Stretching the field
During the last two seasons there have been questions about whether UCLA has the receivers to stretch the field, and open up the passing game underneath the secondary.
I asked fifth-year senior receiver Marcus Everett to give me his impressions of whether the Bruins have anyone to stretch the field.
"I think we have some guys that can get down the field,'' he said. "I think I can do it. I think Terrence (Austin) has that ability.''
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About Inside UCLA
This is Brian Dohn's sixth season covering UCLA after spending 4 1/2 years covering the Dodgers for the Daily News and other Los Angeles Newspaper Group papers. He graduated from Rutgers, where the first college football game was played in 1869. Sure, the Scarlet Knights suffered for a long time, but now RU is doing what Jerseyans always thought was possible. Winning at Rutgers also proves winning is possible everywhere else in the nation, so underachieving coaches better be careful. Now, if only men's hoops can turn it around.
the OTHER question about Bruins' receivers, Brian, is whether or not they can get off the line of scrimmage quickly - I wonder if you've asked much about that?
It's a lot easier to stretch the field when you have an offensive philosophy predicated on keeping the defense off balance. Under the previous coaching staff, it really wouldn't matter how fast your receivers were since our offense was SO predictable.
Chow seldom had extremely fast receivers at BYU and they generally spread the field quite well. They went down field a lot setting things up with crossing patterns and significant use of the tightends and backs.
What about actually catching the ball? How many balls did the receivers drop last year?
I recall those beautiful offenses at BYU. It seemed there was a wide open receiver on every play. That may have been the result of 5 receivers out on every play (the maximum since the guards, tackles and center are not eligible). But it is true, those BYU guys were not innately fast (not politically correct, but this is mainly a white college).
But at SC Chow's offense was not BYU's. Obviously he had better all-around talent so he could ram the ball down the opponents' throat. But it was a mainly a traditional pro style with 2 main receivers, and he was blessed with some of college's all-time quarterbacks.
Now at ucla, I predict he will have to be imaginative. He does not have a running game, most predict, so this team will have to rely on the pass 60% or greater. I bet he goes back to a BYU-type attack. I hope so, because I loved those pass-happy teams.