YGQ, IGA: Part One
1) Any Basketball commits this weekend? - Mike
Not that I've heard, but I'm talking to Ray McCallum tomorrow, Tyler Lamb tonight ( I think) and I've left messages with Trey Zeigler and Josh Smith.
2) Do you believe poor clock management and our team's lack of urgency in the 4th quarter played a huge role in why we ended up losing? - VB
I don't know if it was so much the lack of urgency as the inability to connect downfield. I'm a huge proponent of West Coast, short-pass offenses. But in pressure situations, there needs to be a commitment to the mid-range pass, and everything was too short and dinky.
3) DO YOU LIKE YOUR NEW JOB? Can I have your email address? - Bruinbeatch
Umm, I'm flattered, but it's time to lay off Dohn. He was incredible at this. I genuinely think I've done half the job he has, but I'll get better with time and contacts. It takes time to catch up to all the recruiting business. Regarding my job...it's freaking amazing. I love it. I have incredible editors who allow me a ton of freedom and are just...easy...to work with. I can't think of a better word. It's just easy. Now, the job is a killer, but it's been awesome. And my email address is jon.gold@dailynews.com. Feel free to email me ANY time.
4) Did you think the UCLA play calling was too conservative? If so, why play Craft if you are going to limit him? - Boo
Let me preface my answer with this: I am not a head coach, or an offensive coordinator, for a Division-1 football team, nor have I ever been. I am a reporter who happened to play football and knows something about the game. That being said... "conservative" is not the right word. The Bruins had their chances downfield. Stanford locked up the wideouts deep and were begging UCLA to throw the short pass. A good quarterback takes what he can get, but is mindful to take chances downfield. With an offensive line that was having difficulty with perfect protection, I don't fault Craft for going short.
5) Who do you think is the smartest player on the team? - MJDlite
Alterraun Verner is very, very smart. Logan Paulsen might be the brightest football mind I've met at 22. Taylor Embree and Micah Kia are very well-spoken. I gotta think most are pretty intelligent.
6) Who on this team would you say are going to for sure be drafted in the NFL? Who are on closer on the borderline? - Tien
This year, I expect Verner, Carter, the Bosworths and Logan Paulsen to be drafted. Austin, Paulsen and the Bosworths all have the same issue - size - so it will be interesting to see how they end up. Then there's Brian Price...and we'll find that out later.
7) I can only remember 2 or 3 blitzes the entire game. 90% of the time our defense was lining up with 4 guys in the box against an offense that we knew was going to be run happy. What is your take on the logic behind that defensive scheme (including almost zero pass rushes)? - Reformed Droog
Blitzing is not designed against the run, but against the pass. The Bruins schemed for the run, missed some tackles, were out of position a lot, and were exploited in the passing game. I don't think it had to do with not enough blitzing.
8) Any criticisms of Neuheisel over this past weekend? Over the season? - Anonymous
My only criticism is that there absolutely needs - needs - to be more of an effort to get the ball in the hands of Thigpen, Carroll and Presley. I know they're young. I know they're inexperienced. I get it. But they're talented. They can get up field. The Bruins need to get up field. Pretty simple.
9) I won't have to ask as soon as I learn to lip read but does Neuheisel interject himself into the play calling as much as it seems? - Johnny Angel
Neuheisel said today that play-calling was Chow's gig, and that he'll chime in every so often when he feels the need.
10) How is Rahim Moore feeling? Will he play against Oregon? What is the Bullough's backup plan if both Moore and ATV are out? How will the deal with a spread offense? - Anonymous
Moore appears to be fine, but Neuheisel said tomorrow will tell. I expect him to play. If Moore is out, Glenn Love is in. If ATV is out, Viney is in.
I think I phrased my question wrong (or confusing, anyways)... I wasn't sure why we were lined up the way we were as it was obvious we weren't lining up to blitz and we didn't have enough guys up front to stop a head-down, powering-up-the-field back.
At any rate, I watched most of the game again and it was clear we were playing it too conservatively (on both sides of the ball).
For a defense that hardly got a chance to get off of the field, rest, and plan, I think they did very well by keeping us close in the game. The fault was not with the defense for anyone who knows or has played football. The offense is not giving them a chance. Those guys need a breather every now and again, against that type of back. My question is if Craft is that bad that we're afraid to take chances throwing the ball, what's the deal with Bre, Crissman or whoever?
The defense looked okay in the 3rd, good in the 4th, but they couldn't take down Lindsay Lohan in the first half. Every other down there were missed tackles because of the way they kept trying to tackle with their hands and shoulders.
Oh, and I agree that the offense made the defense look worse by not giving them enough rest. I just don't think the defense looked particularly great BEFORE they got winded...
You can run blitz. Its very common. Bullough so far has been very vanilla with his BIG10 boring bend dont break style. Walker was much more aggressive and had better blitzing schemes.
Hi Jon,
Remember your Friday Night Lights coverage? Check out www.oaoa.com for some interesting info on your boy Brian Chavez.
A friend.
Everyone loved Brian Dohn when they thought he was a homer who was just trying to be professional, but after finding out that he was just a professional he gets a ton of hate.
Brian Dohn was kind of a homer in that he mostly talked about the upside of the program, when asked about the darker side of UCLA football he would never say more than "no program is spotless."
Jon,
How many players do you think the Bruins are away from contending with USC based on what you have seen thus far?