Grade the Bruins
Here is my report card on UCLA's 23-20 win against Stanford. Vote for yourself below:
UCLA 23, Stanford 20
Record: 3-4, 2-2 Pac-10; Weekly grade: C
Quarterbacks
Good thing Kevin Craft (23 of 39, 285 yards INT, 2 TDs) gets to run the two-minute drill, or it would be double yikes.
Grade: C
Running backs
Kahlil Bell, Derrick Coleman and Chane Moline combined or 70 yards on 17 carries, and blitz pickup was not good.
Grade: C-
Receivers
Guess Nelson Rosario (4 rec., 71 yds.) isn't wasting his year. Terrence Austin (5-50) showed tremendous courage.
Grade: B
Offensive line
Some trouble in stopping a three-man rush, but the seven sacks isn't all this unit's fault. Running game remains terrible.
Grade: D
Defensive line
Sure, Cardinal rushed for 250 yards, but the tackling was solid and DT Brigham Harwell's leadership was very good.
Grade: B
Linebackers
The tackling was solid. It is enjoyable to watch Akeem Ayers mature as the season goes on.
Grade: B
Secondary
Stanford QBs were 5 of 13 for 51 yards and an INT. Kudos for SS Bret Lockett for his best game after his worst.
Grade: A
Special teams
Nothing stood out, which is more good than bad. PK Kai Forbath was 3 for 3, so a solid day all-around.
Grade: B
Coaching
Says great things about a staff when the offensive coordinator can tell the head coach not to bench a QB, and the head coach listens.
Grade: B+
Secondary played well, but it didn't hurt that Stanford's QB was horrible.
Are you being sarcastic on your "coaching" statement?
The team is what it is - first year in rebuilding a program. Accordingly, the win over a team that beat OSU and Arizona (something neither we nor Cal could do) deserves a better grade tha C overall; I give them a B.
I LIKED your coaching statement; also liked the two minute drills and focus/lack of penalties compared with those that helped Stanford do themselves in. Other than choice of plays when we were 1st and goal from inside the 3 on two occasions - running wide and slow-to-develop plays leading to loss of critical yards - I thought the coaching was excellent as were the heart and effort.
Also the secondary isn't supposed to get credit for that INT. That was all the D line.
We were lucky they were worse than we are...
Offensively we basically had one good drive the whole game and our running game is still not there.
Defensively we knew what was coming but still had problems stopping it.
Luckily there was some clutch play at the end of the game and some well timed penalties. Thanks, Stanford!
I think it's fair to say that pulling the QB in a game will be a decision Chow has a huge say in, and rightly so. It's not like CRN asked Norm if he should go for it on 4th down, or run a fake punt...
It's a travesty that they aren't redshirting T. Austin. Is it worth his life to make it to a bowl game?
Mark down a "F" for the head coach for at least the rest of the year and pray Austin isn't hurt.
What do you know about Austins medical condition? My bet is nothing. BTW, Austin can not redshirt, it is too late in the season.
I think coaching was good overall. The only really bad playcall that I can remember was a 3rd and goal (from around the 10 yard line) and the call was for Craft to roll right and try to run for a touchdown. Come on now.
didn't special teams create the fumble and fumble recovery?????
Plus had another one that had great field position...
I'd give them an A.
wait.. scratch that, i remember they let by a good amount of yardage on the stanford returns...
A-