CSNbbs

(09-02-2018 08:37 AM)Lush Wrote: [ -> ]i guess duane's dead

He's busy consoling not duane, who's sobbing into his FCC scarf because UC football won a big game.

(09-02-2018 08:18 AM)ThinkBigPine Wrote: [ -> ]how many tackles did Bryan Wright have?

He had 4, but was in on a lot of havoc. Broughton had 3.5 sacks. 3 Big takes from win as my big hope was this year would show improvement, but not necessarily show up in the win column:

1. They fell behind on the road early in a nat'l telivision game and could have lost it given the Moore fumble and defensive ejection, but they stayed focus and got right back in it. That's a very good sign, shows coaching is with them.

2. We won the physical battle in my view on both sides of the line. We didn't have any 75 yd runs in that almost 200 rushing yards. Kids up front looked well coached and not afraid to mix it up. Schemes they mixed up quite a bit early, but we adjusted. Need Doaks back, Sept/Oct you have to have two serviceable backs.

3. They realistically have a chance to win all of their games in Sept/Oct. They likely won't, but it has to be incentive to look at the schedule to build some momentum. Biggest one is next week. Come out and support them!

(09-01-2018 10:48 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote: [ -> ]Travis in the howwwwwssss...

Good find! So much for Travis "disowning" UC.

(09-01-2018 08:51 PM)bearcatmark Wrote: [ -> ]Uc won't win this game with ridder at qb unless the defense scores

This statement was so prophetic UC never truly had the upper hand until the late safety.

One other point, when you win a physical battle with a west coast team and you're guys have to endure the travel and adjust, that's a very good sign. I've spent a great deal of my life on airplanes and many long rides. A 3/4 hour plane ride generally leaves your body in a non normal condition for 48 hours or so, and we saw some guys cramping later in the game. However, that to me was a good sign they were in very good shape.

(09-02-2018 09:05 AM)Ring of Black Wrote: [ -> ]

(09-01-2018 10:48 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote: [ -> ]Travis in the howwwwwssss...

Good find! So much for Travis "disowning" UC.

He's gone Hollywood!

This is so cool! Think Dan got excited?

Game highlights care of the American Conference:

Post game comments from Dip...

My thoughts from the game:

UC had a good turnout of fans at the Rose Bowl. I did not sit in the UC section behind the endzone as we were trying to avoid the sun, but there were random small groupings of UC fans thoughtout the stadium.

The security checkpoint getting into the stadium was annoying. The Rose Bowl itself is a class facility. UC could not have asked for a better weather day. Pasadena in summer can be pretty hot but the weather played no role in the game.

Credit to the defensive coaching staff, the boys came ready to play. I didn't see any wide eyes on defense. The offense is a work in progress, at least in the passing game. Once UCLA started stacking the box it was hard to consistently move the ball forward. UCLA had some athletes on D. Our WRs did not get much separation and the OL looked more comfortable run blocking. It might be a good idea to get the TEs involved in the passing game if we are going to keep defenses honest. Warren II is a beast!

It didn't look like there were any serious injuries so that is good.

Finally, the UCLA fans at the Rose Bowl that I talked to were pure class. Quite a few of them said congratulations after the game and wanted to shake hands. The atmosphere at the game was very family friendly (Note: I was not sitting close to the student section) and it reminded me of Nippert. I hope we share the same hospitality when the Bruins visit Cincy next year. Go Bearcats!

From the Los Angaleze Times...

Quote:UCLA's errors are costly in 26-17 season-opening loss to Cincinnati

In his first game as a college head coach, Chip Kelly’s team scored only eight points in a defeat on the road against a nationally ranked team. His top running back was suspended after he threw a postgame punch.

This might have been worse.

Kelly lost his starting quarterback, a 10-point lead and ultimately his UCLA debut after the Bruins bungled a fourth-down play by putting 12 men on the field — coming out of a timeout.

Kelly’s return to the college game was largely a dud Saturday before a crowd of 54,116 at the Rose Bowl, the two-touchdown favorite Bruins falling flat in the biggest moments of a 26-17 loss to Cincinnati in their season opener.

“I think I’m disappointed in the mistakes that we made,” Kelly said after his first game at this level since the 2013 Fiesta Bowl with the Oregon Ducks.

The biggest blunders came in the fourth quarter. UCLA put one man too many on the field while lining up to try to block a short Cincinnati field goal with less than two minutes to play. The field goal would have given the Bearcats a five-point lead but also presented the Bruins with a chance to win the game with a quick touchdown drive.

But the penalty made it fourth and goal from the one-yard line and Cincinnati decided to go for the touchdown, converting when running back Michael Warren plowed ahead for his third scoring run of the game.

“Definitely a miscommunication,” said UCLA safety Darnay Holmes, one of the Bruins on the field during the penalty. “There’s not much that we can do on that.”

