UCLA Football: How did Rosen mount his comeback?

UCLA football won a thriller at the Rose Bowl over Texas A&M on Sunday over the Aggies. How did he manage such an incredible feat?

Josh Rosen led UCLA to a miraculous 4th quarter comeback. Rosen, the UCLA junior quarterback, drove the Bruins to 35 unanswered points on 35 of 59 passing for 491 yards and four touchdowns.

I’m a really big fan of Rosen’s and offensive xoordinator Jedd Fisch’s, but not a fab of Jim Mora Jr. Rosen is on his third offensive coordinator in three years at UCLA and it’s had a negative effect on him. How does Rosen roar back from a pathetic first half to beat Texas A&M 45-44?

Credit is due to Rosen for making the improbably comeback a reality. Nevertheless, it was more what A&M did or didn’t do than anything Rosen or Fisch did differently.

Related Story: What's wrong with Josh Rosen?

1st Half – Aggies dominate the line of scrimmage

Early on in the first quarter, Texas A&M decides to only rush three against Rosen and he steps up and fires a twenty or so yard first down. UCLA protected Rosen with 6-1/2 (tailback has choice to protect, sees no threat, releases for quarterback as an outlet threat).

As an offensive line coach, you have to have one more pass protector than the amount of pass rush because most defensive lineman, linebackers and up safeties in today’s predominantly 4-2-5 defenses are more athletic than your offensive line. It’s hard to move your feet and engage, slow down, and control a 6-foot-2, 230 pound linebacker that runs a 4.6 when you’re 6-foot-6, 320 pounds and run a 5.4. It’s physics and it’s a disadvantage.

Below, the Aggies bring five people on the pass rush at UCLA’s five pass protectors. UCLA appears to have six blockers at first glance. With the Aggies using their charts, they know the back will release out if there’s no blitz threat from a linebacker, thus Texas A&M uses a delayed blitz and Rosen is pressured and over throws his man.

Down 17-3, UCLA decides to use an empty set and 5-man protection. The Aggies are aggressive and bring six and get to Rosen. An empty set leaves the quarterback practically on his own. If a defense brings four, someone usually comes free, if they bring five the quarterback needs to fire the ball out immediately, with six the quarterback is doomed to be hit and hit hard.

Down 38-10, UCLA hasn’t learned from their offensive charts and use a 5-man protection. Aggies bring 6 and hit Rosen in the mouth. The throw goes high, which is where throws go when you can’t follow through.

A quarterback needs the space to finish his throw. Many want a quarterback to finish the same way a pitcher does in baseball: hips square, feet staggered six inches, throwing arm able to put a dollar bill in the pocket, and the off-hand at the chest. If you’re hit, that’s all throw off throwing off the trajectory of the football.

Let’s progress now into how Josh Rosen and UCLA stormed back to beat the Aggies when all hope seemed lost. It’s not what UCLA did, they remained in the same scheme alternating between protecting Rosen and letting him get hit for no reason at all. Texas A&M shifted its game plan and that backfired in the 4th quarter.

Third quarter – Momentum shifts

3rd Quarter – Aggies continue to bring the heat

Start of the second half, Texas A&M is still determined to knock Rosen out of the game. The Aggies rush six defenders and UCLA protects with six but it’s a slow progressing play-action pass. Rosen is hit blind sided by a blitzing A&M defender. UCLA hasn’t yet figured out that A&M is bringing pressure from extremely fast linebackers and safeties, even though it’s been their plight for two plus quarters at this point in the game.

The third quarter was still an aggressive one for the Aggies and they kept blitzing throughout the third. UCLA remains dedicated to 5-man protection schemes and allowing Josh Rosen to be pressured, hurried, hit or sacked.

4th Quarter – The comeback

https://twitter.com/maximoavance/status/904547232539652096

The play that got the comeback started and gave UCLA confidence was almost an interception. This play was a mix of taking the wind out of Texas A&M’s sails and strapping a rocket to Rosen and the UCLA offense. Texas A&M rushes four and Rosen and Fisch run play-action and keep six in to protect their quarterback. This gives Rosen time and he places a perfect ball here (above).

Above, another six in pass protection for UCLA against a four man rush for TA&M. Rosen is still under hard pressure but if A&M brings the usual 5-6 he’s sacked and this game is over. Instead, the four man rush is narrowly avoided and Rosen makes a miracle throw for a touchdown.

The winning touchdown is just ballsy guts from a GRITTY Quarterback that Bruce Arians would love to have. You can’t get much more of an Arians’ guy than Rosen here on September 3, 2017. I’m sure Bruce took notice because this is hit type of quarterback.

Rosen with the Dan Marino fake-spike and touchdown pass on the perfectly place fade. That’s a heck of a schematic maneuver considering UCLA never changed their scheme to benefit Rosen all game. It was what Texas A&M failed to do that let UCLA have the miracle fourth quarter- they failed to keep playing to win and instead played not to lose.

Next: QB's Stock Rising and Falling in Week 1

The moral of the story is that if Rosen and UCLA are going to have any chance at surviving the 2017 season they need to protect their investment. UCLA’s offense and Rosen thrived when he had 6-7 men in protection. This gave him the confidence to step up in the pocket, and to read the defense and find the open receiver. It’s not indifferent from Brad Kaaya at Miami last year. Kaaya needed protection and time, and Rosen is a similar Quarterback if not more talented.