Bruins tackle a costly problem

UCLA’s linebackers and defensive backs can feel like bystanders when a running play unfolds in practice.

The Bruins’ first-team defensive line is usually matched up against third-stringers from the scout team, leading to a mismatch in which the tailback often doesn’t get past the line of scrimmage. That means few opportunities for the linebackers or defensive backs to make tackles in the open field.

As UCLA searches for ways to improve its tackling in the wake of consecutive losses in which it gave up a combined 106 points, one possible solution is creating more ways to simulate in practice the plays defenders will need to make in games.

“Giving them more chances to do that so we’re a better tackling defense,” coach Jim Mora said Monday, “which will eliminate the big runs against us.”

Mora said the Bruins had given up 14 explosive running plays, which he defined as having gained at least 12 yards, in their first four games. Stanford stampeded to 405 yards rushing Saturday during a 58-34 victory over UCLA. That left the Bruins with what statistically rates as the worst run defense in the country, giving up 307.5 yards rushing per game.

The Bruins have also yielded two big plays on screen passes, which Mora said he essentially considered running plays.

Mora said he didn’t think there was a need to make practices more physical, noting that players typically wear pads three days a week and create a setting where “it’s pretty physical right now.” Some of the issues could be solved through improved footwork and angles of pursuit, Mora said, while eliminating the tendency to lunge or over-pursue on plays.

“Some of that is pressuring and putting guys in angles that are tough to tackle and maybe not giving them enough looks during the week,” Mora said. “We always start with that reflection, did we do the right thing and are we giving them enough drills in practice tackling?”

Turning it around

One takeaway from UCLA’s first four games: The Bruins aren’t doing enough with their takeaways.

They generated only 10 points from the five turnovers they created. Conversely, the offense turned the ball over 10 times, leading to 40 points, with one of the turnovers being returned for a touchdown and seven others coming on UCLA’s side of the field.

Mora said he emphasized ball security with the players Monday but understood receiver Christian Pabico fighting for extra yardage against Stanford when he had the ball ripped out.

“It’s hard … to tell him [not] to keep trying,” Mora said, “but maybe at some point, you say, ‘OK, I’ve got what I can get, I’ve got the first down, I’m feeling people all over me, maybe I just myself go back a little and the whistle blows.’ But in the heat of the moment, when you’re a great competitor like these young men are and Christian is, that’s a tough one.”

On the mend

The hope remains that right tackle Sunny Odogwu can make his UCLA debut soon, but it won’t be against Colorado on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

Mora said the graduate transfer who has been beset by injuries since training camp probably wouldn’t practice much this week, allowing him to more fully recover with the Bruins scheduled to have a bye next week.

“I feel awful for him,” Mora said. “He came here with the expectations that he was going to be a certain way and then when he got hurt in training camp, he tried so hard to get back on the field that we haven’t allowed his body or he hasn’t allowed his body to just be exactly right. So we’ve got to get him right.”

Quick hits

Mora noted a need to improve in returning kickoffs after averaging 16.1 yards per return the last two games. “That’s just not good enough,” he said. … Mora praised the offensive line for giving up only two sacks in 116 pass attempts over the last two games. … Not counting sacks, UCLA has generated 5.9 yards per carry in its last two games.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

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