Bruin Breakdown: UCLA’s Dominant Defense Shadows Offensive Struggles

For a team that has its eyes on the College Football Playoff as an at-large bid, as well as a seat in the Big Ten Championship, the offensive performance displayed against Nevada will not be enough to reach its ultimate goals for the season.

Field Goals Won’t Cut It

Part of the Bruins' offensive struggles this season has been the inability to capitalize fully on their trips to the red zone. The Bruins went 4-for-4 in the red zone against Nevada; however, they had to settle for field goals on two drives.

They may be able to get away with that against Nevada, but tougher competition moving forward won't be so forgiving. In order for the Bruins to reflect that their No. 7 overall ranking is accurate, they should have dominated Nevada in every facet, yet they seemed to get stuck in the mud at times.

Ty Dieffenbach Has Been Solid; Needs To Hit a New Gear

For the Bruins to reach their true potential, quarterback Ty Dieffenbach will have to reach a new gear with this offense. Dieffenbach has been solid in his three starts, yet we just haven't seen him be anything extraordinary. I believe he has the talent, and many of the throws he's able to make reflect his ability to be special for this team.

On the Shoulders of the Defense

On a more positive note, UCLA's defense has put together quite an impressive season, highlighted in Week 9 by pitching a shutout against the Wolf Pack. Creating takeaways has been a staple for this Bruins defense all season long, and this week was no different.

UCLA had four interceptions on the day, adding to its growing total that's becoming more impressive by the week. Nevada's offense only accounted for 176 total yards, and the Wolf Pack passing game struggled all day long, completing 33% of passes across three separate quarterbacks for just 111 yards combined.

The Bruins won in all facets on the defensive side of the ball, as each position group played at the best of their abilities we've seen so far this season.

The way the Bruins' defense has been playing, UCLA is truly a consistent and efficient offense away from being undoubtedly one of the best teams in the country. We've seen this offense operate at a high level this season, and if it can find consistency, it should be in for a special end to the season as the home stretch approaches.