Positives from Saturday

by Odysseus on Dec 4, 2005 10:31 AM PST in Football

There aren't many. But here's a short list.

Any Blindo talking about "turning the corner", "moral victories", or telling you to "Remember the season fondly" will be laughed at and possibly sent to a mental assylum.
Anyone with excuses can be told, "look at the scoreboard. We got destroyed."

We were embarassed, exposed and exploited. We're 9-2 and both losses have been blowouts. We can do no better than the Sun Bowl, and frankly, that may be too good for us. We're just not that good.

The coaching staff was also embarassed, exposed and exploited.

Give Pete Carroll or Charlie Weiss two weeks and they'll come up with a great gameplan.

Give Karl Dorrell three weeks to prepare and you'll end up getting laughed out of town, out of any shot at a decent bowl game, and possibly out of the top 25 (in my mind we're not a top 25 team. I'm not looking forward to facing Northwesters, I think there's a good chance they drop half a hundred on us too).

All the while "Koach Karl" has the same clueless deer in the headlights expression.

So what's left? Some progress has been made, I guess, but the coaching staff still isn't ready for primetime or the big time. We're still a third-class team in the conference that has been blown out by its rival two out of three times and can't get it done in November.

Blindos can remember this season fondly if they want.

As I said before, you have to give the staff some credit for the 9 wins, but the two losses have made it clear that there was a lot of luck involved, as fun as that run may have been.

Bottom line, this year's record should be a minimum baseline for next year, and anything less should be seen as a failure.

One more loss to SC and they will have tied the mark we set in the 90s, one I thought would never be approached.

Another loss to USC is not acceptable. Another bowl loss is not acceptable. Another third place or .500 finish is not acceptable. Another November collapse is not acceptable.

I'm tired of being embarassed to wear my UCLA gear.

So, yeah, I'll say thanks. Thanks for nothing.

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Comments

Perfect take

Thanks O

by Nestor on Dec 4, 2005 10:36 AM PST reply actions

Take a cue from ND

"Give Pete Carroll or Charlie Weiss two weeks and they'll come up with a great gameplan.

UCLA should man up, take the inevitable PR hit and praise of KD from your rivals, and make the change before more time and recruiting years are wasted.

www.royalsreview.com

by RoyalsReview @ Bruins Nation on Dec 4, 2005 1:08 PM PST reply actions

Sun Bowl vs. Northwestern

This team needs to bounce back and beat Northwestern. If we do that we are 10-2, an ugly 10-2. If we win, it will be a good foundation for next year.

I'm getting a little tired of saying next year...

by 5214 on Dec 4, 2005 3:39 PM PST reply actions

Northwestern ...

I have seen them a bunch of times. I believe they dropped more than 50 on a Barry Alavarez defense. Can you imagine what they may do to ours, if we come out as unispired or demoralized like in our last 2 bowl appearances?

by Nestor on Dec 4, 2005 4:18 PM PST up reply actions

I'll say this

While our defense was horrendous, our offense this year was improved from last year. I'm not going to get into some big argument about my being a "blindo" or whatever, because I am not satisfied with our team, but I do think that some credit should be given to our offense's production. While we were lucky to win some of those games this year, we wouldn't have had the character or heart (or whatever you want to call it) to try to win those games when we were down last year. I think that is a reflection of our coach. There are plenty of other teams that have had wins based on luck, as well. This season, we may not have improved much from last year, but we have improved a little. I don't think we have improved to the point that a team should improve over a year, but I guess I could say that we are better than last year, and with proper recruiting and better defensive schemes, I think we could be a much better team. The only thing I was concerned about with Karl Dorrell's coaching yesterday was his unwillingness to go for it on 4th, and that is the kind of thing that scares the hell out of me. I'm not sure that it is the type of thing that is enough to cause him to be fired, but maybe he will get a good defensive coordinator and someone who can convince him to use his cojones.

GO BRUINS. HOOK 'EM HORNS.

by uclawarren on Dec 4, 2005 4:35 PM PST reply actions

Good Point

If Dorrell IS to survive, then he will have to have learned something from this game. If you're going up a team that is BETTER than yours, then you've gotta pull out all the stops. There shouldn't be anything left in the playbook. You have to take chances and hope they go your way. It's just the only way!

You can't do what he did yesterday which is play conservative and hope the other team makes mistakes. That's playing not to lose. And it damned near never works in college football.

Dorrell has next year to prove that he's learned how to play to win. I think a lot of criticism of the guy is unfair . . . but I also can't tolerate a coach who doesn't play to win. Play to win, or don't play.

by tliggett on Dec 4, 2005 5:21 PM PST up reply actions