Washington Huskies: Scouting October 16th opponent UCLA
The Washington Huskies had last weekend off to prepare for their game against UCLA on October 16. Here’s a look at this week’s opponent.
While the Washington Huskies had last week off, UCLA did play. They won 34-16 on the road at Arizona. The previous week, Arizona State came into the Rose Bowl and spanked UCLA 42-23.
History
UCLA is third in the PAC-12 South with a 2-1 conference record and an overall record of 4-2. Head-to-head, the Bruins lead the all-time series with UW 39-33. More recently, Washington won the last two games. The most recent meeting took place on October 6, 2018, where the Huskies won 31-24 in Pasadena.
Prior to that, the Huskies beat UCLA in 2017, 44-23, at Husky Stadium. The last time the Bruins beat the Huskies in Seattle was in 2014, when they left the Emerald City with a 44-30 win. The Huskies and Bruins did not meet in 2015 and 2016.
UCLA Offense
The Bruins rushing attack is averaging 172.5 yards a game. This week, they probably come close to that total because Washington’s defense yields 179.6 yards rushing per game. UCLA’s passing game averages 209 yards, while the Huskies give up 166 yards a game through the air. For 2021 UW has only given up two touchdowns through the air, both against California.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson leads the UCLA Bruins. Like California quarterback Chase Garbers and Oregon State’s Chance Nolan, the Huskies will need to contain Thompson-Robinson, who also loves to run with the ball. When he throws, his top target is junior receiver Kyle Phillips (24 receptions, 369 yards, 6 TDs).
Zach Charbonnet leads UCLA’s rushers with 556 yards and 7 touchdowns. The junior transferred in from Michigan, where he played the last two years. Behind Charbonnet is redshirt senior and Duke transfer Brittain Brown with 442 yards.
UCLA Defense
This season UCLA’s defense allows 26.5 points per game. The Bruins are very vulnerable in the passing game allowing almost 308 yards per game. Also, in their first six games, they gave up 12 touchdowns through the air. UCLA’s opponents averaged 92.5 yards rushing while scoring 6 touchdowns.
Outlook
It will be important for UCLA’s offense to establish the run. The Huskies, for their part, must maintain their run/pass balance play-calling to win. Since the Bruins will give up a lot of yardage through the air, this will be a good chance for quarterback Dylan Morris to pad the stat sheet. It also allows Washington’s inexperienced wide receivers to make plays and keep the ball out of the Bruins’ hands early.
UW is 1-1 in conference play and 2-3 overall. To stay in reach of the Pac-12 North leaders, the Washington Huskies must extend their win streak over UCLA to three. Meanwhile, a UCLA loss likely eliminates any chance they have to win the South.
Do you think the Washington Huskies match up well with UCLA? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.