Think/Know: Week 3
* I know that Rick Neuheisel needs to act fast, or he'll lose control completely
The UCLA locker room on Saturday afternoon after a 49-20 loss to Texas was not quite a morgue, but it wasn't too far off. When we were finally allowed in after a double-length cooling-off period, those who were left hadn't cooled off. Tony Dye, a stand-up guy and someone the media has always been able to rely upon for a level-headed response, completely brushed us off. "I'm not talking today, guys." That was a first. Then you had players bashing each other and questioning the coaches and coaches nearly in tears. It was the locker room of not just a defeated team, but a defeated team. Neuheisel needs to know that the message that no one has given up, that no one has lost faith, does not play well when players are so openly upset. Things need to change, and they need to change now.
* I think that Richard Brehaut's hold on the quarterback position is tenuous at best, and he'll need to re-win the job week after week
After watching Kevin Prince throw his second interception of the first quarter on Saturday afternoon, I told myself, "Self, if Richard Brehaut doesn't come in now, the quarterback battle was never, ever 50-50." If Brehaut was 1B, and not 2, he would've been in there. He just has to know that by now, and he needs to play as if he's still trying to leapfrog Prince. Neuheisel said "I'm not giving up on Kevin" and named Brehaut the starter only for this week against Oregon State. Once more, Brehaut enters a week of practice under the glaring eye of Neuheisel, who continues to critique his decision-making. He'll need to be better than he has been through three weeks to really claim hold to the position, but even then, who knows? I wouldn't be surprised to see Neuheisel turn to Brett Hundley late in the season as a last-ditch attempt at excitement, so Brehaut needs to take his game to another level if he wants to stay in the game. Brehaut has been good, he needs to be great, it seems.
* I know this team needs to start being more physical in practice...now
I've harped on the tackling issue before, and will continue to do so, but this isn't just about thudding up in practice. It's about Aaron Hester and Sheldon Price playing nine yards deep on a 3rd-and-3. It's about defensive linemen dancing and spinning instead of holding their gap. It's about linebackers who take angles of pursuit that leave them seven yards short of the ball-carrier. UCLA doesn't just need to be more aggressive in its play-calling and game-planning, but in its actual practice time. They are not ready to play on Saturdays, it's clear.
* I think the talent on this team is being held back
I think this, and I don't know this, because I am not in the coaches' rooms and I am not watching hours of film. All I know is what my eyes tell me, and the little voice in my head that sounds like Patton Oswalt mixed with Abe Vigoda, but what they all say is: Start playing the playmakers more.
This is what Randall Carroll told me in the locker room: "Honestly, sometimes I do think we're not used right. We have a lot of potential, we just have to cut it loose like we should. They do it at Oregon. They have all these athletes, everybody is cutting loose. We need to find a way to get the playmakers involved here."
Now, Carroll isn't the most fine-tuned receiver on the team, and he'll admit that, but I don't think what I saw in spring and summer was a fluke. He struggled at times in fall camp, but he also shined at times, and like I wrote last week, you'll take a guy who can't get open for 12-yard outs three out of four times but can catch an 80-yard bomb any day of the week. Same with Devin Lucien and Ricky Marvray and Josh Smith. What I saw in fall camp was a unit that had balance and talent almost from top to bottom. There was really very little difference between 1-through-6, in terms of receiving ability. Downfield blocking? No, the starters are better. Two-minute drill? Stick with the same guys.
But if Nelson Rosario is going to drop passes and Taylor Embree isn't going to be open, and the defense is going to give up 49 points, who cares if a guy's downfield block can lead to an extra three yards in the running game.
* I know the loss of Sean Sheller is devastating
UCLA can't afford injuries to two positions - offensive line and cornerback - and where do they lose two key players on Saturday? Offensive line and cornerback. The loss of Andrew Abbott to a concussion hurts, but the Bruins have other guys who can play nickel. The loss of Sheller? Ouch. The sixth-year senior was the team's second-best multi-purpose lineman, next to Jeff Baca, and now UCLA is perilously thin on the outside. I haven't seen enough from Brett Downey or Connor Bradford to think either is game-ready, so UCLA is down to Baca and Mike Harris. Woulda been nice to have Xavier Su'a-Filo and Nik Abele right about now. Instead, the Bruins have to cross every finger and every toe that no one gets hurt the rest of the way.
Act fast? The coaches had all spring and fall to get this team right and it is wrong. Profoundly wrong.
It still feels like they play not to lose and that leads to losses.
I hope things change. I would not bet a dollar on it, even at 100 to 1 odds.
As a fellow bruin, I really would like to see RN succeed but IMHO RN is being way too conservative or indecisively (as any coach in hot seat would)...
but at this point of the game, I think he should unleash all the players' potential (even the froshs and sophos) and call plays as if he has nothing to lose (partially true)...since nothing less than 8-4 will save his job.
If anybody was watching the 49ers vs Cowboys game, you saw Harbaugh decline a 15 yard penalty after afield goal that only put them up by 10 points instead of going for the TD. Sure, the probability was still two scores, but it was conservative, it showed the team that they were not being trusted to punch it in the end zone. Harbaugh is a Coach, a great one at that, but there is no question in my mind that, that is why they lost the game. Conservative hardly wins games, we need to go all out. We need a specialist coach for our secondary, who are flying around the field like a confused tornado. More importantly we need to focus on ONE Play at a time. WIN THE PLAY, the rest will fall in to place.
