Will UCLA Football's DEFENSE Live Up To 2023's Standard, Or Is Ikaika Malloe Stuck W/O a Pass Rush?

under dant Lin last year the defense was the pride and joy for Chip Kelly Squad in year one under Desa Foster it's a question mark heading into Hawaii which is why Kika malloy's big men up front have to set the tone in week one you are locked on UCLA your daily podcast on the UCLA Bruins part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day welcome everybody to this edition of the locked on UCLA podcast I'm your host Zack Anderson yimer and thanks for making this your first listen to each every day you can get the episode on YouTube like comment subscribe download thanks for your support this episode is brought to you by Five Hour Energy because Five Hour Energy fixes tired fats zero sugar it's convenient portable size a perfect pickme up for getting stuff done check out 5our energy.com to use the code locked on CFB to get 20% off your order offer only valid until September 30th on one order it cannot be used with other promotions go to 5our energy.com today today where we get started though is the likes of a UCLA team that is going against the Hawai e run and shoot we'll go a little bit more in depth about the run and shoot but what we're talking about now is a k Malloy defense a former co-defensive coordinator at Washington somebody who has been in the recruiting game been around the game quite a bit but now it's his chance to run his team after being in the system last year with d ly this is his defense to run for UCLA without the Elite pass rushers without Darius masau without some of the top heavy safeties that were young and were quite ready to start in back-to-back years for UCLA namely Kamari Ramsey and others going to USC alongside Danton Lynn but now it's up to the Bruins to take down Hawaii and the biggest thing the biggest question mark is not their linebacker room who only lost their linebacker coach and lost masasa last year you got two of the top three tacklers from last year's team coming from that room it's a veteran DB room but it's going to start with the pass rush UPF front now you look at KIK Malloy he was asked in one of the last practice media sessions prior to the game heading into Hawaii it was talking about what are his keys to success you got to produce a pass rush all right you have to produce a pass rush that was something I was going to say it's obviously something he knows produced a pass rush that is important for what UCLA needs to do this year to have any success last year this is a UCLA team that predit itself being one of the best defenses in arguable in the AR you know arguably in UCLA history so I was doing a little research about what UCLA had that led to some M success well beyond lat to was the ability for the DBS to beat ball Hawks like Alex Johnson Jaylen Davies they recovered some fumbles they did their best to force turnovers and be a physical defense under Danton Lynn so I looked under Bill Connelly's article about who had had the most turnover look UCLA according to analytics provided by Bill Connelly you know you look at those SP ratings whether it's returning players returning Productions who's going to win whatever UCLA was amongst the top 30 or so teams 33 33rd in the country as a team that had turnover luck per game now there's a couple times where there were balls on the ground that UCLA didn't get large in part UCLA had turnover look my thought on last year's team though is physical and pass rush and when you're an extremely physical defense You're Gonna Knock Out a few more and when you're very good pass rush you're going to force a lot more terrible decisions by the opposition's quarterback or get a lot more tackles for loss whatever it may be okay so last year the Bruins did have quite a bit of success when it came to turnover luck per game and it's really a hard number to to say but the Bruins are expected to regress in not only just points per game turnovers forc the amount of pressure in the back field that is all expected under this year with aak Malloy but he's got a lot of seniors UCLA hit the portal hard to fit the secondary whether it's KJ Wallace whether it's you know Ro you got Henderson in the back in the secondary you got Brian Addison UCLA has a lot of guys whether it's in their nickel package whether it's their safety their strong safety UCLA has returners at Corners Al you wonder how long that Jaylen Davies and Devon Kirkwood can hang up there you got an older secondary with an unproven defensive line where kamole was said to have to the media we're going to rotate eight players to go with the hot hands Shand to say nobody stood out we have enough to go off of who are starters but we're g to go and have enough players of equal talent that we can go with fresh legs later in the fourth quarter against the Hawaii team that's probably going to have more athletic agile offensive Lin as opposed to the big beasts UCLA is expected to face in the trenches in their now transition to