks, redshirt junior Isaiah Jones started in place of starting Rover Devan Boykin. While he may not start tomorrow, Jones will get plenty of playing time. He’s third on the team in tackles with 37 including a team-leading 11 TFLs and a team-leading 4.5 sacks. In addition to a quarterback hurry, he’s broken up one pass and picked off another.
Secondary
Moving on to the secondary, super senior Louis Moore and junior Amare Ferrell will be the starting safeties. Moore is tied with Fisher for the team lead in tackles. His 48 tackles include two TFLs. His four interceptions and one pass breakup also make him one of the best ball hawks on the team. Ferrell is tied for sixth on the team in tackles with 24 including a TFL. He gives Moore a run for his money when it comes to pass defense. Ferrell has intercepted three passes and broken up five more. So, both safeties are tough pass defenders.
The starting corners will be junior D’Angelo Ponds and redshirt junior Jamari Sharpe. Ponds is tied with Ferrell with 24 tackles including 3.5 TFLs. Ponds has intercepted one pass and broken up two more. He also blocked a punt against Illinois and returned it for a touchdown. That’s important to note since UCLA punter Will Karoll has struggled this season and even had one blocked against Penn State. Sharpe has made 17 tackles including half a TFL. He’s also broken up three passes, forced two fumbles and recovered one, too.
Super senior Devan Boykin joined the Hoosiers this year after transferring from NC State where he spent five years. Boykin will be the starting Rover unless Haines opts to start a third linebacker like they did against Oregon. He’s made 22 tackles including a TFL. He’s also broken up two passes and hurried opposing QBs twice.
Analysis
The Indiana defense is definitely one of the best in the country by any measure you use. The Hoosiers are ranked seventh in the nation in total defense. They are fourth in scoring defense. While they are tied for 40th in red zone defense, they are one of just two teams in the country to allow just two red zone touchdowns this season. The other team to do that is Ohio State. What’s lowered Indiana’s red zone defense ranking is the fact that opponents have settled for three points six of the ten times they reached the red zone. In fact, ten red zones attempts by Hoosier opponents is the best in the nation.
When you consider that Indiana has a high-powered offense, the fact of the matter is the Bruin offense needs to find the end zone and they absolutely, positively cannot settle for field goals if they want to have a chance to win this game.
Go Bruins!!!
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what I will watch for is the field goal attempts and punts. if we don't go for it on 4th down at every opportunity (say inside 4th and 4) we are going to lose probably badly.