This post was updated 10/27 at 11:45 p.m.
Chip Kelly didn’t mince words when it came to his defense’s performance in the Bruins’ first loss of the season.
“Defensively, there were breakdowns at all three levels at certain times,” the coach said.
No. 12 UCLA football’s loss to No. 8 Oregon on Saturday represented its worst defensive performance of the year, as the blue and gold allowed more than 500 total yards without recording a takeaway – both firsts in 2022 for the previously undefeated Bruins.
Kelly, however, was quick to note that UCLA’s defensive issues would be addressed in practice.
“It’s about making corrections and moving forward and getting ready for Stanford,” Kelly said. “They’re all correctable mistakes.”
The blue and gold started strong Saturday, holding Oregon to only three points in the first quarter. But a 28-point outburst by the Ducks in the second quarter, coupled with offensive stagnation and a special teams mishap, put the Bruins in a 38-16 hole heading into the game’s final frame.
The Bruins struggled to make stops, allowing the Ducks to convert 5-of-8 third-down attempts and both of their fourth-down attempts through the first three quarters of the game. The end result: Oregon punted just once all game on a three-and-out when it was already up by 22 points.
Redshirt senior defensive back Mo Osling III said communication breakdowns were one of the biggest issues for the Bruins’ defense against the Ducks.
“Our communication wasn’t at the best during the game,” Osling said. “We got to communicate a lot better as a defense, as a team, as coaches, as players.”
Osling added that the issues had a multitude of sources, including general fatigue and playing in a hostile environment, but reiterated that communication was a point of weakness for his unit.
Both Kelly and redshirt senior linebacker Bo Calvert echoed Osling’s sentiments, with Calvert noting the importance of learning from mistakes without letting them define you.
“That dichotomy of flushing the last play but then remembering, ‘Hey, that’s what I did wrong. I got to correct on this next play. I need to do this technique,’” Calvert said. “Working to get to the point where you can play fast, but you can also remember what you’re doing.”
With Osling notching 15 tackles in Saturday’s contest, the blue and gold’s free safety had nearly twice as many tackles as any other player for both teams.
While Osling’s tackle total amounted to a season high for any Bruin defender, it was indicative of Oregon’s ability to routinely penetrate UCLA’s front seven, as the Ducks averaged nearly seven yards per carry on the ground in the first half.
“I don’t think that’s a recipe for success as you move forward,” Kelly said. “We need to get a little bit more production and get those tackles evened out. Then we’re doing a good job on the defensive side of the ball.”
Despite the loss, UCLA’s defense remains in the upper half of the Pac-12 in points allowed per game, yards allowed per game and sacks. The Bruins will have the opportunity to improve those figures when they host a below-average Stanford offense Saturday.
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