By Kevin Flaherty
LonghornDigest.com
The last time UCLA came to Austin, it wasn't a pretty day for the host Texas Longhorns.
The Bruins left the Lone Star State in 1997 with a 66-3 victory, putting the final nails in the coffin of coach John Mackovic and paving the way for Mack Brown's spot on the 40 Acres. The rest, as they say is history. Heading into the 2010 season, the Longhorns have won .826 percent of their games under Brown, the best winning percentage of any coach in Texas history.
Brown will get his shot at the Bruins on Saturday, and while the likelihood of a blowout loss is much lower than in the game 13 years ago, he is quick to note that the Bruins present some serious challenges for the Longhorns.
First off, Texas has mostly faced a collection of finesse, shotgun spread teams. Though UCLA will spread the Longhorns out with their new Pistol offense, gleaned from time spent at Nevada, the Bruins utilize a power running attack that is averaging more than 200 yards rushing per game. Chief among the Bruin running backs is Jonathan Franklin, who rushed for more than 150 yards last weekend. He runs behind a Bruin offensive line that averages 317 pounds per player.
The Bruins also utilize size on the edge to their blocking advantage. When UCLA goes to a three-wide receiver set, the slot receiver is a bigger player, almost a flexed-out tight end, and somebody who can give defensive backs problems in the run game. The Bruins' three starting receivers average 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds per man. Junior Taylor Embree is the smallest of the three at 6-3, 201.
While UCLA's defense isn't necessarily an elite unit, there's enough talent there, led by future first-round picks Akeem Ayers (6-4, 255) at linebacker and Rahim Moore (6-1, 196) at free safety, to cause the Longhorns problems. They don't blitz often, only sending extra players about 18 percent of the time, but mostly do so when they have the opposing offense in third-and-long situations.
Then there's the game's timing: snuggled between an emotional trip to Lubbock and the always-huge Red River Rivalry. UCLA, meanwhile, is fresh off a 31-13 upset of the then-No. 23 Houston Cougars. The Bruins knocked out two Houston quarterbacks in the game, but also led 21-3 before star Cougar QB Case Keenum left the game. UCLA was up 31-3 before Houston added a couple late scores to cut into the final victory margin.
So don't be fooled by the Bruins' unsavory 1-2 record, nor by their 35-0 blowout loss to Stanford. They still have the tools to cause some problems against a Texas team still trying to find its way offensively.
* If the Bruins are going to come out of Austin with a win, they'll need a decent game from their quarterback position. Kevin Prince, a 6-2, 230-pound sophomore, struggled mightily in the Bruins' first few weeks, but was a bit more efficient in UCLA's upset of Houston, completing 9-of-17 passes for 99 yards and generally making the right decisions in the run game. He ran for another 60 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said that he believed Prince's increased efficiency was the difference between UCLA struggling and putting together a strong offensive effort.
