College Football Preview: UCLA Bruins vs. #7 Oklahoma Sooners

CB Darnay Holmes: The sophomore cornerback will be key in stopping Oklahoma’s best wide receiver, Marquise Brown. Holmes had two pass deflections last week but last year, he had three interceptions and three pass deflections in his freshman year. In stopping a high powered offense like Oklahoma, the secondary has to be a strength on the defense. With Darnay Holmes and Adarius Pickett at strong safety, UCLA could have the tools in their secondary to slow them down if Oklahoma’s other wide receivers do not exploit their other cornerbacks.

OLB Jaelan Phillips: There is speculation that Phillips may not play Saturday as he is tending to a personal matter. If he does not play, the Bruins will have to cover a void at outside linebacker. The sophomore pass rusher has dealt with injuries last year but had 21 totals, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in six games. So far this season, he has nine total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack, which he recorded last week. A healthy Phillips on the field could be devasting for an offense to gameplan for as he could bring on attention to double teams to help his teammates as well.

RB Kazmeir Allen: The freshman phenom running back put on a show in his debut last week, rushing for 103 yards on only five carries while rushing for a touchdown. He showed his versatility, speed, and burst as a scat back that Chip Kelly’s offense could tailor toward if he keeps up his production. He can be a weapon their offense needs moving forward as he can boost the offense overall.