How concerned should we be that Josh Rosen doesn’t seem to have matured?
One very bad game does not make a season. He understands he didn’t perform well last Saturday and he owned up to it. There are a lot of components to “maturity” and I think being able to admit to mistakes and take ownership of them is one. To me, the true test of his maturity will come with how he performs in the final two games of the nonconference slate. I would expect that against UNLV, Rosen will have a good game because the opponent is not quite at the same level as Texas A&M. The game against BYU will be an important check point because I think that game is going to be tight at the end on the road, just like against Texas A&M. That will be a time for him to prove that he can be at his best when his best is needed against a good team. UCLA does not want to go into the conference season and face Stanford sitting at 1-2. It’s too early to say he hasn’t matured. And really, how much maturation can be done in one year from 18 years old to 19 years old? He’s not suddenly going to run out onto the field in his first game as a sophomore and have the mentality of a 22-year-old senior.
Why do you think UCLA never adjusted to the pressure that A&M was applying?
It was possibly a combination of Kennedy Polamalu wanting to stick to his guns to establish an identity and him not being able to react quickly enough during a game situation in his first experience calling plays. The offense gained traction toward the end in the spread while in comeback mode so by that time, he had settled into the game while balancing his responsibilities on the sideline as offensive coordinator, play caller and running backs coach. It was very much a trial by fire situation and the Bruins ended up getting burned in the loss.
Don’t understand some of the player rotations Saturday. Austin Roberts, Jordan Lasley and Alex Van Dyke at receiver? Where were Nate Iese, Theo Howard, Mossi Johnson and Stephen Johnson? Why were Najee Toran and Andre James playing in tandem on the right side of offensive line?
I am no mind reader and coaches tend to be bullish about their personnel decisions (at least on the record). So I can’t tell you for sure why the coaches made those decisions. The relative absences of Mossi Johnson and Stephen Johnson didn’t shock me all that much. We didn’t see much of them in practice. (They are listed on the participation report, though.) Alex Van Dyke playing doesn’t surprise me either. He’s kind of the backup to Eldridge Massington, so he’s in line to play. Since the coaching staff didn’t go with Theo Howard (which was surprising), Jordan Lasley made sense because he steps into that position after Kenneth Walker III. Nate Iese not seeing many targets in the passing game was really surprising, especially after he was such a focal point during practice and coaches spoke so glowingly about him during those two weeks of training camp. Expect to see his role decreased going forward, Jim Mora said, as the coaching staff is choosing to go more with Caleb Wilson. As for Najee Toran and Andre James, if they’re going to substitute out Poasi Moala and Kolton Miller, then Toran and James are the next two up in my mind at right guard and right tackle, respectively. That part of the rotation was normal in terms of what happened in practice.
Any idea how Josh Woods is performing during practices?
Honestly, no. We can’t watch practice right now. But I’ll keep him in mind for later and follow up.
Can you ask Kennedy Polamalu about the missed blocking assignments from the running backs? I feel like Bolu Olorunfunmi did a better job blocking and is probably in line for more playing time.
I didn’t get a chance to ask him this week, but I would have liked to see more chances for Bolu Olorunfunmi. I don’t think he had that great of a fall camp, but I think he performed well in the game. On Thursday, Mora highlighted Olorunfunmi’s blocking ability and was pleased in that aspect.
Any players pleasantly surprising you with their play? Anyone significantly outperforming expectations, based on what you saw during San Bernardino/other practices?
I was surprised with all the tight ends in various ways. After what I wrote in my last Q&A, I was expecting more targets for Iese and that didn’t materialize at all. On the flipside, the other tight ends stood out like Caleb Wilson and Austin Roberts. I know Roberts dropped that one pass, but overall, I thought he had a good game. Wilson was impressive in fall camp as well so that’s not too much of a surprise to me. Can’t say I was surprised to see Giovanni Gentosi get a few reps in there because he had some shining moments in fall camp, but his name generally gets buried in a large group of tight ends.
Against Texas A&M, it seemed as though the offense was better from the spread. Are we done with the “pound the rock” offense for this year?
I would agree that the offense performed best in the spread. I don’t think that means the physical, between-the-tackles type of offense is dead. To kill it after one game would be way too much of an overreaction. I think the coaching staff will continue to blend the two going forward while they wait for the execution of the power offense to catch up to that of the spread. The spread portions of the offense are a little further ahead because the team (and Rosen) has had more experience with it. The newer parts are just that — they’re new and need time to get incorporated smoothly.
What happened with all the Bruins who were selected in the NFL Draft or signed as undrafted free agents? Who made a final roster or practice squad, and who got cut?
- MADE FINAL ROSTER: Kenny Clark (Packers), Myles Jacks (Jaguars), Jordan Payton (Browns), Caleb Benenoch (Buccaneers), Aaron Wallace (Titans), Paul Perkins (Giants)
- PRACTICE SQUAD: Jake Brendel (Cowboys), Thomas Duarte (Dolphins), Alex Redmond (Bengals)
- PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE: Devin Fuller (Falcons, shoulder), Ka’imi Fairbairn (Texans, quad)
- CUT: Logan Sweet (Colts)
Why did AD Dan Guerrero triple the price of season tickets after the mediocre 2015 season and run off the most loyal fans and alums?
I don’t know the price of season tickets right now compared to what they were, but I know the home strength of schedule does factor into the prices and UCLA has a lot of good home games, notably Stanford and USC.
What’s the status of Nate Starks for this weekend and do you think Theo Howard will see the field Saturday night?
Still game-time decision for Nate Starks. I would think we will see Howard this weekend. I was, like many people, surprised that he didn’t see the field last week, especially with the drops in the receiving group.
Concerning whatever people were talking about with suspensions, I have no reportable information on those and I’m not one to throw out random ideas.
Can you share freshman and redshirt freshman participation so far this season?
True freshmen who played last week: Kicker J.J. Molson, long snapper Johnny Den Bleyker, punter Austin Kent, defensive lineman Boss Tagaloa, defensive back Brandon Burton, running back Brandon Stephens, linebacker Lokeni Toailoa and receiver Ethan Fernea.
Others who made their UCLA debuts: defensive linemen Keisean Lucier-South, Rick Wade and Nick Terry, tight end Caleb Wilson and offensive lineman Andre James.
Right now, we know for sure Marcus Moore and Alex Akingbulu will be redshirting.
Any update on Mique Juarez? How does he pronounce his name? Why is Coach Mora being so silent about him?
No update on Mique Juarez. The situation is the same. Mora said Wednesday he does have a plan for Juarez about returning to the team eventually, so it’s not like he’s fallen off the face of the earth. He’s still connected with the school and the program and staying in contact with coaches. The coaches are being silent because they don’t feel it’s their place to share the personal issues of an 18-year-old kid, which I can understand. Mique is pronounced “mee-kay.” It’s his nickname; his real name is Michael.
Thanks for your questions and thanks for reading!