Head coach Jim Mora talks about Josh Rosen‘s performance against Hawaii, what he thought about the defense and his feelings about the targeting penalty that will cost linebacker Josh Woods the first half against Memphis.
UCLA faces Hawai’i at 2 p.m. at the Rose Bowl on Pac-12 Networks. Follow the live chat below:
UCLA wide receiver Theo Howard (14) catches a touchdown against Texas A&M in the fourth quarter during a NCAA college football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017. UCLA won 45-44. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Jim Mora was unimpressed.
After Tuesday’s practice, UCLA’s first since its epic comeback against Texas A&M last Sunday, the head coach gathered his team in its postpractice huddle and scolded the players for a lackluster practice. On a short week, the Bruins had no time to dwell on its season opening win.
UCLA (1-0) continues its season against Hawai’i (2-0) at the Rose Bowl at 2 p.m. The TV broadcast is on Pac-12 Networks with a shortened game format that includes a prompt 2:01 p.m. kickoff. The radio broadcast is on AM 1150.
In the event that the Colorado vs. Texas State game on Pac-12 Networks runs into UCLA’s kickoff, UCLA will begin its game on Pac-12 Los Angeles and move to the national network at the completion of the Colorado game.
All your pregame reading:
There were a lot of questions about the defensive performance against Texas A&M, so here is a relevant link: Tom Bradley doesn’t plan to play that much man-to-man again if he can help it.
Other links:
Now to your questions:
OFFENSE
Based on Sunday’s results, do you see Jedd Fisch staying with an up-tempo offense?
If only things were that easy. Jedd Fisch addressed this question Wednesday. He said that, yes, the offense obviously excelled in the two-minute situation, but part of that was the defense that Texas A&M was playing. The Aggies were defending a 34-point lead at that time. The defensive fronts are different in that situation than they would be at the beginning of the game when it’s tied, so you can’t expect the same kind of success. Living in a constant state of hurry-up offense, while it seems like a fun theoretical idea, probably isn’t practical in the long run. Continue reading “Weekly Q&A: Hawai’i answers” »
Hawai’i is coming off its first bowl win since 2006 and finished last season at 7-7. Now the Rainbow Warriors are hoping to push their record to the winning side for the first time since 2010 under second-year head coach Nick Rolovich. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Stephen Tsai answered a few questions on the program’s next step, its rebuilding defense and its offensive weapons.
For more on Hawai’i, visit Stephen’s blog here.
1. Heading into the second year under Nick Rolovich, what were the biggest points of emphasis to help the program take the next step?
In a team meeting soon after being hired in November 2015, Rolovich was startled by what he termed the “emptiness in the players’ eyes.” He believe they had been worn down by five consecutive losing seasons. He worked on building team morale (players passed out schedule cards at Costco, an elaborate coaches-vs.-players water balloon fight was staged) and changing the team culture. This year, the focus has been on empowering the players to take ownership of the team. The players chose their 14-player leadership council, their four co-captains, and have a say in planning activities and discipline. Continue reading “Five questions: The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Stephen Tsai on Hawai’i” »