UCLA’s defense came out of Week Three with plenty to clean up after Purdue piled up 488 yards and quarterback Ryan Browne carved up the Bruins in the first Big Ten matchup of the season. But even in a night when the unit as a whole struggled, Sammy Omosigho stood out in a big way.
The linebacker delivered the kind of performance that can tilt a game all by itself. He finished with 12 total tackles, 11 of them solo, along with 2 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss and 2 forced fumbles. Both of those takeaways were recovered by UCLA’s defense, and in a 52-38 win, they mattered.
That showing drew strong praise from head coach Bob Chesney after the game.
“You know, there's things he's going to want to clean up in there too, and other schematic things that he could do better, which he will,” Chesney said.
“The poise he plays with, the toughness he plays with, and the strength to be able to execute and finish on those tackles, you know, are things that are pretty impressive. We just got to keep sharpening his edges and keep getting him to be the player that he knows he could be. But it's a good start to the season.”
Before the season, Omosigho was named a permanent captain, and he has looked the part so far. In my opinion, he has been UCLA’s best defender through the early part of the year, and this game only strengthened that case.
The Bruins can’t expect to keep winning if they keep giving up that many yards and points. Purdue’s offense may be underrated this season, but UCLA had to lean on its own firepower to survive. As the schedule gets tougher, Omosigho’s presence could become even more important for how far this team can go.
If this is the opening act, that’s a pretty encouraging sign for UCLA. Chesney believes there’s still more to unlock, and if Omosigho keeps trending upward, the Bruins may have found a real defensive difference-maker.
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