UCLA coach DeShaun Foster knew to anticipate facing a physical, defensive-oriented style of play with the Bruins’ transition to the Big Ten Conference, and Saturday’s visit to State College, Pa., to face No. 7 Penn State promises exactly that.
Bruins first-year coach Foster shows his team classic heavyweight boxing matches in the lead-up to game day. UCLA (1-3, 0-2 Big Ten) will need to be able to absorb some haymakers from a Penn State defense that has been one of the nation’s best through the first month of the 2024 season.
The Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0) head into the first meeting between Penn State and UCLA since 1968 having allowed just seven points over the last two games. Most recently, they wore down then-No. 19 Illinois en route to a 21-7 win last Saturday.
Penn State allowed just 219 total yards of offense to Illinois, including 34 rushing yards. In overwhelming the Illini’s ground game, Penn State improved to a 72-yard per game defensive rushing yield and ranks seventh nationally against the run.
Opponents are averaging a mere 2.3 yards per carry against the Nittany Lions. Meanwhile, UCLA’s 57 rushing yards per game ranks towards the bottom among all FBS offenses through Week 5.
“It’s mostly the details,” Foster said of UCLA’s offensive struggles. “We’ve had too many penalties. … We’re working on that right now. Play within yourself. Don’t get out there and try to do something out of the ordinary or that you weren’t coached to do.”
The Bruins have yet to reach the century mark on the ground in any game this season, peaking with 96 in a 42-13 Big Ten-opening loss Week 3 to Indiana. UCLA’s rushing low came in Week 4 when the Bruins managed just 14 yards in a 34-17 loss at LSU.
Inability to establish an effective rushing threat is a primary cause for the Bruins having yet to score more than 17 points in any of four outings in 2024. UCLA has also sputtered against an exceedingly challenging early-season schedule.
With the Sept. 21 visit to LSU and Big Ten home contests against Indiana and last Saturday’s 34-13 loss to Oregon, Penn State marks the Bruins’ fourth consecutive opponent ranked in the AP Top 25. Indiana entered the poll on Sunday at No. 23.
But while Penn State is ranked seventh and undefeated, Nittany Lions coach James Franklin sees considerable room for improvement as his team approaches the meat of conference play, and in an area where UCLA has also struggled.
“The obvious one we haven’t got corrected yet is penalties,” Franklin said. “It’s making things harder than it needs to be. … The fans don’t want to keep hearing me talk about it, we just need to get it fixed.”
Penn State is averaging 66 yards of penalty yardage per game. Franklin said the six flags for 63 yards racked up against Illinois allowed the Illini to dictate the tone of the game until late in the second half, especially in limiting the Nittany Lions offense.
UCLA, meanwhile, is averaging 75 yards in penalties a contest.
Being behind the chains some on offense has not hindered Penn State’s rushing attack too much, however. Nicholas Singleton is carrying for 102 yards per game and a whopping 7.7 per rush to lead the Nittany Lions.
