UCLA Still Trailing in Crucial Stat

UCLA football squad lost its latest game against Washington, largely due to its lack of production on the ground.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins running back T.J. Harden (25) carries for a gain in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins could not stop the Washington Huskies on Friday, falling 31-19. The Bruins had open opportunities that were missed and that Washington capitalized on, but this area of struggle has been haunting them all season.

After the loss, the Bruins, compared to the rest of the Big Ten conference, are still last in rushing yards and rushing yards per game. After Friday, the Bruins have totaled 854 rushing yards in 10 games this season and have an 85.4 rushing yards per game average. There is a 1,227-yard difference between the Bruins and the first-place team in rushing yards, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Those rushing yards have played dividends for the Bruin's opponents this season. In their recent loss, the team was only able to muster 52 rushing yards, yet out-passed Washington in receiving yards.

Things had finally seemed to be clicking during the Bruins' three-game win streak, as the team averaged 148.3 rushing yards in the close games against Rutgers, Nebraska and Iowa.

On the other side of the ball, the Bruins have a fairly good rushing defense, ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference. The Bruins have only allowed their opponents to 1,006 rushing yards this year.

The Bruins find most of their success from passing the football, ranking eighth in the Big Ten in total passing yards this season with 2,352 yards, 2,173 of that total belonging to redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers.

While the Bruins have a good passing game, their rushing game seems to hold them back. The Bruins are third worst in the Big Ten Conference in points scored all season, with 188, and average points per game, scoring 18.4 on average.

Of its 854 rushing yards, nearly 45% of that number belongs to UCLA's rushing leader, T.J. Harden. Harden could only muster 32 rushing yards in the loss Friday. Harden has averaged 38.4 rushing yards per game in the ten games he has played.

The Bruins rushing yards numbers hold them back when looking at the total yards the team has accumulated this season. The Bruins are near the bottom of the rankings in total yardage this season, with 3,206, 73.36% of their total yards this season coming from passing.

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