Tag Archives: UCLA football

Q&A — 1/15/16 Answers

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Q: Why is our basketball team so wildly inconsistent this year?

A: The Bruins aren’t very good on defense, which I’d attribute to both the abilities of individual players as well as lackluster coaching. That puts them in a bad spot whenever they fall into scoring droughts; we saw that against USC, when every second-half comeback attempt died because the Trojans responded with quick, easy points. UCLA’s offense has also become very dependent on Bryce Alford’s shooting. When he’s not hitting baskets, everything else bogs down. When he is, however, it’s a difficult team to stop.

Q: Looking ahead to the 2016 season the roster should be filled with talent. What do you think the starting five will look like after T.J. Leaf and Lonzo Ball make it on to campus? If Ball ends up starting, which current guard do you see Coach Alford moving to the bench?

A: Since no one on the team looks NBA-ready, let’s assume that none of them makes a bad decision to turn pro early. In that case, I’d expect the starting lineup to look something like:

C — Thomas Welsh, Jr.
F — T.J. Leaf, Fr.
G — Isaac Hamilton, Sr.
G — Bryce Alford, Sr.
G — Lonzo Ball, Fr.

Since there’s no way Alford will send his son to the bench — and since Hamilton will also be a senior — Aaron Holiday in a sixth man role probably makes the most sense. But I could also see a scenario where Hamilton becomes the leading scorer of the second unit. Continue reading “Q&A — 1/15/16 Answers” »

UCLA officially promotes Kennedy Polamalu to offensive coordinator

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UCLA running back coach Kennedy Polamalu talks to his player during the Bruins morning practice at Cal State San Bernardino in San Bernardino, Ca., Wednesday, August 19, 2015. (Photo by John Valenzuela/The Sun)

UCLA hopes that promoting running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu to offensive coordinator will make for a “a multifaceted offense.” (John Valenzuela/Staff)

UCLA has officially announced its promotion of Kennedy Polamalu to offensive coordinator, as well as the hiring of Marques Tuiasosopo and Rip Scherer — moves that the team hopes will help build a more diverse offense.

“As we continue to evolve as a program and tailor our philosophies and schemes to the strengths of our players, what you will see is a multifaceted offense incorporating tight ends and fullbacks into our schemes,” head coach Jim Mora said in a statement. “Our objective is to be a big, strong and physical offensive unit that has flexibility of personnel groupings. I know we have the right men in Kennedy, Marques and Rip to implement this philosophy.”

ANALYSIS: Breaking down the implications of UCLA’s new coaching hires

Polamalu’s new role comes after two seasons of working as the Bruins’ running backs coach, a period that saw him become one of the most effective members of the staff. UCLA has averaged 4.95 yards per carry since he arrived in Westwood, and have developed depth at running back to replace former Pac-12 leading rusher Paul Perkins, who declared for the NFL draft. Continue reading “UCLA officially promotes Kennedy Polamalu to offensive coordinator” »

UCLA receiver Thomas Duarte joins list of NFL draft departures

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UCLA Bruins wide receiver Thomas Duarte #18 looks at USC Trojans linebacker Su'a Cravens #21 after scoring a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Cross town rivals USC and UCLS met at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. 11/28/2015 (photo by John McCoy/Los Angeles News Group)

UCLA receiver Thomas Duarte (18) is the latest Bruin to forgo his senior season in favor of the NFL draft. He led the team with 10 touchdown catches as a junior. (John McCoy/Staff)

UCLA receiver Thomas Duarte has become the latest Bruin to declare for the NFL draft.

His father, Tim, told the Orange County Register on Tuesday that the 6-foot-3, 225-pound inside receiver had filed his official paperwork a day earlier — after receiving a third-round grade on his draft evaluation. Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone’s recent departure for Texas A&M, he said, was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” in terms of Duarte’s decision.

As a junior, Duarte excelled in Mazzone’s spread offense, working the middle of the field and becoming the team’s most dangerous red zone target. After totaling seven scoring catches through his first two seasons, the Fullerton native found himself on the receiving end of 10 of freshman quarterback Josh Rosen’s 23 touchdown passes.

UCLA will enter next season with just one player who made at least a dozen catches in 2015: soon-to-be redshirt junior Darren Andrews, who recorded 42 catches for 429 yards and a score.

Duarte is the sixth UCLA underclassmen to enter the draft. Linebacker Myles Jack — who suffered a season-ending meniscus tear — and offensive guard Alex Redmond both left the team before the end of the season, while defensive tackle Kenny Clark, running back Paul Perkins and offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch declared shortly after the Bruins’ loss to Nebraska in the Foster Farms Bowl last month.

Only three players had left early after head coach Jim Mora’s first three seasons: offensive lineman Xavier Su’a Filo (No. 33 overall, 2014), quarterback Brett Hundley (fifth round, 2015), and defensive lineman Ellis McCarthy (undrafted).

UCLA QB Josh Rosen named FWAA Freshman All-American

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UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen (3) was named to the FWAA Freshman All-American, becoming the fourth Bruin to make the list in three years. (Keith Birmingham/Staff)

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen (3) was named a FWAA Freshman All-American, becoming the fourth Bruin to make the list in three years. (Keith Birmingham/Staff)

UCLA’s Josh Rosen was named a FWAA Freshman All-American today, an unsurprising development after one of the most impressive recent debuts in college football.

The five-star recruit more than lived up to expectations as the first true freshman to ever start a season opener behind center for the Bruins, breaking a slew of school records even as the team sputtered to a disappointing 8-5 record. While he certainly suffered growing pains — most notably against BYU and USC — he still set a program record by throwing 245 consecutive passes without an interception.

He finished the season with 3,669 passing yards and 23 touchdowns against 11 picks. No other major conference freshman was more prolific, though Middle Tennessee State’s Brent Stockstill and Boise State’s Brett Rypien had slightly better numbers.

Rosen is the fourth Bruin to make the FWAA Freshman All-America list in three years. Defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, linebacker Myles Jack, and offensive guard Alex Redmond were named in 2013. Vanderdoes is the only member of the trio that remains on the UCLA roster.

UCLA close to hiring Kennedy Polamalu as offensive coordinator

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UCLA running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu is close to being promoted to offensive coordinator. (Brad Graverson/Staff)

UCLA running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu is close to being promoted to offensive coordinator. (Brad Graverson/Staff)

UCLA appears close to promoting running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu to offensive coordinator, filling the vacancy left by Noel Mazzone earlier this week.

Polamalu’s name has been floated for the position ever since Mazzone took the same position at Texas A&M earlier this week. 247 Sports first reported this morning that Polamalu has accepted the offer.

The 52-year-old held the title of offensive coordinator at USC from 2010-12, but ceded playcalling duties to then-head coach Lane Kiffin. He has served as UCLA’s running backs coach for the past two seasons, but his responsibilities have expanded beyond the backfield, working with the offensive line when position coach Adrian Klemm was suspended for the first two games of the season.

The Bruins are also set to hire USC assistant Marques Tuiasosopo to replace former quarterbacks coach Taylor Mazzone, expected to follow his father to College State. Tuiasosopo was UCLA’s Y-receivers coach in 2012, but left to join Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Washington. He was the interim coach during the Huskies’ 31-16 win over BYU in the 2013 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl before following Sarkisian to USC.

UPDATE: Rip Scherer is also set to become UCLA’s tight ends coach, according to FOX Sports. The 63-year-old has served as a Bruin associate athletic director for the past two years, but has decades of coaching experience in both the NFL and college.