the Big 10 conference so UCLA must find a way to get to Braden Shaker this is a guy who was a dual threat guy in week one maybe didn't necessarily show that in 2023 when Hawaii was going into the run and shoot but now Hawaii this is what they got a dual threat quarterback who was quoted after the game he all he knew that they're playing one of the worst teams in the country from 2023 in Delaware State and FCS and they're expected to beat by 40 as much as coaches and players don't want to read and he listens to things like me or newspapers or TV shows they know what they're expected to be this is what their quarterback shagger said in I believe what was halim during the game last week all right this is what Braden shager apparently had his high volume discussion with fellow offensive players at halftime this is the Hawaii quarterback basically just said it was embarrassing to score seven points in the first half against an FCS School playing in the run and shoot it's not the standard of what we do sometimes you need a little butt chew on in order to get everybody right and I think we came out a bit better me with a bit better of a mentality in the second half that was the Hawaii senior quarterback who only completed 50% of his passes had two touchdowns no picks just over 200 yards in a lustery day at the Ching complex where there was very Terrible storm-like Weather that affected both teams now we'll get a little bit more but the main thing for UCLA is yes they got to produce a pass rush and while it looks like they're Sol ified on the interior spots of the defensive line it's the edge rushers that not only had to get pressure but larger part specifically for this week keep contained kager made plays with his legs two rushing touchdowns didn't really blow you know knock down the doors with close to 40 rushing yards after it was all set and done with his net gain at the end of the game but two rushing scores got them into some momentum when there was close to 30 m per hour gusts I believe in that HTI Delaware State game you has to keep shager contained which is why a lot of this is pinned on what's Happening up front if you give oppos opposing quarterbacks all day to throw like last year Washington you couldn't get to Michael penck Jr and that was a quarterback who was oft injured but had a great throwing arm you couldn't touch him he was delivering dimes to the best receivers in the country and they literally ran not the football but ran with that scheme to the national championship game if you can't get to the quarterback then you're going to have a tough time beating some some of those teams and they could just throw bombs down the field for touchdowns right that's not exactly what the run and shoot is designed to do they're designed to manipulate the defense but UCLA needs a pass rush while disguising a lot of things without bringing a blitz okay I I was we watching something from June Jones who ran the run and shoot longtime head co college football coach talks about he'd love to see the Blitz and UCLA in a year where they might have to utilize a blitz or two to generate some pressure in certain situations that they could get from the Murphy Twins or lot two or bringing Madrono once in a blue moon off the edge they're going to have to live with guys sitting still and relying on their linebackers to sit back in coverage cover a lot of things that maybe the defensive lineman can't do if they don't get to the quarterback in time it's a lot of you know how many how many seconds how many seconds are ticking off the quarterback's head that they have an opportunity to throw it's keeping the quarterback in containment and making sure they could generate a pass rush now the DBS will be tested if UCLA cannot get a certain pass rush which is why the run and shoot is super hard to defend it's quick it's get out you're not going to see a lot of sacks possibly for this UCLA team but the ability to force pressure and forc Mistakes by veteran Hawaii QB will lead to UCLA success and tell us just a small portion of this 244 chapter of what we expect of Deshawn Foster team in year one right even a CL was like talking to the media you know we're just trying to follow the three pillars we just have to wait till they put on the pads the players play the game we're gonna find out week one right that is not his exact quote that's kind of piecing quotes together but larger part it's we're in wait and see mode we got to go play the game and figure out what we can do and he's got to figure out which of the transfer linemen which of those D linen are going to suit up and make the plays in the right moments whether it's seven to eight guys that he threw out there on rotation riding the hot hand of the fourth quarter which might be shorthand for saying a who's ever better in more conditions or B who has fresh legs and can make the play at the moment will get that opportunity and that opportunity is to play a pretty high octane offense like Ka which did not Showcase in a week