RoWINg to UCLA - Opponent Preview

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3) will look to bounce back from a gut-wrenching loss to Indiana when they welcome the No. 5.-ranked UCLA Bruins (8-0) to Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Can they score on offense?

The Bruins were scoring at a torrid pace to open the season, averaging 44 points per game through their first four games, three of which were against Power 4 opponents. They were also averaging 281.5 yards on the ground during that stretch, spearheaded by a three-headed monster at running back.

Fifth-year senior Wayne Knight (not to be confused with the actor from Seinfeld) followed head coach Bob Chesney from James Madison, and fifth-year running back Anthony Woods and senior Jaivian Thomas were holdovers from the previous regime. Knight leads the way as the primary back with 110 carries for 680 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He is compact back at 5’7” and 193 lbs. who plays with a low center of gravity and can hide patiently behind his offensive linemen before bursting through the hole. Woods is a more physical back who frequently shoulders the load when UCLA needs to grind out yards and wear down opposing defenses, and Thomas is a change-of-pace whose speed make him a perimeter threat.

Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy has been brilliant in constructing the Bruins’ 12th-ranked rushing attack this season, developing a complex scheme that features condensed formations, pre-snaps shifts and motions, and counter plays to keep defenses off balance and open up running lanes. UCLA also takes the unconventional approach of rotating offensive linemen in and out to give their offense fresh bodies up front.

So what changed after the first four games? The Bruins lost starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending knee injury against Oregon. The former Tennessee signal caller was not a prolific passer, going 72-of-116 (62.1%) for 982 passing yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. But he was enough of a threat through the air to keep defenses honest, and he could extend plays with his legs.

Back-up quarterback Ty Dieffenbach — a senior who transferred in from Cal Poly — has been less effective. He is completing less than 60% of his passes, and there is less threat of a downfield passing game. Dieffenbach isn’t a statue, but his legs haven’t done much in four games, with 19 carries for -2 yards.

The good news for Minnesota defensive coordinator Danny Collins: The game plan is the same as it was for Iowa and Indiana. Focus on stopping the run, and force UCLA to beat you through the air.

Please tell me the Gophers will be able to score

The Bruins rank 10th nationally in run defense (87.2 rushing yards allowed per game), 14th in pass defense (173.5 passing yards allowed per game), and 5th in scoring defense (13.4 points allowed per game).

If you were hoping the Gophers might get a chance to breathe after facing three Top 15 defenses in three of their last four games, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Did I also mention UCLA has forced more turnovers than any other team in the country? Iowa State transfer safety Ta’Shawn James leads the team with four interceptions, and 10 other players have recorded at least one this season. Senior linebacker Sammy Omosigho, who transferred in from Oklahoma, not only leads the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks but has also forced a team-high five fumbles.

Omosigho has been perhaps the Bruins’ top player on defense, and he has good company in fifth-year linebacker Jalen Woods, who is tied with Omosigho for the team lead in total tackles with 62. Both have been key cogs in a defensive front that has only allowed one Big Ten opponent to rush for 100 yards this season.

In the secondary, the aforementioned James is one to watch out for, but senior cornerback Scooter Jackson leads the team with five pass break-ups and has snagged two interceptions of his own.

I don’t envy the task ahead of Minnesota offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh. The Gophers definitely need to avoid turning the ball over, but they haven’t been particularly successful running the ball or throwing it, so I don’t know how you sustain drives against this suffocating UCLA defense.

But who will score more points on Saturday?

The Bruins are making a cross-country trip for what will essentially be a 9 a.m. kickoff for them, and the Gophers have not lost back-to-back games this season, are 2-0 against ranked teams at home, and will come out swinging after last week’s heartbreak against Indiana. Minnesota finds a way. Minnesota 17, UCLA 16.