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    • Bruins prepare for Big Ten’s No. 1 pass defense
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    Bruins prepare for Big Ten’s No. 1 pass defense

    Umito Posted on

    The UCLA Bruins (4-5) will face another strong defense this week as they travel to play a conference road game against the Washington Huskies (5-5). The Bruins did well against a strong Iowa defense last week and will need to follow that up with another strong performance this Friday night.

    The Huskies rank atop the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing just 149.8 yards per game through the air. They are middle of the pack in the conference in total interceptions (8) but their ability to cover opposing receivers has been incredible with 42 pass deflections, third best in the Big Ten.

    The ability to stop the run is a completely different story for this Huskies defense. They are the third-worst run defense in the conference, allowing 162.3 rushing yards per game. That bodes well for Bruins running back TJ Harden, who just had 125 yards against the Hawkeyes’ stout run defense.

    In terms of quarterback pressure, the Huskies are not the strongest among Big Ten teams. They’ve only managed 14 sacks in 10 games this season, which is third-worst in the conference. The Bruins didn’t allow a sack for the first time all season in last week’s win.

    Isaiah Ward, a sophomore, leads the team with three sacks. There hasn’t been a dominant presence on the roster that has often come out on top against opposing quarterbacks. This is a major key to Bruins senior quarterback Ethan Garbers having time to get in the pocket.

    The Huskies’ best defensive player is senior linebacker Carson Bruener, who leads the team in solo tackles (41), total tackles (78) and interceptions (3). He is a pass coverage linebacker who is able to close out in space and defend the passing game well. In turn, he did not record any dismissals all season.

    If the Bruins are able to take advantage of a struggling rushing defense with Harden having a similar performance to last week will help open up the passing attack for Garbers who will need to make some big throws to earn a third straight conference road win.

    The fact that the Huskies pass rush is so weak will give Garbers an opportunity to sit more comfortably in the pocket. This will also greatly benefit the running game, with several rushers failing to get into the backfield, leaving Harden to rebound for big gains.

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    Umito
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