More Of The Same
So the team is in the "hunt" for the Rose Bowl. Everyone is feeling good after a win over Cal. And the players are wearing pretty bracelets reminding them how they need to "finish" and win the Pac-10. So one would think the football team is having some intense practices out at Spaulding Field (while their basketball counterparts are killing each other inside Pauley). One would think. Except for the fact that this is a football team led by a Doofus and they have to constantly remind them of being focused. From Jill Painter in the Daily News
Players said they agreed with the message he sent.
"He wanted to keep our focus more, moreso than anything," senior cornerback Rodney Van said. "He felt our focus lacked a little bit. As a senior group, we all noticed it, and we addressed it. We need to practice like we did for Cal."
The Bruins (5-2) could collectively hang their heads for many reasons. Quarterback Patrick Cowan didn't practice Wednesday - although Dorrell said he'd practice today - and UCLA is taking just five healthy defensive tackles to Washington State.
But UCLA is tied for first in the Pacific-10 Conference at 4-0, and players want to keep that undefeated conference mark in tact. That starts in practice.
"Practice was not up to our standards," senior guard Shannon Tevaga said. "Focus was the main thing we talked about."
Patrick Cowan didn't practice Wednesday - he didn't even participate in drills with the other quarterbacks - raising obvious questions about the health of his right knee. What was even more telling was that true freshman Chris Forcier practiced with the second team, a day after quarterbacking the scout team, and Cowan spent a considerable amount of time tutoring Forcier on the side.
Karl Dorrell said Cowan will play against Washington State on Saturday, and that he'll return to practice today.
"We're trying to get some other quarterbacks ready to play, just in case," Dorrell said. "Pat, I did not want to practice him today to get him more rest time. He could have practiced, but I chose not to have that happen just to get him more rest. He did a lot of reps (Tuesday) and we pulled him back at the end of practice. (The knee) started getting a little bit tight on him."
Meanwhile, with QB situation in a little flux, this would be another week to get Osaar some action. Right? From the LA Times:
Osaar Rasshan, who moved back to quarterback after switching to wide receiver during the summer, watched. Rasshan, who came to UCLA as a quarterback, is No. 3 on the depth chart for now.
"We're preparing Osaar to play," Dorrell said. "He still needs work, just like all those guys. We wanted Forcier to get more reps today. We'll evaluate the situation."
"Not entirely, but there are certain things guys do well," said Jay Norvell, offensive coordinator. "There are things you pattern for certain guys."
Forcier and Rasshan have good speed, which can make them effective as runners.
It’s BS like this that makes it so difficult to root hard for this program led by a clueless Doofus. Everyday we get subjected to more of the same nonsense out of Spaulding.
GO BRUINS.
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Practice
But then again, we've got the pretty rubber bracelets so that everyone remembers to "finish" whatever they are supposed to be finishing. So, that means we win Saturday.
Will the next HC for UCLA please build a bonfire for the pretty rubber bracelets? Championship teams don't need them.
Forcier v. Rashaan
We should not burn Forcier's red shirt year.
And, we certainly should not do it without good reason.
I have never heard more doublespeak and nonsense from this coaching staff -- and I've heard a lot since CTS got here.
OR is more familiar with the offense -- has taken more snaps on it in practice.
OR is a gifted, talented athelete. He's tough and strong. (Word is that CF is still a bit small and not quite tough enough to take the hits our O line allows.)
OR is FAST and can run from trouble.
OR can throw the ball -- I've looked at the "recruiting tapes" on the net.
I am not denigrating CF in any way. He may be all of the above. But, I have yet to hear the coaches give one reasonable explanation as to why CF is second on the chart. All the things they say they have to do, like use MOBILITY (DUH -- with this O line's pass protection, mobility is critical) and FAMILIARITY with the offense -- OR seems to be the logical choice.
And, with either, we will probably be running against WSU. Are we really going to use a long passing game (by rumor, this may be where they think OR is weak -- but who knows with these CTS's)? We didn't use one with BO when we had him -- why would things be different now?
Please, save CF's future for next year's coach -- a coach who will showcase what he has to bring without risking his safety.
there is no link, but i got SI yesterday
by silverlakebruin on Oct 25, 2007 7:55 AM PDT reply actions
Hot Seat
Of course, you would also think that a team ranked last in the country in total offense wouldn't be able to beat UCLA as well...
To bef air, I think ND was not LAST...
After all, they were all of 114th, IIRC.
M
My bad
Osaar
by Peter Petersen on Oct 25, 2007 8:28 AM PDT reply actions
Two Issues
Second, even if your premise is correct, this coaching staff is too stuborn to make changes. Osaar could be the second coming of Troy Aikman, but if he doesn't fit the mold of a WCO quarterback, they won't utilize him.
Tthis goes to CTS even having offered OR a
By all means, with PC, a healing BO, OR and MBT, its too deep in the season to use CF and waste his season.
I asked before, and I'll ask it again...
After two weeks, the question is still hanging there.
M
Also in today's paper
The sad part
"But when asked about his career goal if football doesn't work out, Carter is half-joking with his answer.
'I'm still working on that,' he said. 'They say you gotta have a backup plan, but I figure that kind of thinking is negative.'"
That's right. Why bother having a backup plan? It sure worked well for Dorrell in the ND game.
What was that again, Training Jay?
Training Jay obviously things we're all just plain stupid. TJ, you have done NOTHING to pattern certain things for certain guys. How many long passes got called for Olson, who is very good at the long pass? How many roll-outs for anyone, but especially for Cowan? What sort of plays were set up for our mobile, athletic QB, Osaar? Oh, yeah. Never mind. He's not allowed to play.
Training Jay, the day you pattern anything for anyone one is the day the West Coast Offense improves. The team got 31 points last week. 7 came from the defense, and 7 more came on a huge athletic play that happens once every three or four games. The WCO basically produced one TD and 3 field goals. Nice job of coordinating, you dope.
I'm sick of Training Jay, the number one syncophant to CTS. Let them both go back to the soon-to-be-open job at New Braska.
Any chance
With Tom Osborne at the helm
WCO = Wasted Chances and Opportunities
Letting KD and JN Off the Hook
We did not run any semblance of a WCO. RRP is not the WCO. Getting so far behind on 3rd down is not the WCO. Setting up and relying on FG's in the Red Zone is not the WCO.
We have never given the WCO a fair chance.
Let's put the blame where it belongs. CTS (Fox has trained me never to put "coach" and KD in the same sentence) and his OC's -- including training J who was supposed to be a WCO expert, have never implemented the WCO.
It is the coaches, not the system, that are at fault.
I'm not saying I want to run a WCO, and there are cogent posts here that have convinced me that one should not try it in college, but I don't want to focus the blame on the system rather than the people who chose to try it and failed in doing so.
If we continue to focus on the WCO, we leave the door open for KD to say "I'm going to get more involved in the offense and I'm going to make changes. Give me a year and we'll run the spread. It wasn't my fault, it was the WCO's". And, some dumb shits will argue to give him the year.
The coaches are responsible for the choices they made and their failure to implement them. Case closed.
If Bethel-Thompson starts
Is that "Run 'N Shoot"...
MIM

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