one talk more about them in the second segment right because what is the run and shoot exactly and why will they test the secondary if the pass rush fails next un locked on UCLA all right it's College Football Saturday it's coming up it's that Labor Day weekend and you know it's the glory start of the college football season which means how are you gonna stay up how are you gonna stay energized after a long week to prepare for the long weekend right it's the football season it's here Falls around the corner but you're going to need that pickme up with the Five Hour Energy Shot you could stay alert for all your favorite games whether it's the quintuple crazy overtime game that's always going to happen late with the West Coast games you can take your 5our energy shot in the morning to start your day with all the preview shows watch the games watch more games and then watch some more because they' got zero sugar which is important because you're going to need one of those and it's 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in their third year under Timmy Chang they're trying to make some strides with a veteran quarterback who's been around for some time and they operate in the run and shoot offense which is similar to what Timmy changen ran when he was quarterback of the Hawaii team that way back when was a team that behold Alabama when they under bll sanctions all those things in the early 2000s they like to run high octane Up Tempo offenses because you got to bring guys to Hawaii you got to keep them agile and how do you get kids to Hawaii well you bring the quarterbacks you bring the receivers and they compost big numbers okay so what UCLA is GNA have to defend is the run and shoot the idea of the run and shoot is you're gonna have guys going on go routes it's the interior receivers that are going to read the whether it's the linebacker or the strong safety coming down to jam whether UCLA goes to a nickel package and plays with more DBS it's how do you handle a trips left trips right formation based on what Hawaii is showing and large in part it's a play that's run more like an NFL system slightly right you're going to see an NFL scheme and plays in a diversified form with Eric yanmy and the complexity of the verbiage that UCLA offensive players are struggling with the idea that Hawaii is going to play with is the run and shoot it's large in part the communication which is why some quarterbacks can or cannot make it to the NFL it's the read all right it's seeing which guys is coming to jam on the line who's going to stay back will I hit this guy in the flat or I'm G to hit this slot receiver up the seam while the receivers also have to make those same adjustments on the fly if this guy comes here I'm gonna run past that linebacker that strong safety and bust him up the seam and get hit for a 15 yard game by my quarterback and now that didn't look so pretty in week one but Hawaii also struggled with you know pass protection but sher's got to be quick he showcased some dual threat ability and the run and shoot is also going to struggle a little bit when it's what was quote unquote what some Hawaii players said I think I read in the postgame article written by Spectrum news for the Hawaii affiliate gusts up to 30 miles per hour right I I forget if there was Hurricane light conditions around the islands but it was terrible weather which can happen yes as much as we love the tropical idea and this beautiful sunshine opportunity sitting down for a big time Saturday afternoon football game for Hawaii at the chin complex no it was terrible weather late night it was windy it was ugly weather so to run the run and shoot offense as much as they're 40-point favorites their offense while they were up 14 nothing helped out by a punt return touchdown only had seven points against Delaware State who was one- 10 in 2023 terrible team coming across the country with limited rest and preparation after they had travel issues they got a quarterback who probably might be a little more in sync with his receivers and that's going to come down to the likes of pel ashlock who is personally named by AKA Malloy the UCL defensive coordinator or some to look out for he had he led the team in receptions receiving yards and then the joke was amongst the UCLA team the older brother of Titus Mia aalala apparently in the broadcast kept getting called Titus that is tamatoa who wants to put up some numbers and make sure his name is known correctly what he plays against his brother the Mia atam Malala is gonna have a fun time with the two brothers playing back and forth on the opposite sides all right so you got a couple receivers Hawaii I believe completed passes to eight separate guys and if UCLA isn't getting to Braden shager really quickly because he's gonna have quick drops quick reads with receivers making quick you know quick decisions to go flat inward slant this way and if UCL isn't coming to bracket it on the inner two receivers if they're going trips left or however