LOS ANGELES — A reconfigured offensive line took the field for UCLA on against Penn State.
And the revamped unit impressed.
With Reuben Unije missing the game due to injury, Sam Yoon started at center and Josh Carlin shifted to right guard, his natural position.
Niki Prongos took over the left tackle spot and Spencer Holstege and Garrett DiGiorgio rounded out the offensive line.
The combination of those five players held the line better than previous configurations this season, allowing just two sacks against Penn State. UCLA gave up nine total sacks in the previous two games.
Prongos attributed the offensive line improvement to better communication and winning the one-on-one battles, which afforded quarterback Justyn Martin to get more time in the pocket.
“We were just all on the same page. We were communicating up on the line, we knew where to go and so I think we played well together and everything kind of clicked better,” Prongos said after Tuesday’s practice. “We definitely were proud of what we did, but we know there’s a lot more meat on the bone to get.”
With more room to operate in the pocket, Martin was able to distribute the ball to his wide receivers more efficiently. He completed 22 of 30 pass attempts for 167 yards and a touchdown against Penn State, completing 73% of his passes.
The improved play by the offensive line also equated to better conversion efficiency on third and fourth downs. The Bruins completed six of 15 third-down attempts and two out of four fourth-down attempts.
Wide receiver Logan Loya caught two of the third-down passes and one of the fourth-down passes on the final drive of the game, which culminated in a 1-yard touchdown reception by Loya.
The senior wideout compared the depth of the offensive line to the receiving group, saying both units are deep and can be successful, even when shifting players around to different spots.
“I think Saturday gave us more confidence. I think with the O-Line, there’s been moving parts, we’re deep there, too. We have a lot of dudes on the whole offense, it’s about making it all click,” Loya said. “I would say we’re on the uphill climb where we’re just getting better and better every week.”
The offensive line will match up against Minnesota’s front seven this week, a group that has been a middle-of-the-road unit statistically this season.
The Golden Gophers average 1.67 sacks per game and are coming off a one-sack game in a victory over USC on Saturday.
Prongos believes UCLA can snap its four-game losing streak against Minnesota as long as the offensive line continues to improve and win the battles upfront.
“We’re looking at Minnesota as a beatable team if we keep doing our jobs,” Prongos said. “We watched the film from Penn State, we’ve corrected things. We’re putting our best foot forward to win this game.”
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Sturdivant held catchless
J.Michael Sturdivant, one of UCLA’s most important offensive weapons, was held without a catch Saturday for the third time this season.
His fellow wideout said the team has to find a way to get him more involved with the offensive.
“We need him to be more involved. He’s a deep threat, that’s his best trait I would say. Guys just can’t run with him,” Loya said about Sturdivant. “We got to get him as a part of this offense. He’s a special player.”