Brooks: Buffs Hope To Keep Hundley In Their Grasp

BOULDER - A glance at the ridiculous number of sacks UCLA has allowed this season might suggest quarterback Brett Hundley has spent much of the past month and a half running for his life.

True . . . and not true.

As the Colorado defense knows, whether he's pressured or not, Hundley spends a lot of his Saturdays on the run in UCLA's zone read option. That the Bruins have allowed a Pac-12 Conference worst 26 sacks (No. 118 nationally) has kept Hundley on his toes as well as his backside, but that startling figure appears to be leveling off as the season progresses.

And unfortunately for the Buffs, the upgrade in protection comes just in time for the No. 25 Bruins' Saturday visit to Folsom Field (noon, Pac-12 Networks).

Of UCLA's 26 sacks allowed, 23 occurred in the season's first five games - meaning that with only three yielded in the past two games, somebody has figured something out. That wasn't the case in games 1-5, and particularly in game 5 against Utah. The Utes - the nation's top sack outfit at 5.5 a game - registered an unreal 10 sacks in a 30-28 victory on Oct. 4.

But the Bruins' recent pass-pro improvement doesn't mean the Buffs will be any less motivated in their quest to hound Hundley. In two games against CU (both lopsided UCLA wins), Hundley has run for four touchdowns and passed for four - two in each category in each game. Trying to contain him if protection collapses and effectively playing on the zone read option are defensive priorities for the Buffs.

"He's extremely athletic," defensive ends coach Andy LaRussa said. "He's a big (6-3, 226) guy; if you don't wrap up you'll let him come free. You have to keep him in the pocket. With guys who run, you can't just pin your ears back and rush the quarterback. You've got to have a little control about you and keep the guy in the pocket and know where he's at all times."

PART OF CU'S WEEKLY game-planning includes making "cut ups" - or specifically edited tape - of opponents' strengths, tendencies, etc. LaRussa said this week's defensive cut ups include sacks or potential sacks allowed by UCLA.

"What causes them problems," he said. "If we can find ways within our package to get something similar - that's what all coaches try to do. You see what they're vulnerable to; you watch plays and it looks like they're the greatest thing ever. Well, they're human to, they make mistakes. You have to show (his players) that too, so they see they're not completely outmatched and have a chance.

Senior defensive tackle Juda Parker, who has 1.5 of the Buffs' 15 sacks, said he and his CU linemates are "definitely aware" of the high number of sacks UCLA has allowed. "We're looking to exploit that this week. Our linemen and our linebackers are putting in different schemes, our coaches are putting in different schemes for us and really working on getting after the quarterback. We know he's a real dual threat. The quarterback is hard to take down but we're up to the challenge this week."

With four of CU's sack total, redshirt freshman defensive end Derek McCartney has established himself as pass rusher that opponents must account for. "Every week we want to get to the quarterback and it's no different this week than any week," he said. "As a defensive line it's one of those things you love to do, to get sacks."

Sophomore linebacker Addison Gillam has 2.5 sacks and redshirt freshman end Timothy Coleman has two. Another redshirt freshman end, Jimmie Gilbert, is yet to get his first sack but his numbers indicate it's on the way. He has a team-high nine quarterback pressures.

Putting Hundley down, or at least making him uncomfortable, will be paramount if CU (2-5 overall, 0-4 Pac-12) hopes to breakthrough for its first conference win on homecoming Saturday. The receivers are so fast in this league you've got to get pressure on the quarterbacks or they pick you apart," McCartney said. "Every week we've all gotten better as individuals in pass rushing. We work on it every week. We're all getting better and it's fun to see."

Hundley is seventh in the Pac-12 in passing yards per game (265.1), but third in passing efficiency (166.1 rating). He's passed for 1,856 yards and run for 305 - the most of any conference QB - and ranks fifth in the league in total offense at 308.7 yards a game. He's passed for 13 touchdowns and run for four.

"He's really elusive," McCartney said. "He loves running and he's very good at it. We have to really be on our game. We're working on some things individually and getting better there."

Substituting liberally and keeping fresh legs in pursuit of Hundley on Saturday afternoon will be a key for CU. But working with a rotation has been a season-long goal for line coaches LaRussa and Jim Jeffcoat (tackles). LaRussa has used five defensive ends - a true freshman, two redshirt freshmen and two sophomores.

"Everybody has their roles and that's why you see a bunch of guys playing," LaRussa said. "They're so young and that's why I'm waiting on a couple of guys to really assert themselves. Everybody has a niche in the defense . . . we're trying to put guys in position to be successful. If a guy can't do something, why put him in a bad spot?"

DE'JON WILSON, ONE OF the sophomores, said LaRussa, Jeffcoat and defensive coordinator Kent Baer "told us we have to get after this guy (Hundley). We've got to use our hands and speed to get around the edge and apply a lot of pressure. We need more turnovers."

Wilson has played in six games (115 snaps) and has six tackles (four solo), with a third-down stop and a pair of QB pressures. He said he is "still learning, still soaking everything up day by day. My hard work will pay off sooner than later. I need to keep working and listening to guys like Derek and Jimmie."

The Buffs' 15 sack total puts them in a five-way tie for fifth in the conference but has them ahead of last season's pace. The Buffs finished with 18 in 2013. Asked to grade the pass rush through seven games, LaRussa said, "I guess maybe I'm overly critical, I'm never satisfied. I'd say it's about a C; it's week in and week out.

"Some weeks we've done a good job, other weeks we have to improve. I don't think I'm pleased with where it's at overall because I see the potential and I see what I've got to get out of guys . . . it's an evolving, growing thing. We have to keep getting better."

Getting sacks, said McCartney, isn't as simple as strolling into the backfield and making a tackle. Pac-12 quarterbacks "are not just going to stand there and let you hit them," he said. "You have to be an athlete to get a sack."

That should be underscored this weekend against Brett Hundley.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU