ASU Football: What to expect from the Bruins’ pass rush

(Photo: Allyson Cummings/WCSN)

Much of the media focus in the week leading up to the showdown between No. 11 UCLA and No. 15 Arizona State has been centered on the Sun Devils’ defensive preparation.

UCLA’s head coach, Jim Mora, has been as silent as possible in regards to naming a starting quarterback. As it stands now, Brett Hundley will be a game time decision, as he is nursing a shoulder injury, with Jerry Neuheisel available to start if needed.

But the fact of the matter is that this subject has been beaten to death. Coach Todd Graham has not faltered in his statements: The Sun Devils have been preparing for Hundley. If Neuheisel were to start, the defense would have already prepared for the more talented quarterback and there would be no issue.

So for the sake of freshness, speculation and passion for X’s and O’s, lets venture into a different angle of this matchup—one that perhaps has not gotten as much time in the limelight.

With Taylor Kelly already declared out for the Thursday contest, how do the Bruins prepare to defend interim starting quarterback Mike Bercovici? Consequently, how do the Sun Devils respond?

Though film and scouting reports on the redshirt junior Bercovici are scarce, it is within reason that we can predict the type of defensive scheme that UCLA will employ. After all, the recipe for success against an inexperienced quarterback is not complicated: bring the house and force him to make quick, decisive reads.

UCLA has toyed with both a 3-4 look and a 4-2-5 nickel defensive scheme to compensate for the loss of first-round draft pick Anthony Barr. Though both looks have only generated a total of three sacks on the young 2014 season, UCLA shifting into the nickel look can result in a blitz package of up to six players. This is only made possible by the extreme versatility of Myles Jack and his ability to drop into pass coverage.

Considering the fact that Bercovici has seen the bulk of his quarterbacking action in practice and in garbage time when everyone has lost a step, seeing UCLA swap into its nickel defense and thus rush six players is a likely scenario.

But like a game of chess, there is always a counter.

One manner in which ASU plans to counter the heavy blitz of UCLA is through a concept called replacement runs.

In its simplest form, replacement runs are short screen passes to the running back. Perhaps the best example from the game against Colorado was the 38-yard touchdown catch and run from Kalen Ballage.

But replacement runs can showcase more creativity and can encompass more than just simple screen passes. The concept can also be applied to short bubble screens to a wide receiver (most likely Jaelen Strong), as was illustrated in Strong’s touchdown catch against Colorado.

As both clips demonstrate, whether it be quick screens to a running back or bubble screens to a wideout, the concept of a replacement run is all about ensuring that Bercovici gets short, easy completions. The tactic also guarantees that the ball gets out of Bercovici’s hand as quickly as possible and into the hands of playmakers with blockers out in front to create a barren terrain.

As was noted earlier, however, UCLA is perhaps more comfortable in a 3-4 defensive set, which could explain the measly three sacks on the season.

This 3-4 look for the Bruins is especially lethal in long yardage situations. With only three players rushing the quarterback, the eight other players are assigned to pass coverage duties. The cornerback and safety corps are composed solely of upper classmen for UCLA, meaning that their coverage is so polished that it actually enables the three defensive lineman to create pressure.

With all the receivers being blanketed down the field by UCLA’s elite secondary, the quarterback will be forced to roll out of the pocket and drive the ball down the field into a tight window.

The tactical offensive solutions for the Sun Devils against this scheme from UCLA are limited. The look will surely pose a few problems for Bercovici: the first being the fact that he is not a mobile quarterback, and the second being that his career 4.7 yards per attempt indicates that he has yet to showcase his cannon arm in an actual game.

It is nearly impossible to predict how Bercovici will react to these defensive looks from the Bruins, or even how UCLA will fine tune its schemes in response to his successes or failures. But it is still fun to speculate and analyze possibilities.

Watching this game on an emotional level will certainly provide its thrills. The winner of this game has decided the last two Pac-12 South champions. Both teams are ranked. ASU students have been camping outside Wells Fargo Arena since the start of the week. Those same students will be covered in black for the season’s first blackout. Adrenaline will be running rampant.

But combining that emotional level of watching the game with the underlying driving mechanisms—the X’s and O’s, the replacement runs and the 4-2-5 nickel and the 3-4 defensive looks—will make the narrative of the game even more of a pleasure to watch.

Follow Jacob Garcia on Twitter @Jake_M_Garcia or connect with him on LinkedIn

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post