UCLA players take on new roles to get it done because of injuries
UCLA’s Nate Meadors, right, is tackled by Colorado’s Nelson Spruce in the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl on Saturday.
What UCLA fan had safety Nate Meadors in their save-the-season pool?
The Bruins’ mounting injuries left Meadors, a first-year freshman safety, at cornerback Saturday. His interception preserved a 35-31 victory and kept the No. 22 Bruins upright in the Pac-12 South.
“We were losing a bunch of guys, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Meadors said. “We’re all great players.”
Ah, but the journey going forward now becomes the question.
The Bruins (6-2 overall, 3-2 in Pac-12 play) travel to Corvallis to play doormat Oregon State on Saturday.
The need for work in the training room may exceed the need for work in the film room in preparing for the Beavers, who are 2-6 overall and winless in five conference games.
“I will have a much better feel [Monday] or Tuesday on those guys who are questionable,” Coach Jim Mora said. “Some are more questionable than others.”
Mora reeled off a list of players who may or may not play against the Beavers — linebacker Isaako Savaiinaea, linebacker Josh Woods, linebacker Kenny Young, receiver Stephen Johnson, receiver Devin Fuller, tackle Caleb Benenoch, cornerback Ishmael Adams and cornerback Marcus Rios, just to name a few.
The only detail Mora would give was that Young had “an upper-body injury.”
And that’s not counting those who limped through Saturday’s game, such as running back Paul Perkins, tackle Kolton Miller and linebacker Jayon Brown.
The Bruins have already lost linebacker Myles Jack, defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, cornerback Fabian Moreau and receiver Mossi Johnson to season-ending injuries.
“The main issue right now is our linebackers and receivers,” Mora said. “We have a lot more depth at receiver. Arguably after quarterback, inside linebacker is the most complicated position to play. There are so many different things around you and so many adjustments you have to make. It’s hard to put an inexperienced guy in there and play your full repertoire.”
The Bruins tossed in Woods, who had been ticketed for a redshirt season.
“We had just scored and [linebacker coach] Scotty White said we were going to have to burn Josh’s redshirt year,” Mora said. “I thought he meant on the kickoff so I said to get someone else for it. He said that Kenny Young was out and we didn’t have any mike linebackers. Dick Butkus wasn’t standing there suited to go, so it had to be Josh.”
Cameron Judge, an outside linebacker, plugged the middle when Woods was injured.
“People believe if you can play one linebacker spot you can play all linebacker spots,” Mora said. “They are vastly different. It is more difficult for someone not intimately involved with it.”
The Bruins plugged the holes Saturday, and escaped with a brow-wiping victory.
“We played whoever [Saturday],” nose tackle Kenny Clark said. “That’s the good thing about practice. They come out every day and work on their craft. They come in and play. Nobody was really worried about it.”
The next step could be more worrisome.
“We have to look to see who’s healthy and what they can do best, not what schematically we can do best, but what we can do, what the players can do,” defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “We were trying to get it done on the fly [Saturday], doing things that we haven’t practiced because just didn’t have any guys.”
That will be the issue against Oregon State. Mora said the injuries reduced the Bruins to “playing two defenses” in the second half.
“We have to rearrange things and put it back together the best we can,” Mora said.
Still, Mora was able to see the silver lining.
“We won, we’re 6-2,” Mora said. “We’re 6-2 with overcoming personnel issues.”
The trick now will be to overcome those issues to get to 7-2.
Twitter: @cfosterlatimes
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