2017, Pre-Season Week 1: UCLA handles Texas 28-3
UCLA looked solid on defense in their pre-season scrimmage with the Longhorns.
The Defense held the Longhorns to just 8 first downs and 85 total yards. They recorded 8 sacks, and 3 turnovers (1 Fumble Recovery and 2 Interceptions). Jonathan Johnson led the defense with 4 tackles and 3 sacks in just a half of play.

The offense was effective with 372 total yards and a balanced attack. They strange thing is we all know the System CoachCBJII likes to run and that is not what we saw at all in this scrimmage.

"Yeah, we just wanted to get our feet wet. Get loose and not show too much. This was just a friendly scrimmage. I think Texas was doing the same thing. Both teams kept it pretty vanilla today. We will run more of our system stuff Alabama, they will be a very good test of us. But we will still limit the playing time for these guys and let some other guys get reps as well. It is all about the process."

2017, Scrimmage #2: UCLA wins 50-36 in shoot out with Alabama
UCLA threw for over 700+ yards in a crazy up and down the field shoot out with Alabama.
Both QBs Beall and Harris threw for more than 325+ yards each in their respective halves of play. UCLA also had 4 receivers (Kirby, Harper, Williams, and Goode) with over 100 yards receiving each.

UCLA forced 4 turnovers but had 5 of their own in a sloppy affair. The defense recorded 8 sacks with 4 of them in the first quarter.

"I really do not know what to make of today. We tossed the ball around a lot today. We are still tinkering with things on both sides of the ball. Guys made some plays today but we also made a lot of mistakes as well. Just one more step in the process to get better and prepare for the season opener."

2017, Scrimmage #3: UCLA handles Florida State 32-8
Texas, Alabama, FSU....we know it is only scrimmage time, but you have to be impressed in what UCLA has done so far.
Beall had another excellent day through the air going 19 for 23. Harris on the other hand played the role of Jeckel and Hide completing just 5 of 15 attempts, but for 2 TDs. The Bruins would also rush for over 180 yards on the day with three running backs having over 50 yards each.

The defense after giving up big plays to Alabama buckled down to surrender just 198 yards of total offense. CB McDavid would lead the way on defense with 5 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.

"86 degrees in the rain, only in Florida, right? I think this was our best performance thus far and we are starting to work on the kinks in all three phases of our game. Our special teams really struggled so that will be something we will talk about going into the Georgia game. To be honest I can't not wait for these scrimmages are over so we can get to the real thing."

2017, Scrimmage #4: UCLA wallops Georgia, 65-17 in final dress rehearsal
Until two late Georgia TDs this was actually 65-3 at one point. UCLA did whatever they wanted to the Bulldogs sending the message that they are ready to kick off the 2017 campaign. QB Beall in a half a play had a perfect QB Rating going 13 of 14, 224 yards, and 3 TDs. But his back up was not to be outdone as Harris would go 11 of 18 206 yards and 2 TD passes of his own. The running game was just as sharp wit Backup RB Thomas rushing for 119 yards in a half while Warfield put up 94 yards on the ground in the first half. The UCLA Fun-N-Gun Offense put up for 700 yards of offense on the day.

UCLA unveiled their full defense in their final prep for the season opener. And that defense was very impressive with 7 sacks and 3 interceptions. All this while holding the Bulldogs to 318 yards of offense of which half of those came on 3 plays.

"We really treated like a full real game except for pulling the starters at half time. Our prep for the week was that of a real game week. And I think the kids got really hyped about it. We came out with a lot of controlled emotion and were able to really jump on them early. We wanted to build some momentum going into opening day, and I think we did just that. We look forward to going into Eugene next week and kicking off the season and Pac12 play."

UCLA travels to Autzen Stadium to kick off season against PAC-12 rival the Oregon Ducks.

2017 SEASON PREVIEW

2017 Scrimmages: 4-0
UCLA cruised through the pre-season scrimmages with an 4-0 record and the best point differential in the country beating their opponents by an average score of 44 - 16. And that was against the likes of Texas, Alabama, Florida State, and Georgia.

But that all means nothing now as the kick off the season against Pac-12 rival Oregon.

OFFENSE:
The offense is led by Heisman Hopeful Robert Beall who had just a ridiculous pre-season completing 82.4 pct of his passes, 13 yards per attempt, 7 TDs, and a 140.8 QB rating.


Beall is operating behind the most experienced and talented offensive line in the country which also helps RB Bobbie Warfield and running game that averaged 6 yards a carry in the pre-season.



DEFENSE:
Although not considered as talented as the UCLA offense, the defense has enough play makers to hold up their side of the bargain. The defense averaged 6 sacks game in the pre-season, led by DT Joseph Tallent. They also averaged 3 takeaways a game, 10 picks and 2 fumble recoveries in the pre-season. With probably the most surpising player being CB Gary McDavid with 8 knockdowns and 2 interceptions, all while having just 20% of passes completed against him.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Special Teams where up and down at best. The Bruins averaged 30 yards per kick return but just 6 per punt return. Levine really struggled in the kicking game make just 78% of his kicks in the pre-season. P Robert Busick was their most consistent special teamer averaging 46.2 per punt with a 41.2 net, and 4 kicks inside the 20.