I know that our defense is horrendous. We have the potential to be great. We have squandered it. The issues related to offense, QB play, etc... it is just a distraction. Our offense looks good and we are playing good on that side of ball. RB is clearly capable and good at running this team. It doesn't matter though, when are offense is never on the field and when our defense is giving up 49 points in a game. CRN get this defense clicking, we have a scary good team. Without that, we will be 4-8. With defense, we get to 8 wins.
I Think that we have the talent to win the Pac South.
I Know that we won't even come close.
I Am just calling it like I see it...
I pretty much agree with everyone above. I have been rooting for CRN because I know he bleeds Bruin blue and gold.
However, he just isnt cutting it and although he says he is still completely optimistic, it sounds like he may be the only one. It seems like the team has lost faith in him. That means its time for a change.
This week is the first week since Neuheisel was hired that I'm starting to believe that he is in over his head. He just is not cutting it and I don't really believe that there's anything he can do to make things better. Of course, who's to say that if he wins three or four more games and beats USC then things are different. Terry Donahue was on thin ice and then Freeman McNeil, thanks to Jeff Fisher helps turn things around and UCLA goes on a pretty nice run.
I was hoping so much that when Neuheisel came in that he would be able to right the ship. But, it doesn't look like it.
I was listening to the first quarter of Saturday's game. I knew it was going to be a long afternoon when on the first drive, when Texas scored, Matt Stevens said, UCLA dropped eights guys back on coverage and Texas still completed the pass and scored a touch down.
Hope I'm so wrong, but I don't think so. Of course, who could replace Neuheisel? That's a bigger problem, and after the last search, why should any of us believe that UCLA could attract the kind of coach we want or think we should get to replace Neuheisel? It just may be that Neuheisel is back next year because of all the under issues which will not be looked upon positively if he is let go and paid a gazillion dollars to do so.
If the locker room is as bad as it seems, it is only a matter of time until this program implodes. There are just too many talented kids on this roster for them to play like this. The guys that are not getting it done should be benched.
After CRN gets his sorry ass fired I don't ever want to see him set foot on campus again...former Rose Bowl hero or not!
I've been a CRN apologist in the past, but I'm seeing now that he has to go. In terms of finding a new coach... whoever it is is going to be in an infinitely better situation than when CRN walked in the door. The team really does have an awful lot of talent. We traded a decent coach (say what you will about Dorrel, but he went 10-0 with some pretty thin talent) for a great recruiter. Now that we have the talent, we need another coach. Oregon's OC or DC would be fine by me.
Walking the mile! Walking the mile! Boom over!!!
Pretty STRONG comments John...obviously directed at CRN. With the sharp criticism, do you expect to get "Banned" and/or have limited access to UCLA football (kind of like how you BANNED, several posters on your site for being critical of your Video interview "style")?
For what's it's worth, I agree with your take on CRN and UCLA Football. I don't understand how he can be so BLIND (headstrong, Just Plain Stupid, pick one) to not see that his choices of Coaches and assessment of player performance is impaired.
Bravo! Well said on every point.
I may be one of only a handful who think with the right amount of attention and discipline the Bruins can turn it around and still win the South. The talent is there, it's now up to the coaching staff to adjust and make it happen.
Optimism, never quit, ever.
Winless Oregon State 17, UCLA 10 ... enough said.
"Now that we have the talent, we need another coach. Oregon's OC or DC would be fine by me. "
Not the DC, Nick Aliotti was our DC on that 1998 team where we had to outscore everyone with the exception of the Miami and Wisconsin games.
I miss Karl Dorrell, he was hired to change the culture of the football team for the better and he did. The last of his recruits are gone now or just about and what we have now are Rick Neuheisel chosen players. CRN was hired to recruit talent and he has. By all accounts it is agreed that the talent level is better. But the heart and integrity are missing. Oh well, go here and remember, http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3138961
Ha.
I know that a certain journalist was miffed at the double cooling off period and was extra sensitive to the negative vibe upon gaining access.
I think that this was a bad loss and the young players will rebound as youth will prevail.
I know that same journalist will be gushing about resilience and spirit after road win next week.
I know that same journalist whiffed on Datone Jones and D-line generally, calling into question the journalist's analytical skills.
Wow! After reading Jon's entry....We sound screwed....And I'm actually thinking we might have had a chance in Corvallis. CRN...Turn Brehaut loose! Look your QB in the eye, smile, and tell him to sling it!!! Our kids are playing too tight. I wish Tresey would have faith in our CBs and jam these receivers and disrupt the opposition's timing. Let the D-line pin their ears back...Let's not get too fancy with the stunting. Let them BE PHYSICAL!!!!
Anon 8:00 PM,
Karl Dorrell's recruits are still in this team as Junior and Senior.
http://ucla.scout.com/a.z?s=12&p=9&c=8&yr=2008
CRN came in to secure these kids who were mostly verbal commit during KD's tenure.
"Then you had players bashing each other and questioning the coaches and coaches nearly in tears."
Yipes. I am so sorry you guys are having to go through this. What a painful end. Sounds too much like Seattle in 2008. Although it was lackluster, you've already between SJSU, so you know you're not going to be 0-12 like we were that year.
Saw Carroll in high school. He just as fast although not as skilled a receiver as Robert Woods. Why no deep passes to him? In 3 years, he's gotten exactly THREE long passes thrown to him: one was incomplete,one was PI when he ran past the CB and was grabbed, the other went for a TD. Last week, Matt Barkley threw a TD pass to Marqise Lee on a simple streak route. I think Carroll can do that about 3 or 4 times during the season IF YOU RUN THAT PLAY AND THROW IT!!!!!
I think you are over estimating the overall talent level of this team. This is a six win team at best.