UCLA: The 59-0 Perspective

Wednesday morning at work…
USC Co-worker: Hey! I was looking for you on Monday! Do you have anything you want to say?
Me: Not really, I have zero to say about this weekend, if that’s what you’re referring to.
USC: Zero, like UCLA?
…end of conversation.

Four days have passed since the Mormons punished UCLA football in Provo, Utah and the sting is still reverberating through my body. My belief in the “mantra of relentless optimism” was overtaken by the destructive nature of reality. As I sat at my desk, I reached up to pull down my Rick Neuheisel poster but decided against it; I still had faith.

I understand that the score was 59-0. I know that the difference in all of Pete Carroll’s losses at USC accumulate to only 59 points. And I am very aware that UCLA ranks last in rushing. But from my relentlessly optimistic perspective, UCLA’s own foolish mistakes were 75% of the reason for the humiliating victory. UCLA fumbled the ball over three times, threw an interception, failed to convert two 4th downs, and had a field goal attempt blocked. Rick Neuheisel explains the aftermath,

“We were down 14-0, moving down the field, then Kevin gets hit in the back, the ball comes out and now it’s 21-0. We get a 9-yard gain on first down, and coming around the corner, Ray Carter fumbles and now it’s 28-0… They kick off, we fumble the ball and now it’s 35-0. We drive down and have a field goal blocked, they run it back into their short field and it’s 42-0. It’s not rocket science, you just have to play good football or things like that can happen to you.”

However intriguing this game was, we now defer attention away from the negative. UCLA is not as bad a team as one would imagine, they actually might be third or fourth in the Pac-10. In the past week’s games, Pac-10 teams demonstrated how weak they really were. Oregon, the only ranked team outside USC, barely managed to escape with a 2OT victory over Purdue (who’s kicker missed a game-winning FG at the end of regulation). Arizona State lost to UNLV, Arizona lost to New Mexico, and Cal lost to Maryland. In case you have not noticed, these Pac-10 teams lost to poor football programs in games they should have won. UCLA played a far superior opponent in enemy territory.

The Bruin rushing attack led by Chane Moline resulted in an abysmal 9 yards on 16 rushes, but UCLA is already at practice trying to improve the ground game. Derrick Coleman, a true freshman out of Fullerton, is expected to step into the starting running back role after 50+ touchdowns in his last two prep years. If Coleman proves to be a better runner than Moline and Carter, the implications are exponentially positive for the Bruins. Not only will a lot of pressure be released from Kevin Craft and the one-dimensional offense, the defense will finally be able to rest during games as the rushing game chews time off the clock.

At the end of week 2, there is not much to be happy or proud about. Reality gave the blue and gold a swift kick in the ass, but it also tells us that no matter how badly you lose, it is still only one loss. UCLA has played two top-tier teams and is 1-1 on the season (not bad). And after realizing how weak the Pac-10 teams are, I feel Neuheisel’s “mantra of relentless optimism” making a comeback.

Read/Discuss >>

Football Monopoly Over?

Call Rick Neuheisel a fool for his newspaper ad in the Los Angeles Times, but it is hard to argue with his results. In arguably the biggest upset in college football’s first week, Neuheisel led the depleted UCLA Bruins past the 18th ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

In the 27-24 overtime victory, UCLA’s on-field play showed the nation exactly what the Bruins were capable of doing.

Kevin Craft, California junior college quarterback of the year, displayed the poise and talent to lead a D-1 team to victory. UCLA’s defense played solidly as they kept Tennessee’s touted quarterback, Jonathan Crompton, to an abysmal 19-41 passing (46.3%). And UCLA’s special teams shined as they blocked a punt for a touchdown, averaged 46.8 yards per punt, and hit every kick between the uprights (3XP, 2 FG).

But then again, does UCLA deserve to be ranked 23rd in the nation after a performance that reeked of mediocrity (at best)?

Kevin Craft played like the third-string quarterback that he was, throwing for 4 interceptions (in the first half; HALF!!). If UCLA was playing a legitimate opposing team with a competent offense, the game would have been over at half time; but the lead was only seven and Tennessee is no longer ranked.

UCLA ran the ball 31 times and managed to gain a whopping 29 yards. 0.9 yards a carry. After focusing so heavily on the run last season, you would imagine that the Bruins would have retained some of that ability. Even more surprising is that this came underneath the play calling of Norm Chow, that USC offensive coordinator that called plays for Reggie Bush and LenDale White. And if you cannot run the ball, you cannot control the clock, you put more pressure on third-string Kevin Craft, and then all hell breaks loose. Unless by some outside chance, Kevin Craft is as legendary as his fourth quarter drives.

On the other side of the ball, UCLA’s defense was effective except when it mattered. After only allowing 7 points through the first three quarters (7 were from a defensive touchdown), UCLA allowed the Vols to score twice in the final 6 minutes.

Despite the long-list of weaknesses that were exposed, UCLA deserves to be ranked in the top 25. Coach Neuheisel and his “mantra of relentless optimism” have inspired his athletes to exceed their low expectations and perform at championship levels. UCLA may not have the star power often associated with championship teams, but with a top-notch coaching staff led by Norm Chow and DeWayne Walker, UCLA can more than make-up for their short comings and potentially setup camp in the top 25.

The mantra might be spreading throughout the blue and gold nation (including myself), but UCLA still faces one of the toughest schedules in college football. The Bruins must face (18) Oregon, (15) Arizona St., and a rising Cal team on the road, while also playing (1) USC in what can be considered a mutual home game. UCLA will also be forced to take on (21) Fresno St. and at (15) BYU.

So as much as I want to put my heart into Neuheisel’s mantra of relentless optimism and say that the Los Angeles football monopoly is officially over, I will reserve judgment until this week’s BYU game. The Mormons from Utah have managed to screw over Ben Olson’s talent and potential, their team might do the same to UCLA football.

So until Saturday my Bruin friends! Go Kevin Craft!
{fade into 8-clap}

Read/Discuss >>