COACHING STAFF:
Head Coach - James Howard: The 46 year old head coach is known for his pro style possession offenses but look for the Bruins to air it out more with their All-American talent Beall under Center.

Offensive Coordinator - William Robertson: Robertson is pass first type coach and is much of the reason Beall is a Bruin and on Heisman watch list. The QB Guru has the system in place to have one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

Defensive Coordinator - Gary Garcia: UCLA is still finding itself on defense and match of that is due to the fact that Howard and Garcia are from two very different defensive backgrounds. Look for the Bruins to be more aggressive this season as the expect to be in some shootouts.

Outlook/Prediction:
This team has the most talented QB and OL in the country which makes them one of the most lethal offensive teams in the NCAA. But with a less talented and younger defensive unit expect the Bruins to struggle at times on that side of the ball.
But at the end of the day we fully expect the Bruins to be in a Top 6 Bowl Game a finish the season ranked in the top 8.

Opening Day Prediction:
UCLA is more talented than Oregon but it always tough to go into Autzun Stadium and get a win. But Beall will be on point and too much for the Ducks. UCLA wins 38-20.

2017, Week 1: UCLA runs over Oregon 62-31


RB Bobbie Warfield shreds Ducks defense for BIG gain

It was not pretty early, as UCLA would hold off early rust and a fiesty Ducks squad to end up easily handing Oregon 62-31.

Heisman hopeful Robert Beall would throw an interception on his first throw of the season, which was one of four first half turnovers for the Bruins. Those 4 turnovers and a kick off return r a TD led to all 31 of the Ducks first half points.

Luckily, after the first snap of the game the UCLA offense was running on full tilt putting up 45 first half points a 14 point lead.

As they did in the preseason, UCLA made great halftime adjustments outscoring the Ducks 17-0 in the 3rd quarter. The Bruins would call off the dogs in the 4th quarter as they only ran ball in the 4th quarter and shutting Oregon out in the second half.

Beall put up big numbers after the rough start going 20 for 32 and nation leading 487 yards and 6 TD passes.

But the real star was RB Bobbie Warfield who rushed for 162 yards and over 10 yards a carry, while adding 198 yards receiving out of the backfield and 3 total scores. Leading the nation in all-purpose yards. But Warfield suffered a severe stinger in the third quarter and is questionable for the match up versus Army next week.

They defense got off to a really rough start giving up 24 1st half point plus the kick return TD, but the offense put them in bad situations with their turnovers. The defense would get their act together shutting out the Ducks in the second half. Despite the 31 points, the defense actually played a solid game giving up just 331 yards of total offense, 15 first downs with 6 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 3 fumble recoveries.

MLB Randy Wilson had 10 tackles and a sack. DT Bruce Platt recorded 3 sacks on the day.

"All in all this game went pretty much as we thought. We knew they would come out with a lot of energy and that is exactly what happened. It's opening day at Autzen Stadium and it was packed. But I was proud of how we weathered that storm and kept pressing them. Our confidence never shook. The Offense performed as expected. The defense was much better than the score shows. And as we suspected we have a lot of work to do on special teams. It's always good to get a Pac-12 win, but now its on to Army, a very underrated squad. We will have to be at the top of our game at home to come away with a win."

As CoachCBJII said, up next is Army in the Bruins home opener. Army shut out Arkansas last week with a balanced attack and a convincing 46-0 victory.

PREDICTION:
This is be one of the best games of the year, UCLA wins on the final drive 28-27.

2017, Week #2: Bruins erase 14-point deficit, survive against Army, 37-31

WR Gerald Goode Scores to put Bruins up 21-17 in 2nd.

The Knight would march right down the field on their opening drive and then UCLA would fumble the ensuing kick off, which would lead to a very early 14-0 Army lead. But the Bruins never panicked. QB Robert Beall and the offense would battle right back with two straight touchdown drives both concluding with Beall TD passes. End of 1st Quarter 14-14 all.

The Bruins would go up by ten (34-24) with just 3 minutes to go, but Army would score immediately to cut the score to 34-31 with just under 3 minutes to play. The Bruins would add a late field goal with one minute left and hold off a late Army rally to come out of the Rose Bowl with a win.

It was one of the most evenly matched games of the season, turnovers were the difference on the day. Besides the fumble kick off return by the Bruins, Beall would also throw his 2nd interception of the season only to have Army fumble away the interception return to set up the Bruins in scoring position. Army would fumble the ball away 3 times on the day to go with one interception.

QB Robert Beall once again did not disappoint, going 20 for 34, 321 yards, 4 Tds, and 1 int. A 117. 4 QB Rating. The Running would struggle with RB Warfield out of the line up, but the surprise offensive star was TE John Jahn who had 6 receptions for 144 yards and a TD.

