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    • Bruins Prepare for Big Ten’s No. 1 Transition Defense
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    Bruins Prepare for Big Ten’s No. 1 Transition Defense

    Harry Posted on

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

    The Huskies top the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing just 149.8 yards through the air per game. They rank in the middle of the pack in the conference in total interceptions (8), but their ability to guard opposing players was 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, giving up 162.3 rushing yards per game. That bodes well for Bruins running back TJ Harden, who had 125 yards receiving against the Hawkeyes’ strong run defense.

    In terms of quarterback pressure, the Huskies aren’t the strongest among Big Ten teams. They have only 14 sacks in 10 games this season, the third-worst season in the conference. The Bruins allowed zero sacks in last week’s win for the first time all season.

    Sophomore Isaiah Ward leads the team with three sacks. There hasn’t been a dominant presence on the roster that has frequently driven home opposing quarterbacks. This is a big key for Bruins senior point guard Ethan Garbers to have time to put it in the pocket.

    The Huskies’ top overall 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 defender who can cover the floor and defend the passing game well. In contrast, he did not record a sack all season.

    If the Bruins can capitalize on tough offensive defense 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 get his third straight conference road victory.

    The fact that the Huskies’ passing offense is so weak will give Garbers the opportunity to sit more comfortably in the pocket. It will also greatly benefit the running game as multiple runners can’t get into the backfield, causing Harden to make big gains.

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    Harry
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