If the coaches don't watch it and get this team together this week we may be looking at a total implosion within the Bruin football program. Yesterday A pointed out how DeWayne Walker shamelessly hung the disgraceful Washington loss on the shoulders of Rodney Van, who (unlike his coaches) was making an aggressive effort to win the game. Well Walker tried to backtrack from those shameful remarks, but it could be a little late for that. The boys over at Dump Dorrell notes this is not the first time Dorrell's coaching staff have thrown our players under the bus:
We have to mention the now continuing disgraceful and dishonorable trend of UCLA coaches blaming individual players for losses, or as in the case of Rice, poor play. After the disappointing Rice game, KD called out BO several times on a radio interview for being responsible for UCLA not scoring in the red zone and being confused by the blitzes Rice coaches threw at him. OC Jim Svoboda called out BO as well (we do not have the link). Later, KD admitted that he never practiced BO against the blitz - odd for the obvious reason that opposing coaches are expected to test a "rookie" QB by blitzing him.
Now add erstwhile respected DC DeWayne Walker to the list of UCLA coaches singling out individual players as scapegoats. He called out Rodney Van for the missed tackle late in the first half when Washington had 3rd and long deep in their territory as being the reason for the loss (Ajax at Bruinsnation has a good read on this). That is just unacceptable. This type of blame game is not worthy of UCLA. Take responsibility for the loss coach!! What kind of culture are they breeding there? We have always respected KD for his class, but now we are losing that respect. KD has to stop this. Coaching lost this game, the evidence is clear.
Coaches blaming the players in public for a loss is of course disgusting. It doesn't motivate players to work harder. If anything these kinds of blame game may only demoralize the players even more. And it looks some players may already be losing confidence in their coaches. Check this out from WR senior Junior Taylor, who has worked so hard to make his way back after a devastating injury last year (emphasis mine):
Now add erstwhile respected DC DeWayne Walker to the list of UCLA coaches singling out individual players as scapegoats. He called out Rodney Van for the missed tackle late in the first half when Washington had 3rd and long deep in their territory as being the reason for the loss (Ajax at Bruinsnation has a good read on this). That is just unacceptable. This type of blame game is not worthy of UCLA. Take responsibility for the loss coach!! What kind of culture are they breeding there? We have always respected KD for his class, but now we are losing that respect. KD has to stop this. Coaching lost this game, the evidence is clear.
"We just run the plays they (the coaches) want to do," wide receiver Junior Taylor said, clearly irritated over the play-calling.
"I want the ball, the receivers want the ball. In order to make plays, we have to have the ball. You have the receivers; you have to go to them to make plays."
Folks this is not good. We have coaches openly blaming players for a loss. Senior leaders calling out coaches horrible and woeful play calling. This is not a healthy football program. And while the team may be imploding in front of our own eyes, Dorrell still remains aloof (and clueless):
"I want the ball, the receivers want the ball. In order to make plays, we have to have the ball. You have the receivers; you have to go to them to make plays."
"We're trying to call as good of plays as we can," UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said. "It always looks bad when things don't work. That's easy for us to see.
"But that's one of those things that we have to continue to develop (within) our offensive staff, and our players. We're still working through growing as a football unit on that side of the ball, and we're doing the same thing defensively."
So this team is "growing"? After four freaking years of mediocre football Dorrell's football team is still growing. Let's see how the coaching staff has grown in last two weeks. Recall after the Rice game Dohn gave the coaching staff a much deserved C-. And check out the grade for Saturday's debacle:
"But that's one of those things that we have to continue to develop (within) our offensive staff, and our players. We're still working through growing as a football unit on that side of the ball, and we're doing the same thing defensively."
Coaching
Walker again had a strong game plan, and if not for a few missed tackles the Bruins could have still won. However, the conservative play calling -- a run on third-and-goal from the 10 late in the third quarter is one of many examples - is impossible to overlook.
Grade: D
From "C-" to a "D." That is "growing" in Dorrell's vast dictionary.Walker again had a strong game plan, and if not for a few missed tackles the Bruins could have still won. However, the conservative play calling -- a run on third-and-goal from the 10 late in the third quarter is one of many examples - is impossible to overlook.
Grade: D
Anyways all is not lost (yet). Luckily we get D-1AA Stanford this Saturday. Bruins need to demolish Stanford if they want to have any hope of stemming the spiraling downward momentum since the Rice game (one can argue since Dorrell's hire). A win over Stanford will not do much to wash away Saturday's disappointment in Seattle. But it will keep some sense of hope afloat that the team will not implode before the midpoint of this season. Otherwise if our team takes one more loss before the next Oregon trip, well God help the Bruins Nation.
GO BRUINS.
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