UCLA DL Eddie Vanderdoes suffers torn ACL
UCLA took a big hit to its defense in Saturday’s season opening over Virginia.
After multiple reports emerged Sunday, the Bruins confirmed that junior defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes suffered a torn ACL. He is expected to be out for the season.
According to the Associated Press, UCLA is “uncertain” when exactly the injury occurred, but Vanderdoes ended up leaving the game in the third quarter. Head coach Jim Mora said after the game that Vanderdoes’ knee “locked up on him” early in the game.
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Before leaving the game, the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Vanderdoes led the Bruins with eight tackles, including two for a loss, against the Cavaliers.
Vanderdoes was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection last season with 50 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 12 starts. He also played in 13 games with seven starts as a true freshman in 2013, registering 39 tackles.
Playing alongside nose tackle Kenny Clark, Vanderdoes was a key cog on one of the best defensive lines in the Pac-12. The loss is a significant one for the Bruins,
With Vanderdoes out, sophomore Matt Dickerson is likely to see increased playing time.
Coming off the home win over Virginia, the Bruins play UNLV on the road Saturday night.
For more UCLA news, visit BruinSportsReport.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
