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The usual wasn’t the usual.
After a month of disciplined, passionate soccer that included three consecutive wins and a feel-good vibe, UCLA didn’t exhibit those self same traits whereas going splat in opposition to second-ranked Indiana.
“That may be like probably the most disappointing factor,” interim coach Tim Skipper stated Monday, two days after his workforce’s 56-6 defeat, “is simply our type of play wasn’t what it’s been — you didn’t see the pressure, you didn’t see the fanatical effort, these kind of issues, and also you’re going to want to play that means once you play these high groups like we simply did.”
The one consistency the Bruins confirmed was in struggling throughout the board. Their offense didn’t rating a landing for the primary time this season. Their protection gave up a season excessive for factors.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava throws an interception whereas he’s pressured by Indiana’s Stephen Daley on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind.
(Justin Casterline / Getty Photographs)
Skipper pinned a lot of his workforce’s issues on getting beat on the line of scrimmage. UCLA gave up 262 yards speeding whereas gaining simply 88 yards of its personal on the bottom.
“We didn’t play as much as par within the trenches,” Skipper stated. “Run-game clever, they ran for lots. We didn’t run for sufficient.”
UCLA’s offensive line suffered from the absence of guard Eugene Brooks, who sustained an unspecified harm late final week and was changed within the beginning lineup by Yutaka Mahe. Skipper stated the change led to communication points in opposition to a protection recognized for disguising the best way it assaults.
“We knew they had been simulating strain so that you’re at all times looking for the place the fourth rusher is,” Skipper stated, “however then they even introduced 5 guys they usually didn’t simply straight up go, they had been shifting nearly each play. So, they pressured us to have to speak and take a look at that potential and issues, and sadly there’s instances we didn’t do job of that they usually made some performs off of it.”
As if a 50-point loss wasn’t dangerous sufficient, flight delays saved Skipper from entering into mattress till round 4 a.m. Sunday. The late return dwelling prompted him to present his gamers the time off as a substitute of holding their common workforce assembly.
The Bruins (3-5 total, 3-2 Large Ten) now head into their second bye week beneath Skipper however first with no need to get to know him or his teaching type. The hope is that they will strike a steadiness between getting higher and never getting crushed up bodily eight video games into the season.
“Now your physique’s beginning to really feel the damage and tear of the season and issues like that,” Skipper stated, “so we’re simply going to focus on getting the Bruins higher and wholesome and enjoying quick and nonetheless with the main focus of, that is how we wish our type of play to be and that is the way it’s going to be on a regular basis.”
Having requested his gamers to uphold the usual that they had set whereas practically reaching .500 after an 0-4 begin, Skipper now could be calling on them to reestablish that baseline heading into the toughest a part of the schedule. UCLA’s remaining 4 opponents — Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington and USC — have a mixed 24-6 document.
“We’re simply going to should take each single second now we have,” Skipper stated, “whether or not it’s on the sphere or off the sphere, to get higher, to prepare for the subsequent 4 video games.”
And to make the usual the usual once more.
Damage replace
Skipper stated operating again Anthony Woods didn’t journey to Indiana after failing to sufficiently get well from an harm suffered in opposition to Maryland, sidelining one other starter along with Brooks. “So an enormous week for these guys,” Skipper stated, “simply getting wholesome, getting again proper and doing all of the rehab and all the things they should do to have the ability to assist us as soon as we prepare for a recreation week subsequent week” in opposition to Nebraska on the Rose Bowl.
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