Think/Know: Week 7
*I knowUCLA's issues run a lot deeper than a 48-12 loss at a 1-5 team
Forget the ugliness that happened when the clock was running on Thursday night at Arizona, and instead focus on the brawl that occurred at the end of the first half. Yes, Rick Neuheisel is right, without the streaker, there probably is no brawl, and UCLA probably doesn't have six player suspended for at least a half-game. But there was.
Now what?
Six guys getting in a petty little shoving match at midfield is one thing. Players pouring out onto the field like a skunk roamed the sidelines is another, and it is a reflection of the complete lack of discipline that UCLA is encountering. As I said in the Two Fat Guys video, false starts are one thing. Dropped passes are one thing. Missed assignments or fumbles or attrocious tackling. Those are all field-of-play issues, and while they too show a lack of discipline, nothing shows utter chaos than a bench-clearing brawl.
All of it boils down to the fact that there seems to be little repercussions aside from a few yelling coaches. Is that enough to shake some sense into a kid? Not to me. Where are the up-downs until a guy pukes? Where are the 50 laps around Spaulding Field. Where it the accountability?
I know this isn't high school football, where you make a mistake and you're punished for it. But this isn't the NFL either, and there has to be SOME kind of punishment for mistakes, much less fighting. I doubt we'll see any.
* I know Sheldon Price wasn't ready to play on Thursday
After one series, it was evident that Price's sprained knee wasn't up to snuff, and Nick Foles sniffed it out pretty quickly. Foles went at the UCLA junior cornerback early, including on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Juron Criner in which Criner simply juked Price to the turf.
That Andrew Abbott played so well in his time, including his interception, only exacerbates the use of Price to such an extent. We saw Neuheisel shy away from using Courtney Viney despite his advanced coverage skills, perptuating the notion that he favors big, tall players over guys who can get the job done. Price couldn't against Arizona, and it proved costly.
I think it's surprising UCLA switched to the 3-4
Oh, they didn't? It must just seem that way, given the utter lack of pressure from the UCLA front four. I made the questionable decision to rewatch most of the game on Friday, and before my eyes filled up with blood, I saw UCLA defensive linemen get pushed off the line of scrimmage like they weighed a collective 12 pounds. They weren't just pushed off the line, they were absolutely smashed. Smashed.
It's not as if it's one player, either. It's all of them. The pad level is absolutely brutal, and that is something UCLA struggled mightily with last season. The thought was the short, compact Inoke Brecketfield would be able to help with some of the leverage issues. He has not.
I know UCLA isn't getting the production it expected out of the safeties
The loss of Rahim Moore to the NFL was thought to be softened by the return of Tony Dye and the emergence of Dietrich Riley. Only Dye has been sidelined much of the year, hobbled the rest of it, and is once more listed as out for Cal. And Riley, meanwhile, hasn't lived up to the potential he flashed last season. Riley, Dalton Hilliard and Tevin McDonald struggled greatly against the Wildcats, and they need to grow up fast if UCLA is to turn it around. On one big Arizona play - ignited by a Grand Canyon-sized hole in the UCLA front four - Keola Antolin cut right and comically juked Riley and McDonald before running over Hilliard for a huge gain. Ouch.
* I think the wide receiver suspensions could be a blessing in disguise
Whatever it takes to get Devin Lucien on the field I consider a good thing. Granted, I don't think Lucien is a refined blocker, and he is an emotional kid and perhaps not ready for primetime...but UCLA's other receivers are? The Bruins best wideout drops passes left and right and has the fortitude of the tin man. One senior wideout couldn't break away from a sloth and the other runs imprecise routes - on the Kevin Prince "overthrow" on the first drive, Josh Smith just stopped running - and the junior speedster is inconsistent.
I wasn't the only one championing Lucien for a long time, and the other UCLA beat writers have often grumbled about his redshirting.
Now is the time to correct it. I don't care if it's only for five games.
Brett Hundley on the other hand...that's a redshirt you save.
"and the junior speedster is inconsistent."
Wrong! He (Carroll) is consistent, unfortunately he cannot catch so he consistently drops passes he should catch (not perfect passes but they do hit his hands)...
Jon,
You sure see it the opposite of Neuheisel. In his presser he made it clear that Lucien will not play, his redshirt year will be preserved and Hundley will play if he has had enough reps to read the defense.
Well, at least one good thing may come from these suspensions...We finally might be able to see an actual punt return against Cal with either Jordan James or Josh Smith back there. But knowing CRN, he will probably have nobody back there and have all 11 guys on the line...not even lined up for a punt block.
How many ucla players made the much hyped Wall of Shame this week?
It's going to be a long 5 weeks...I honestly think they're not going to win another game this year...maybe Colorado. I KNOW this football program is in disarray. I KNOW that the UCLA Administration needs to get serious about competeing in D1/PAC-12 football or else we are going to be doormat for seasons to come.
I also KNOW that I'm tired of pulling for program that is not even competitive on the field.
I KNOW we suck.
I THINK it's unacceptable.
I KNOW we need to demand better.
I WISH the administration would too.
I KNOW Rick Neuheisel is finished at the end of the year.