Hawaii is going to try and game plan to make UCLA different it's not just calling the right Play It's the running shoot you know after doing a little more research you just sit there and they call the play and that's up to the receivers and the quarterback to be on the same page as long as there's enough time to make that adjustment happen on the Fly based on the right read by the receiver and the right throw decision by the quarterback then it's tough to defend against right it's like those annoying imagine back in the day like the wishbone where it could be you know it's annoying it's not the most dynamic or glamorous but everybody used to run it and now what Hawaii is doing is what they've done for quite a while they'd go athletic super athletic right you know coaching schemes this is why Hawaii almost seems to have a quarterback that would put up thousands of yards a year a lot of touchdowns and when they do it well they got the the skill players a little bit of Defense they can be one of the better teams than Mountain West or like back in the day the whack or they would go and beat the Alabam of the World when they came when they were down to Hawaii in late 2003 so now what UCLA's got to do is with a revamp secondary right you don't got these guys like Mar Ramsey and I believe what Humphrey coming down they left to go with Danton Lynn UCLA this is going to be a big test on the secondary if the pass rush can't do I got a lot of faith in the linebackers I just wonder how many they're gonna cycle through between the Von the ol deos the madronal were expected like those three and alaho right they're going to get a lot of time but they're going to put out a lot of receivers boom boom boom and Hawai didn't get a lot of running you know they didn't run a lot other than their quarterback Escape in contain and changing the ball game with poor weather by with his legs so most importantly if he's kept in contain and even if UCLA isn't generating a lot of pressure up front that's going to put a lot of strain on your DBS left DB starter expected to be Devin Kirkwood senior right DB expected to be the starter Jaylen Davies red shirt Jr transer from Oregon has grown in the last couple years for UCLA safeties Henderson and Addison guys who are red shirt seniors red shirt seniors and the guys underneath them four the five are in their third or fourth year coming around right so now what UCLA has is a lot of Veteran guys who played in one two maybe three spots across the country four five six maybe seven years but then you can come around and say Zack yes they played a lot but why are they bouncing around so much are they actually talented to which I say fair point which now you got veteran guys who can probably handle in disguise a little bit better and and reading listening the idea that UCLA could Blitz and try to just force shager into poor decisions probably isn't the right thing to do in this scenario for UCLA because you slip a tackle if UCLA's tackling is not up to form you got a Hawaii team that's got a game under their belt they can break for a big touchdown one or two if you Blitz and you get burned on your DBS with a poor miscommunication with a team that can go different routes based on what you're providing all right they can go get 40 50 yard gains I hope not with this defense it's a little questionable that's why you see all these game predictions some have Hawaii scoring upwards of three touchdowns or two touchdowns even if UCLA puts up points that's the big question mark in this one so I wonder can UCLA continue that physical mentality the ability to force turnovers without the big name stars on this defense that still has a lot of veterans who've been around the block played in different systems and while Kaa Malloy when they're pressed to what they want his defense to look like it's respect what DeShaun filler uh DeShaun Foster's three pillars are the discipline respect enthusiasm but how do you do that you fill your assignments if they're going to go heavy on the blitz and showcase that in week one against the team that runs the run and shoot probably not the way to go if they can handle stay back the secondary can make plays read the quarterback's eyes disguise things bracket it maybe we see a lot of KJ Wallace in this game maybe there's a lot of rotated DBS with the amount of pass plays we might see in this one then we'll find out but there's a lot of question marks and so much is made that UCLA is not going to be good because the defense is bad but we forget that the offense can generate just as much hype too because they're kind of held down a little bit by Chip Kelly last year right which is why I'm GNA counter the point made by lockon college football's host sper mclin who was even touting uccl might go one and 11 two and 10 this year I'm gonna counter that next un locked on UCLA all right you've heard us all talk about FanDuel America's number one sports book well we have something a little 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active