Jack was off to an excellent start to 2015 on defense. His interception sealed the win for UCLA 24-23 over Brigham Young last weekend.
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On Sunday, the Bruins were ranked No. 9 in the AP poll.
Top UCLA cornerbacks Ishmael Adams and Fabian Moreau won’t have a chance to play together this season. But you can not lose stars the caliber of Jack, Vanderdoes and Moreau, and still be considered a serious playoff threat.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
Saturday’s game between UCLA and Arizona will be featured as College GameDay’s game of the week. Jack had officially moved to inside linebacker in spring practice, but he played quite a bit of weakside linebacker in the past two games, covering slot receivers.
UCLA could be reeling in Tucson after major injuries to arguably the best player at every level of its defense.
That obstacle…how do you make up for the loss of Myles Jack?
With his two-way skills and incredible athleticism, Jack was the most prominent player on the Bruins roster along with freshman quarterback Josh Rosen.
Now without Jack, UCLA will face several high-powered passing attacks in its race for the Pac-12 title. He also scored a touchdown on a 100-yard kickoff return against Arizona State.
Jack, a junior, earned All-Pac-12 honors both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Running back Paul Perkins rolled up 219 yards against the Cougars, but with UCLA trailing by six points with five minutes left, Nate Starks was in the backfield.
UCLA coach Jim Mora announced his decision after practice Tuesday. But we feel like given the circumstances and the fact that he has served a significant penalty, we’re going to reinstate him.
The Bruins would like to mix and match defensive combinations according to the situation, but getting substitutes on the field can be hard against a no-huddle team such as Arizona.
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Offenses are going to be looking to hit pass plays down the middle and to run between the tackles where Jack was to be stationed this season, so that real estate will need to be protected well.