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was also left wanting a do-over. The true freshman, who made his college debut after starter Wilton Speight went down with a back injury late in the second quarter, had the ball stripped for a safety early in the fourth quarter, giving Cincinnati a 19-17 lead.

Kelly tried to build the young quarterback’s confidence a few minutes later when the coach instructed his team to go for it on fourth and one from UCLA’s 36 while still trailing by only two points.

“Take a chance,” Kelly said of his decision. “I knew we needed a spark.”

Thompson-Robinson, under pressure, checked down into a short pass to receiver Dymond Lee. But the throw was wide, giving the ball back to Cincinnati for its clinching touchdown drive.

“I just didn’t make the throw,” a glum Thompson-Robinson said after completing 15 of 25 passes for 117 yards.

UCLA’s mistakes could partially be pinned on missing six suspended players and playing 11 true freshmen. Several flashed enticing potential, including Kazmeir Allen, who ran untouched for a 74-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, pulling the Bruins into a 17-17 tie. He finished the game with 103 yards rushing in only five carries.

UCLA ran almost exclusively a hurry-up offense out of the shotgun formation, bearing some resemblance to Kelly’s Oregon teams. But the results did not come close to aligning with those of the prolific Ducks. The disjointed Bruins gained only 306 yards of offense and failed to convert both of their fourth-down attempts.

Thompson-Robinson blamed himself for not having a plan for some of the coverages he faced.

“First college game wasn't up to par — to my standards, at least,” Thompson-Robinson said. “And so I’m definitely looking to get better.”

UCLA’s defense made some strides compared to the one that was continually trampled last season, giving up only 304 total yards and 3.8 yards per carry. Defensive end Rick Wade forced a fumble in the first quarter that was recovered by linebacker Keisean Lucier-South, leading to the Bruins’ first touchdown. But there were also problems.

Bruins redshirt freshman cornerback Elijah Gates couldn’t make the stop on receiver Jayson Jackson in the second quarter despite initially driving him back several yards. Jackson sprinted past Gates on a play that went for 18 yards.

“There were times when we could have negated some of the bigger gains when we had people there,” Kelly said, “but we didn’t do a good enough job fundamentally tackling and wrapping up.”

There figures to be plenty of teaching in the coming weeks as the Bruins navigate a schedule that includes games against No. 7 Oklahoma and Fresno State, which returns its starting quarterback from a 10-win team.

Kelly has a habit of not letting bad results in openers ruin seasons. His Ducks rebounded from that opening loss to Boise State in his head coaching debut in 2009 to reach the Rose Bowl.

The coach said he intended to remain positive despite the stumble.

“There’s a first for everybody, a first time for everything, and hopefully we can build upon that,” Kelly said. “Hopefully instead of looking at it as a negative, we’ll try to turn this thing into a positive.”

This Loss Stings

I was casually perusing the stats, and one really jumped out at me. 4th down conversions:
UC - 3 of 4
UCLA - 0 of 2

Shows both grit of coaches and players... and just how close it was to going the other way.

Optimistic for the rest of the season - yes. Pollyanna - no.

Another article from LA X. Ouch! Expectations are a function of the program...

Quote:Among UCLA faithful, Chip Kelly’s debut had to hurt

The Chip Kelly Era marched into the Rose Bowl on Saturday and was heartily welcomed by ghosts of Bruins past.

It looked like the Jim Mora Era, only worse.

It looked like the Rick Neuheisel Era, only duller.

It looked like the Karl Dorrell Era only, well, honestly, it was pretty much exactly like that.

It was the same old UCLA, only this new era is costing the university $23.3 million, so maybe just a little more was expected in a 26-17 loss to two-touchdown-underdog Cincinnati?

There was a blown 10-point lead. There was a fumble that led to Cincinnati’s go-ahead safety. There was a goal-line penalty that led to the Bearcats’ clinching touchdown.

Fireworks were promised, and fireworks were delivered ... but only after both teams had left the field, in a postgame display that exploded above fans filing out of the half-filled Rose Bowl with grumbles and frowns.

“Are we disappointed? Yeah,” said Kelly afterward. “Anytime you put the amount of time we do into something, that hurts.”

It truly hurt. Surely, for many UCLA faithful who have been celebrating since Kelly arrived last November as the school’s first celebrity football savior, it was more than three hours of flat disillusionment.

Yes, they played 11 true freshmen, and there were six players missing because of suspensions, and everyone knew this rebuilding project would take time, thus the five years on Kelly’s UCLA record contract.

But even when understanding the enormity of the task that began with promising questions about the impact of Kelly’s legendary fast-paced football culture ended with a string of deflating answers.

What do these new Bruins look like? They look like they’ve looked the last two seasons, minus Josh Rosen.

They were smashed in the mouth by a team that won eight games in the previous two seasons combined. They allowed 194 rushing yards, they couldn’t mount a consistent rushing attack, and they actually ran nine fewer plays that the plodding Bearcats.

