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UCLA turns its attention to problems on defense following 2-0 start

Hawaii running back Cole Brownholtz heads toward the end zone against UCLA for a score in the fourth quarter.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
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The usually punctual Tom Bradley was a bit of a straggler Saturday evening, entering the postgame interview room underneath the Rose Bowl a few minutes later than expected. He also didn’t make his typical jokes playing off reporters’ questions.

There was no wondering why the UCLA defensive coordinator might have been more than a little preoccupied. His defense had been punctured for a second consecutive game and was now facing widespread injury concerns in the wake of the Bruins’ 56-23 victory over Hawaii that was made possible by a record-setting offense.

The yardage surrendered by UCLA’s defense was real and it was less than spectacular. Hawaii accumulated 515 yards of offense, 10 more than the Bruins. The primary reason the Rainbow Warriors struggled to make the game more competitive was their failure to convert all three of their attempts on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Bruins each time. Hawaii also missed a 50-yard field goal and had a pass intercepted that UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes returned 30 yards for a touchdown.

But moving the ball was not much of a problem for the Rainbow Warriors, particularly on the ground. They rolled up 281 rushing yards and averaged 6.7 yards a carry, sustaining UCLA’s worries about being able to stop the run after yielding 382 rushing yards in its season opener against Texas A&M.

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“When you see those kinds of yard, it’s always a combination of a lot of things,” said Bradley, whose defense spent more time operating out of its base 4-3 formation than it had the previous week against the Aggies. “We’ll get after it [Sunday] and try to get it fixed again and we’ll work on it.”

It would have been easy for UCLA to point to the five defensive starters it was missing by game’s end against Hawaii, but that was an excuse coaches were not willing to make, particularly after long touting the team’s depth on that side of the ball.

“I still think you have to look at it hard regardless of who’s in there,” Bruins coach Jim Mora said of his evaluation of the game footage. “You know, are you doing things schematically correct? Are your players understanding what you’re asking them to do? Are you putting them in a position to succeed?”

Defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa did not play because of an unspecified injury, watching the game from the front row behind the team bench. Linebacker Kenny Young went down in the first quarter, absorbing what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet hit on a block that officials ruled did not constitute a targeting penalty.

Safety Adarius Pickett later sustained what looked be an injury to his right knee or leg, forcing him out of the game, and safety Jaleel Wadood departed after his head bent back awkwardly after taking a knee to the helmet. UCLA’s final personnel loss came in the fourth quarter when linebacker Josh Woods was penalized for targeting and ejected.

The absences generated a bit of a youth movement. Among the underclassmen who played on defense were freshman linebacker Breland Brandt, freshman defensive backs Mo Osling III and Keyon Riley, freshman linemen Osa Odighizuwa and Martin Andrus; sophomore linebackers Krys Barnes and Brandon Burton, sophomore lineman Chigozie Nnoruka, and sophomore defensive backs Will Lockett and Colin Samuel. Barnes led the Bruins with 12 tackles and Odighizuwa with two tackles for loss.

“Some of those guys we’re going to depend on,” Mora said. “They have to be able to play for us. I think that every rep is a chance to get better and a chance to evaluate ways to get better.”

Woods must sit out the first half of the Bruins’ game against Memphis on Saturday at the Liberty Bowl, and the team could be without a few of its injured players depending on how their recoveries go this week.

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“These are not uncommon things and we have to be able to get through it and get better,” Bradley said. “Next man up.”

Humble beginnings

UCLA backup quarterback Devon Modster got the first playing time of his college career late in the game against Hawaii. It didn’t go well.

The redshirt freshman’s first pass should have been intercepted but was dropped by Hawaii safety Daniel Lewis Jr. Two plays later, Modster was sacked in the end zone for a six-yard loss that went for a safety.

Modster eventually connected with Brandon Stephens on a five-yard pass, his only completion in three attempts. Modster could afford to shrug. His team led by 32 points.

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Quick hit

UCLA receiver Jordan Lasley, who made the game-winning catch against Texas A&M, was unavailable against Hawaii because of an unspecified injury.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter @latbbolch

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