Preparing For The Inevitable

by Nestor on Oct 15, 2007 4:35 AM PDT in Football

It sounds like Bruce Davis has already forgotten how his team embarrassed itself and the entire university at the Rose Bowl during its last game. Dohn has Bruce talking about how the defense "dominated" Notre Dame:

"We’re good. We took a loss last week, but, hey, we dominated in our loss,’’ Davis said. "It’s unfortunate we lost the game the way we did. I have said that we didn’t get as many turnovers as we should have. When a freshman quarterback comes in the game, you’ve gotta get the football.’’

I guess Bruce doesn’t really care all that much about the total team effort and the final score. Otherwise he wouldn’t sound like an athlete in total denial.

Davis is not the only player in total denial in Dorrell’s joke of a program. From Dohn’s reports today that everyone is fired up about being "three and oh" in the Pac-10 (!):

"It wasn't that we didn't believe it," UCLA defensive end Bruce Davis said. "We were so disgusted with how we played, it made it tough. But we still believe it. It's still there. We made that happen. We're 3-0 in the Pac-10 right now. We did that. We feel capable of handling our business."

Uh hum. Sure Bruce. You guys really handled your business as a team against Utah and Notre Dame. More creampuff reporting from rest of the article:

UCLA welcomes No. 10 California to the Rose Bowl for homecoming Saturday. Instead of the Bears being the top-ranked team in the nation, they are smarting after Saturday's 31-28 loss to Oregon State.

Arizona State (7-0, 4-0 Pac-10) is the surprising front-runner, mostly because in the past two weeks the top teams in the conference have suffered unexpected, ugly home defeats against bottom-tier teams.

Cal's loss to Oregon State was simply stunning compared with the week before, when 41-point underdog Stanford shocked USC. And UCLA sees reason in both to further its belief it could win the Pac-10 title and grab a BCS berth.

The naysayers quickly trumpet Utah and Notre Dame as laughable reasons for UCLA's view on the matter. The Bruins only need to point to Oregon State and Stanford, both teams UCLA defeated handily on the road, as reason for optimism.

"We don't really care what anybody else thinks," UCLA tailback Kahlil Bell said. "Notre Dame had their day. The great thing about football is anything can happen any day. Stanford beat 'SC, at home, a (35)-game win streak, so anything is possible.

"I know a lot of people might not take us serious, but at the end of the year, when we find out where we stand, then we'll wind up what other people think of us."

Uh yeah Kahlil. None of us are taking your clown headcoach’s program seriously because what his program has done year in and year out for last four+ years.

The funny thing is though, I believe we are going to win this weekend’s game. I have seen four Cal games this year. And frankly I am not really all that impressed with the talent they have on their defense. Don’t get me wrong. I think Coach Tedford is a superb head coach, who is getting most out of his offense. They have better skill set players at WR, but I am not sure whether they have superior talents at RB positions or at OL. However, unlike Dorrell Tedford knows how to coach up his QBs, who in turn get the most they can out of their available offensive talent.

But UCLA because of its access to the Southern California recruiting base has enough talent on its roster to win this game despite lack of credible leadership from its head coach, which is known around here as "the Dorrell Factor".

13-9 showed last year that we do not need a head coach to win an emotional game at home. I believe our guys are going to be fired up enough that they will be able to pull out an ugly victory with a superb defensive effort and less than average offensive output (which pretty much takes place during most Dorrell "coached" games).

Again Cal is banged up. Even if Longshore is back he is not exactly the most mobile QB. He is kind of hurt. The games I have seen him play he looks like a QB who doesn’t have a good feeling on defensive pressure. Reminds you of someone? Yet, he get the best out of his abilities by taking advantage of the great play calling courtesy of the offensive mind of Jeff Tedford.

As for rest of the Cal team I don’t think the talent in their OL (which is athletic) is greater than our OL. I certainly believe our defense is more talented, experience and deeper unit than their defense. I like our special teams better. So all in all, I believe we are going to win this game despite of Karl Dorell, sending all Dorrell cultists and the clueless morons in LA’s MSM into a frenzy, reminiscent of all those Lavinistas and his MSM apologists high fiving each other following his meaningless, charade like wins against Stanford and in some other decent teams.

But then we will come crashing back to reality sometime down the line and most likely find out that our (head)coachless football team will not be able to sustain that emotional high on a game by game level for rest of the season. Just like what happened against Arizona in 05 and Florida State in 06.

It is inevitable in the world of Dorrellian football. Just might as well get your minds ready for it.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

Davis talking

I prefer hearing him sound like he's in denial about the team's prospects. Frankly, I'd rather hear them all sound like they are in denial. While we can all agree that from our outsider's perspective, especially given our early hopes for this team's success, any player commentary that fails to recognize the current reality of UCLA football-mediocre program, coached by (at best) a mediocrity-sounds like lunacy, it is still nice to see that the players haven't rhown the towel in on the season. For all of KD's faults (manifest), he appears to have kept the internal dissension to a minimum and gotten the players to focus on what can still be achieved.

The season almost certainly cannot end successfully-I see almost no chance we end up in a good bowl, let alone the Rose Bowl-but I am pleased to see that the team still hasn't given up. Unlike me.

by ucladj89 on Oct 15, 2007 7:30 AM PDT reply actions

Nestor - this post is dead on.

(1) Bruce Davis spouting confidence is just shocking. Sure we are 3-0 in the Pac-10, but we could just as easily by 2-1 or 1-2.