check out Factor meals all right so we're wrapping up this show today because I'm a little feisty I'm a little mad I've already talked about a little bit but I've already I think answered some of what the trolls might have seen said on the internet about UCLA one and 11 two and 10 I think that's a little ludicrous and barring some sort of ridiculous circumstance where quarterbacks go down in a normal year where UCLA has stability at quarterback UCLA talent-wise is not a one and 11 two and 10 team okay I look the schedule you get scared when you see the LSU trip you get scared when you go to Penn State and in between those oh all you're doing is hosting a potential Big 10 preseason Champion college football playoff pick first round by pick in Oregon and then he got locked on college football was Spencer mlin sitting there UCLA pretty much is gonna suck he didn't say those words but that's what he basically said and a lot of it was pointed to the team their bread and butter in 23 was the defense the defense okay okay well there's still a lot of Veteran pieces you got some guys who made a lot of tackles last year guys who can make plays the turn of Ali kahoe who could make the departure of muasau somewhat of a moot point although you have to keep an eye on the health of Kaho the interior defensive line should be somewhat fun to watch it's the edge rushers where if UCLA can just use a rotation with the kak Maloy continue the pressure from last year become a physical Big 10 presence defensively and hope that the veteran stop Gap years from Henderson Anderson Addison Wallace all those guys in the the secondary alongside the corners hold up just enough and UC could have not a horrible defense but an adequate one we don't need them I think it's unfair to come out and have the same expectations for a defense we had no expectations over recent years UCLA has actually improved in year to years right 22 to 23 right 22 better defense 23 much better defense 24 it's not going to be the same because you don't got Lau running around you don't have the Murphy twins running around they didn't find those guys we expect in the portal they did go after a lot of defensive linemen and they're hitting on those guys in the class of 25 and they'll start eventually doing that in the class of 26 so they might be a dip in the next year or two depending on what the team's Talent looks like and how long it takes to develop year to year but to say this team's GNA be one in 10 two and 11 11 2 and 10 is a slap in the face because we forget Eric beny yes while the players have publicly acknowledged struggling with the the words and the play calling and everything you're telling me the seniors the seniors so much senior Laden Talent upper classman on offense too that it's rare to say this but Chip Kelly kind of helped held this team back last year now it wasn't because of spectacular quarterback play because garbers quite frankly did not get a chance in a long enough leash like me saying I don't want him I want to see Dante Moore get out there and we saw Dante Moore go as much as possible and most importantly didn't necessarily have the makeup as a true freshman to handle incredible pressure in his face by the opposing defenses because ucl's line offensive line couldn't hold it now despite yes Carlin switching to become a starting center UCLA couple of plug-and plays did not work last year on the old line I think what UCL has now with makah heli at Right Guard you got a full offensive line said the depth is not there across the board for UCLA they don't have a depth with Talent they got some youth they got some guys they found and they had to replace what Chip Kelly left UCLA's ruins was which was the class of 24 kind of Forgotten and it fell off the table yet when you're talking about like Spencer was oh one of the best talented pieces on ucl's team offensively you got Logan Loya he's the number two guy on the depth chart now he's going to get his snaps he's going to get his catches his yards a touchdown or two right he's he can do all those things in week one being number two in the depth chart for all week a but that's how much talent UCL has in the receiver room even UCLA's mediocre offensive line they could still run the football and they got TJ Harden and we're actually gonna use UCLA Keegan Jones who was forgotten out forgotten on the bench and when he was finally used he was an important piece in a win over a Washington State team that was ranked at the time regardless of how the Cougars finished the season Jones was a highlight reel in that game and UCLA's number one receiver over Loya was a guy completely forgotten about by EA college sports EA Sports college football 25 he wasn't even on the roster and he went out and earned the quote unquote number one spot of the depth chart in week one which means a lot but not a lot when it comes to who's running the big routes during the season and now you got a veteran quarterback whose numbers 67% completion right 11 