UCLA prepares for wild afternoon against Oregon

The number of eclectic offenses roaming around the Pac-12 can cause a lot of late nights for defensive coordinators.

UCLA ‘s game against Oregon on Saturday is just another balancing act for defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

“The way people are playing offense, you can go two ways — either simplify so much that you detail everything, or you get complex,” Ulbrich said. “We’re trying to find that balance between being very sound and having enough of a package where we’re not predictable.”

Oregon’s scheme is deceptive in some ways. The Ducks run a spread offense, but they don’t play pitch-and-catch like Washington State.

“They have always been this team that wants to spread you out and run the ball,” Ulbrich said. “If they are running the ball well early in games, they are going pound the pill. That’s what they’ve done in the past.”

Oregon rolled up 345 yards rushing against UCLA in a 42-14 victory last season.

“You don’t think of that when you think about the spread, but that’s what they have based their offense on,” Ulbrich said.

Follow Chris Foster on Twitter @cfosterlatimes