I agree with ucladj89 that it is nice to see that the players have confidence. I hope and expect them to go into every game as if they are going to win. However, I wish they would stop spewing confidence in the media. One thing I have yet to see in the UCLA football program is humility. Go ahead and have confidence privately. But given what fans of the program have experienced, I think the players owe us a little public humility thereby showing us that they understand what we are going through on Saturday afternoons.

(2) As crazy as it sounds, we could beat Cal on Saturday. Our team exhibits the most Lavin-esqe of all traits--the propensity to play to the level of the competition at all times. Particularly if Cowan can gut it out, I could see us winning.

(3) Finally, regardless of a putative victory on Saturday, is there any question that UCLA will fall flat down the road? No, no there is not. If anyone believes UCLA will beat Cal, ASU, Oregon, and USC this year--well, get over it now. There is simply NO evidence that the program is capable of such a feat. Sure miracles happen, but anytime you start predicting miracles you are, to say the least, betting against the OVERWHELMING ODDS.

Remember: Utah, ND, Wyomming, FSU, Arizona, REALITY.

by rfirpo on Oct 15, 2007 7:49 AM PDT reply actions

As Firpo and ucladj noted,

there is a time to talk and a time to keep one's mouth shut. Davis hasn't perceived that a team that gave up 44 to Utah and 20 to Notre Dame should not have anyone talking. Just shut up and talk after the game.

by Fox 71 on Oct 15, 2007 8:49 AM PDT reply actions

If Davis played tennis

and lost 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, he'd probably be talking smack about having had the better serve.

by bornagainbruin on Oct 15, 2007 8:50 AM PDT reply actions

Yeah, he'd be commenting that...

...he double faulted less, therefore actually won the match.

by Free the 16 on Oct 15, 2007 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions

We Can Win Out --

None of us thought that the expectations set forth before the season, for this "best Dorrell team" ever, were unreasonable.

Many thought we would go into the sc game, undefeated.

However, there was a large group that invoked Fox's "Dorrell Factor" -- which, IIRC states that CTS will lose 2 games that we should win.

We've lost both of those games -- for the very same reason
Fox predicted, a complete failure of the coaching staff.

However, unless Fox underestimated the power of the "Dorrell Factor", we are now free to win out.

It's possible if:

We change our O scheme to account for the strengths and weaknesses of our talent;
Our D plays dominant football with its bodies and not its mouths; and,

3 Our coaches step up and prove that Fox was right -- they they were only going to blow 2 games, not the entire season.

I want to win out.

I'll deal with the consequences if it happens.

I will still advocate getting rid of CTS -- and I think, no matter how many games we win, it is the right thing to do.

So, Saturday, though my stomach will turn, I'll be in front of my TV -- with my key ring that plays the Bruin fight song, chatting on the Game Day Thread, ready to celebrate a victory over Cal.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Oct 15, 2007 9:41 AM PDT reply actions

love the optimism but

do you guys watch the same UCLA football games that I do? How can you not conclude that we suck?

Cal totally choked on Saturday and I loved it but they are not a bad team. The beat Oregon in Eugene. Their offense is very good and should be able to put up points on us. Their defense is bad but our offense is worse (see 6 points vs. ND and Utah). They'll be bitter about choking and look to take it out on us.

I think it'll be 31-14 Cal. And I won't bummed because it will be one more nail in Dorrell's coffin.

It sucks to have no faith in your team but it's really no faith in Dorrell combined with a belief that he must be fired before we can improve.

by RealisticBruinFan on Oct 15, 2007 10:05 AM PDT reply actions

Also

CAl should probably have Nate Longshore back for the game!

by abby8065 on Oct 15, 2007 10:32 AM PDT reply actions

I must say

I am loving the anger around these parts. People have really turned the corner and just want change. Amen!

As for Cal, they're really good. And the game last weekend would have gone to OT except for their freshman QB making a BRUTAL error and letting the clock run out... But none of that matters. Cal will beat UCLA if for no other reasons than they will make adjustments on offense at half time, their defense can stop a run up the middle when they know it's coming and they'll finish the season above .500.

As for Bruce Davis... it keeps getting harder and harder not to hate UCLA Football..

by greatgymnasticschool on Oct 15, 2007 12:46 PM PDT reply actions

Will it be long before Trey Brown

picks up the mike and talks smack and disses Deshaun Jackson?

by SinnerBoy 99 on Oct 15, 2007 1:25 PM PDT reply actions

The Rubicon for me is when

they start looking like Kimberly Noah with the chest thumping. When that happens, they should all be benched permanently.

But I give Trey Brown extra slack because of his pedigree. Some of my fondest memories were of Theotis "Big Foot" Brown."

by Fox 71 on Oct 15, 2007 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions

UGH! DOMINATED NOTHING!

What is this bullshit about the Notre Dame game I keep hearing, "We DOMINATED them statistically!".

ARGH WHO THE FUCK CARES! THAT DOESN'T MATTER ONE BIT! STANFORD GOT DOMINATED BY USC IN THE STATS! BUT THEY DIDN'T GET DOMINATED IN THE ONE STAT THAT MATTERS!

It is driving me NUTS! Who the hell uses that argument... would any fan, coach, player ever take comfort in the "we dominated in the stats" argument? Or even worse, "they didn't win, we lost" argument? Especially a coach! If anything that proves just how bad the coaching is! Why has it become common knowledge, common ACCEPTABLE knowledge at that, in the span of what, 9 days?

by njbruin on Oct 15, 2007 3:57 PM PDT reply actions