The UCLA offense and highly touted quarterback Josh Rosen have carved up opposing secondaries for 370 yards or more five times this season. Utah and its reconstructed secondary will find itself in the crosshairs of that UCLA offense Friday.
The Utes (4-4, 1-4) will try to snap their four-game losing slide against the Bruins (4-4, 2-3), earn their second Pac-12 Conference win of the season and move one step closer to becoming bowl eligible at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
While their run defense has been a glaring weakness in recent weeks, the Utes will face the most prolific passing attack they’ve seen so far this season. UCLA ranks fourth in Football Bowl Subdivision in yards per game (354.3). Rosen has passed for the sixth-most yards (2,716) in FBS, and wide receiver Darren Andrews ranks 10th in FBS in receptions per game (7.1).
“I feel like we’re ready,” junior strong safety Chase Hansen said. “We’ve got the guys to cover. I feel like our secondary, our corners, the young guys have stepped up and played great this year. We have a ton of confidence in the secondary, and we’re ready for the challenge.”
Hansen came into this season as the only returning starter in the Utes’ secondary. Utah’s depth chart includes a true freshman in starting nickel back Javelin Guidry, another true freshman corner in Jaylon Johnson, who coach Kyle Whittingham has described as one of three co-starters, and Marquise Blair, a starting safety who joined the program this summer as a junior college transfer.
Utah safety Chase Hansen on challenge of facing UCLA's offense and, presumably, QB Josh Rosen. pic.twitter.com/hcQUUN71cd
— Lynn Worthy (@LWorthySports) November 1, 2017
The stiffest test for the Utes’ secondary so far came from USC and its widely praised quarterback Sam Darnold. The Utes forced Darnold and USC into three first-half turnovers, including one returned for a touchdown, but they also gave up 358 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
The Bruins have two wide receivers with more than 500 yards receiving in Jordan Lasley (543 yards, three touchdowns) and Andrews (707 yards, nine touchdowns).
“And they have two good tight ends,” Hansen said. “Everyone can catch the ball, and everyone is dangerous in space. But I feel like that’s how a lot of the [Pac-12] is. They want to get their guys the ball in space and make plays. They also have a guy that can throw it downfield. That’s kind of the tough part, the over-the-top threat is there, and then you’ve got to be able to come up and make open-field tackles.”
A hand injury against Washington last weekend forced Rosen, a projected first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, out of the game. The injury kept Rosen out of practice earlier this week and put his status for Friday in question.
The Utes gave up 464 yards passing and five touchdowns to Rosen’s then-backup Mike Fafaul in a 52-45 win at UCLA last year. Last year’s veteran-laiden secondary also made four interceptions in that game.
“I think he is tremendous,” Whittingham said about Rosen. “He is the whole package. You look at the way he operates in the pocket with his release and arm strength, he looks like an NFL quarterback right now. There is no difference from what I can see whether you are watching him on Sundays or watching him on Saturdays. He is a tremendous talent.
“Whether he plays or not, I don’t know. The freshman behind him [redshirt freshman Devon Modster] did a nice job. He came in and looks very similar as far as his tools.”
First-year starting cornerback Julian Blackmon said that knowing the Bruins pass the ball a lot and take chances downfield makes this the kind of game he loves. While Blackmon knows those types of offenses put more pressure on the secondary, the sophomore looks forward to games when he knows he’ll have multiple chances to make plays.
With the Utes’ regularly putting their defensive backs on an island playing man-to-man, the individual battles on the perimeter likely will play a large role in the game’s outcome.
“Every DB, all of us look forward to the one-on-one matchups,” Blackmon said. “That’s why we are DBs. It’s the challenge. That one-on-one of who’s more athletic? What I can get away with versus what you can get away with against me. Being able able to play one-on-one is my favorite part of the game, so I’m excited for the challenge.”
UCLA AT UTAH <br>At Rice-Eccles Stadium <br>Kickoff • 7:30 p.m. <br> TV • FS1 <br>Radio • 700 AM, Sirius 84/XM 84, Internet 84 <br>Records • UCLA 4-4, 2-3; Utah 4-4, 1-4 <br>Series history • UCLA leads 11-4 <br>About the Bruins • Junior quarterback Josh Rosen has completed 63 percent of his passes for an average of 339.13 yards per game with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. … Wide receiver Darren Andrews enters this weekend tied for third in FBS in receiving touchdowns (nine). The senior is 2 yards shy of matching his career-high for receiving yards. … Safety Jaleel Wadood ranks second in the Pac-12 in solo tackles (5.6 per game) and is tied for the team lead in total tackles with linebacker Kenny Young (57). He also has three pass breakups and one forced fumble. <br>About the Utes • Wide receiver Darren Carrington II already has set a career high for receiving yards in a season (779), and he leads the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game (97.4). … Quarterback Tyler Huntley ranks 26th in FBS in total offense (283.7 yards per game). Huntley, who left due to injury in the first half against Arizona, has averaged 235.7 yards passing and 48 yards rushing per game through six games. Huntley has completed 66.7 percent of his passes. … Kicker Matt Gay leads the Pac-12 in scoring (9.9 points per game) and leads FBS in field goals per game (2.38). He has been named one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which annually goes to the nation’s best kicker.