I THINK Dan Guerrerro should follow up out the door.
I KNOW We have the $$$ to pay a top coaching staff.
I THINK UCLA would be an appealing job given the right $$$ (cost of living adjustment!)
I WISH the administration would spend that money.
I KNOW we have a storied basketball program
I THINK football is still more important
I WISH that we can be good again someday... I became a UCLA fan my freshman year in 2001 and it has been a rough ten years. I'll stick around for ever but I just wanna get excited for more than just opening day every year.
The only way to save Neuheisel's job is to start Brett Hundley and hope that he plays well for the rest of the year. With the way Neuheisel has been making decisions this year and last, I woundn't be surprise if he sticks with Prince and ride him all the way to the unemployment line. I love my Bruins, but it's hard to watch nowadays.
Punt return. Did you see the ball clank off James on his one attempt?
I KNOW I'm done giving this alum's heart and soul to supporting a team/AD/administration that seemingly doesn't give a sh*t about competing.
Breaks my heart....
My dear Jon, you keep bringing logic into the equation, and in Rick's world, there is simply no place for that! Logic would have you make adjustments after dying the death from 1000 cuts when Keenum throws nothing but underneath routes b/c your DBs are playing 10 yards off the ball. Logic would tell you not to make that same mistake with Andrew Luck. Logic would have you start Lucien or give him significant minutes if he has a good game or shows some promise. Logic would say that an NFL-ready receiving TE (NFL ready on the receivng end of things) needs to get the ball thrown at him more than twice a game (and not just in obvious 3rd and goal/3rd & I need to convert situations). So stop with that logic thing Jon...at least until the next regime takes over!
As a USC fan I really thought that UCLA was going to make strides against the Men of Troy, boy was I dead wrong. I have never been a fan of RN b/c I thought he benefitted from his previous regime's talent. He never recruited and developed his own elite talent.
Mr. Gold, why are you surprised by RN's lack of discipline considering what was uncovered at UW by their local media. RN was never known as a discipline coach in his previous coaching duties.
I am not sure if UCLA knows how to develop talent b/c this D-line has some players that top programs wanted (e.g. Owa, Marsh)and it can't be D coordinator b/c Bullough left and they are worse than last year. Was the D-line coach replaced this year? Anyhoo, as a non-UCLA hater I don't see this program making strides until at a minimum 3 years b/c it is going to get worse before it gets better. I would definitely contact Kevin Sumlin or Mike Leach for the coaching position.
Oops, I meant to say, Logic would have you start Lucien in the game following Cal if he shows promise vs Cal. But what I see happening is, Lucien has a good game vs. Cal (or one showing promise), and then is promptly shown the bench for the rest of the season (b/c his personnel patterns show that he is more interested in seniority than ability & effort). For that reason, I wouldn't burn Lucien's redshirt. I would preserve until someone who knows what they are doing takes over.
Nice to see Gilligan's come out of the closet, he's a Bruin fan and we welcome him to our misery. USC fan, righhht!
Let's keep piling on!
That's right Jon. The brawl was the streakers fault. Not mine. And AD Guerrero says I am not fired. So after we take care of Cal, we start negotiations on that contract extension with all that $20M TV money.
I now KNOW that we will lose at paltry Utah and finish 4-8 with ... an absolutely gross victory over Colorado in the Rose Bowl. It may even be an uglier win than over San Jose State.
Sheldon Price killed Neuheisel the first year. Benching VIney for Price was stooooopid and its no wonder he transferred.
I agree Abbott was great and probably the best coverage corner we have. Price has height...thats it. He cant cover and can't tackle.
I KNOW that what the next public statement by DG should be: "We believe in these kids and coaches so much that in the unlikely event that we somehow fail to make a bowl game that only requires us to win half of our games, or if we somehow fail to beat USC this year, that within 24 hours of either unlikely event, Rick and I will tender our resignations and spare our alma mater the costs of a buyout and give the players, alumni, and fans a chance to have the UCLA experience they deserve."
I KNOW of several UCLA teams of the past in the Donahue, Toledo & Dorrell regimes that would be drooling to have our cupcake schedule this year.
Can you say 14-0? (Cade McNown)
What about 13-1? (Troy Aikman)
Hell, even Dorrell's 10-2 season is probably 12-2 with a Pac-12 crown.
Damn shame that we hit our all-time low under CRN and what has now become his UCLA JV program with this patsy run.
How naive I was to have been a part of firekarldorrell.com! Those were the good ol' days compared to tricky ricky. How was I to know? Mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa!
Thanks, rockies. We're all now dumber for having read your posts.
I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.
Honestly, if I were Marsh, Owa, Malcolm Jones, Jordan Zumwalt, Dietrich Riley, Eric Kendricks, I would probably transfer.. Getting 2 years at a top-flight program would be more than enough to propel any and all of those guys to the NFL draft board.. Those guys all have the talent to be dominant but are not being coached or used right.
It's a terrible thing to have to admit that the coach to whom you've entrusted your future is unable to deliver on his promises. Best to get out while there's still time to get on track . . . unless UCLA hires a proven winner and developer of talent.