“Just too many mistakes, to be honest with you,” said Kelly.

Did these new Bruins run wild as expected? Only once. It happened at the start of the second half, on a 74-yard touchdown sprint up the middle by true freshman Kazmeir Allen.

Yet Allen only carried the ball two more times after that, and no other Bruin running back had a run of longer than nine yards all day. Even after heralded freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced injured Wilton Speight in the second quarter, the offense often seemed to sputter aimlessly.

“It is a younger team with not a lot of experience; that’s not an excuse, that’s just the reality,” Kelly said. “It is going to be a baptism under fire for them.”

Were these new Bruins breathlessly exciting as they hurried up and down the field, just like Kelly’s Oregon teams? Only once. It happened midway through the first quarter, after Bolu Olorunfunmi rushed to the Bearcat one-yard line. The Bruins hustled back to the line so quickly, Cincinnati was forced to call a timeout, after which Olorunfunmi scored on a one-yard run for the game’s first score.

But on ensuing drives, it seemed like every time the Bruins would gear up, something would shut them down, a dropped pass, a penalty, a missed block, confusion.

“The competitive part of you is disappointed, but you have to correct it and fix it because nobody is feeling sorry for you,” said Kelly. “What do you do about it? So what, now what, what do you do next? That’s what our operation is, that’s how you grow.”

Kelly willingly took the postgame heat and heaped blame on himself, specifically for two late-game mishaps that cost the Bruins a chance at a comeback.

With the Bruins trailing, 19-17 and less than six minutes remaining, their offense faced a fourth-and-one from their own 36-yard line. Instead of punting and trusting a defense that had stifled the Bearcat offense on seven previous drives, Kelly went for it, and Thompson-Robinson threw a pass out of the reach of Dymond Lee.

“I thought we had a good shot at them, I knew we needed a spark, and had a little bit of momentum going, and tried to sustain it,” said Kelly. “You make them, they’re good calls, you don’t make them, they’re bad calls, and it was a bad call by me.”

Bad became worse a few minutes later after Cincinnati drove to the UCLA two-yard line and prepared to attempt a field goal. But on that play, the Bruins were penalized for having 12 men on the field. Given an extra yard, the Bearcats went for the touchdown, and clinched the victory with a touchdown rush by Michael Warren.

“That’s on the coaches,” said Kelly. “We called for a block, but didn’t communicate right, that’s on the coaches, that’s on us, that’s something we have to fix.”

There are many things these Bruins have to fix, and there’s no time to fix them. They play at powerful Oklahoma next week, then host Fresno State, then travel to Colorado before hosting Washington in completing an early five-game gauntlet.

This first game was the one game everyone thought UCLA would win. This was going to be Chip Kelly’s welcome gift. Instead, he’s stumbled awkwardly through the front door and what do we all make of this?

On one hand, Kelly seemed much calmer than a post-loss Mora, much more thoughtful, and maybe that’s what the young Bruins need.

”I’ve been around people in the locker room and you yell and rant and scream and kick over tables … well, heck, we should have used all that energy in the game,” Kelly said.

“The one thing we can control; we can control our attitudes and we can control our effort. I thought they played with great effort. I thought they had great attitudes going in and they will continue to have great attitudes.”

Yet, on the other hand, this was Kelly’s first college-coached game in more than five years, and it looked like it. From sideline miscommunications to strange play calls to rookie mistakes, few on the Bruins sideline or field really seemed ready for this.

The Chip Kelly Era has only begun, but these beginnings could be far harsher than expected for everyone.

Including the coach. Especially the coach.

Good Luck Next Week In Norman

(09-02-2018 08:37 AM)Lush Wrote: [ -> ]i guess duane's dead

It is possible...likely even...that "Duane" is temporarily unavailable due to...ah...institutional...issues. But when they allow him out of the padded room, I'm sure he'll be back...with a vengeance.

Assuming Georgia Tech Swagger didn't take a restraining order out on him or some such.

Sorry guys, I'm still enjoying this win...

(09-02-2018 08:18 AM)ThinkBigPine Wrote: [ -> ]how many tackles did Bryan Wright have?

Really liked what I saw out of Wright. In fact, the defense as a whole was outstanding but for one big play from a elite sprinter. Copeland and Broughton were downright dominant at times. Unfortunately we didn't get to see much of Pitts but he looks like a guy with play making ability. The secondary as a whole was disciplined and stayed right with their men all night. The play Wiggins made on the INT we haven't seen here in a decade.

Dam Joe burrows can ball!

Does this put to rest the jinx of the white unis? I think they looked sharp in a Star Wars Empire Strikes back kinda way.

(09-03-2018 01:00 PM)Bearcatbdub Wrote: [ -> ]Does this put to rest the jinx of the white unis? I think they looked sharp in a Star Wars Empire Strikes back kinda way.

God, I hope so, primarily because I'm sick of the whining about them.