The defense struggled at time but made some plays when it really had to. MLB Randy Wilson stood out with 7 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.

Special Teams were solid in all area with K Levine going 3 for 3 on field goals.

"Well that was mess." Stated CoachCBJII. "We cannot expect to play like this early in games and depend on our offense to continue to dig us out. I am we did some nice things, but overall this was a really sloppy game. It is only week 2 but we have to clean things up. Now I will say this, Army had a lot to do with the issues we had. That it is a really good football team. I would not be surprised to see them in a bowl game this season. It took everything we had to pull this one out."

When asked about next weeks big game against USC, CoachCBJII sarcastically stated "Who, you mean there is another team in the LA area? I thought we were the only team in town. Well, I guess we will watch some film and see who these guys are. As far as I know this is Bruin Country."

Next Up: Game #1 of the Victory Bell Games vs cross town rival USC. The highly ranked Bruins open as a 12 point favorite against the struggling 0-2 Trojans. But we all know you can throw the records out the window when these two hook up!

UCLA defense corrals USC RB

2017, Week #3: #3 UCLA secures Victory Bell with 61-13 demolition of USC
Let's get the first quarter out of the way. The Bruins defense always seems to start slow, Bruins 14-13 at the end of one.

After that, let the beat down begin! The Bruins would outscore their crosstown rival 47-0 the rest of the way with a consistent burage of offense scoring 17, 17, and 13 points in the last 3 quarters.

So who is this week's offense MVP? Is it Heisman hopeful QB Robert Beall, who although has his lowest completion percentage of the season (19 of 35), it was for 380 yards and 3 TDs and his first game with no interceptions, and a still gaudy 120+ QB rating? Or is it WR Gerald Goode with his 7 receptions for 198 yards and a TD. Or maybe TE John Jahn who had 5 catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs. Well, on the other hand maybe its RB Bobbie Warfield that rushed for 260 yards, 3 TDs, with an amazing 10.8 yards per carry. A 1st down per carry! Lastly, maybe it should be one of the nation's best offensive lines that help lead the UCLA to 744 yards of total offense and a whopping 32 first downs!


RB Bobbie Warfield was unstoppable with 260 yards rushing

With all that said, this was a day where the defense was not to be out done. This motivated group with no superstars have heard all season (as early as it is) that the only thing keeping UCLA from playing for the National Title is their defense. Well today the "D" answered the call. After another shaky first quarter, the defense buckled down and held the outmanned Trojans to just 209 totals yards and 8 first downs. USC only completed 12 of 34 passes and was sacked 4 times while being pressured all day. The defense would also add a fumble recovery and interception on the day. They held USC to just 2 of 13 on third down and only 20 minutes of time of possession.

"I did not mix words last week. We are the only team in the L.A. area and we expect it to stay that way. We respect all that we play, but we fear none. I am very proud of this team today. We will ring that "Blue" victory bell tonight, then move on to our next opponent as we continue our quest for a Rose Bowl birth."


The "UCLA" Victory Bell

Next Up: The Bruins travel to the eastern time zone to take on a tough Rutgers team.

2017, Week 4: #3 Bruins continue to roll, whip Rutgers 42-10.


Beall leads Bruins on early TD drive

UCLA traveled back east for a rare New York visit to face a Rowdy Rutgers squad.
But once again the Bruins took care of business with a 42-10 victory.

Heisman frontman Robert Beall had another big day throwing for 422 yards and 4 TDs. Although the Bruins had some injuries along their offensive line that seemed to hamper their running, RB Bobbie Warfield made up for his lack of rushing yards with 158 yards receiving and 2 TDs.

The defense had it second straight impressive game holding their opponent under 210 yards of total offense for the second week in a row. The Bruins would also create five turnovers with two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. John Johnson had 2 sacks and LB Randy Wilson had 11 tackles with a FF and FR.


Bruins defense forces one of five Rutgers turnovers

When asked about he felt about the critics claiming the Bruins are overrated beating teams with a combined 3-13 record, CoachCBJII said, "It's our fault what they do against other teams. Well maybe it is. Have you ever lost to a team by 30 plus points? It can have an affect on you for weeks of even a season if you let it. We are beating the teams we are scheduled to play. We cannot control anything else. We work hard every week to put our kids in the best position to be successful and so far it has been paying off. The defense has gotten better every week. Why aren't we talking about? Beall completed his first 10 passes, why aren't we talking about that? Both picks were on tipped passes where we had protection issues due to some injuries. But he handled the pressure and had another solid performance. But we are sitting her talking about the records of our other opponents. You guys kills me. Let's keep the conversation to things that are actually in our control."

Next Up: All this talk can be laid to rest next week when the Bruins take on 4-0 #8 ranked Arizona. This game will give the winning team the early edge to the Pac-12 South title.

Fixed!