touchdowns three picks when he started and completed the game UCLA did not lost did not lose when he started and completed the game when he finished the game actually UCLA did not lose when he finished the game like when he came in relief of schle in the bow game came up three touchdowns offensive La offensive MVP in the LA bow and I'm not gonna say he is a quarterback that is ready to win the Heisman but you look at all the other quarterbacks in the Big 10 okay like Oregon is stashing all the quarterbacks there's a lot writing on the arm of Miller Moss to be the next Caleb Williams and then will Howard yes he's good but I'm wondering who's going to take the Manel as the fourth B best quarterback true freshman transfers guys who are mediocre going from Big 10 school to the other big 10 school or the quarterback who had the numbers to kind of back it up once he had an opportunity with now an offense driven more towards a veteran quarterback in his IQ and a leader like garbers is where the usth offense as it has probably should have been last year a driving force to UCLA success although the defense took that manal and ran with it for a team that somewhat underachieved in 23 I just look up and down the schedule and I don't see a team that's only going to win one to two games whether you're looking at a Hawaii or Fresno State or Indiana or Minnesota 5050 that's a little ridiculous and I do think UCLA will steal some of these Road games not like in bulk three to four in ridiculous circumstances but I do think UCLA is going to win a road game they're not supposed to whether it's going to Washington a surprise in Nebraska right true freshman quarterback Washington literally replacing the whole culture staff the you know culture coach everything I was there's just I don't see how a one in 10 one and 11 two and10 team is going to exist this year for UCLA I just it struggles and maybe I'm G to have to eat crow later this year but I think Spencer little off base when it comes to this team being horrible like that now this team could be horrible if the offensive line is not good if they struggle protecting the quarterback consistently then that would be a major issue if the defense is say as bad as you know LSUS was last year or in the 120th ranks because they lost talent and a defensive coordinator uhoh yes that doesn't matter how many points bemy puts up the defense could be way worse wor I just don't see that because they have kachu in the room it's not like he hasn't done this before despite having Co defensive coordinator at his Ledger at at Washington he's been around in a Kik Malloy it can't be just a complete drop off if anything the drop off is possible in 25 when all the seniors and all the guys who have used up their Co years for the most part the seventh eth 20th year players are all gone when garbers is gone when they have to rely upon a quarterback who had to battle for a backup spot or a true freshman next year whatever it might be a guy who hasn't seen any time a a lot of receivers will be gone next year so will some of these offensive linemen and next year's probably won't be ready and he got some senior Talent defensively that won't be here next year it's almost like a year too early to predict UCLA is goingon to ultimately be terrible I think we're forgetting they can be talented enough to make a bowl and surprise one or two in a top ranked game I think they have what it takes yes it's unproven it's unwarranted territory with bmy coming back trying to translate his NFL genius into what can be digested by his you know college players but I you know Chip Kelly held them back last year and it took me a long time to see it but we got to take off those Oregon Duck lenses those rosecolor lenses it seemed like for a while and realize we might be a year away from the middle Talent the where Chip Kelly forgot to recruit and keep this team good with Junior sophomore seniors and 25 and as much as you can bring talented freshman in for next year for DeShaun Foster I think next year might be that dip as opposed to this season it's the balance between have we been hating on the Pack 12 too hard or is the Big 10 overrated what what is it we will find out and I'll be excited to okay I'm not saying they're going to go beat Oregon number three in the country or go shock LSU Oregon and Penn State three straight weeks but to say they're going to go one and 11 two and 10 is just a little ludicrous to me little ludicrous frustrating Dum we'll have a CH with chat about it when they play Oregon in a few weeks all right a little ridiculous A little ridiculous but we should have fun cheering on the UCLA Bruins in week one versus Hawaii which is why I'm excited to get your hands up eight clap time baby and one two three four five six seven eight you c l UCLA fight fight fight this has been locked on UCLA stay tuned for your full game preview for the next episode of lockon UCLA and your postgame reaction here on lockon UCLA thanks for tuning in Zach signing off go Bruins