It doesn’t matter what players Jim Mora and Tom Bradley put on the line last year, the UCLA football team could not stop the run. Even team’s with less talent on the roster knew to run the ball and run it often against the Bruins.
Last season, UCLA was next to last in the nation when it came to run defense, allowing 297.4 yards per game. It doesn’t matter who they put up on the defensive line or with the linebackers, teams were able to waltz right through this Power 5 Conference team.
That mentality needed to change for Chip Kelly and to do that, he brought in a coach he had previously worked with and has a proven record of establishing strong and aggressive frontal attacks in his defenses.