Toledo Not Satisfied With Defense

The first sack of the season for defensive end Travor Turner was a big one. It came on the final play of the game last Saturday and ended any final threat from Stanford in UCLA’s 28-24 victory at the Rose Bowl.

“My nickname is Sackmaster,” Turner said. “Guys have been wondering what’s going on.”

They’re not the only ones. Coach Bob Toledo is down on the defense as a whole, even as the Bruins have made noteworthy strides from the opening weeks.

The boost from the return of end Kenyon Coleman has been significant, even as opponents double-team him, while nose guard Micah Webb is improving all the time and end Pete Holland has been solid and consistent. But the line and blitzing linebackers are not putting enough pressure on quarterbacks.

This was not as evident last week because the Bruins often went with only two linemen to allow for extra defensive backs against pass-happy Stanford, so the challenge returns Saturday against an Oregon State team that also will run.

Part of the problem for the Bruins also has been that the secondary has not been covering well enough to provide time for the rush to make an impact.

“I’m not pleased with their performance and they know that,” Toledo said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Next Up for UCLA

Who: Oregon State

Where: at Corvallis

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports West

Radio: AM 1150