More Of The Same

by Nestor on Oct 25, 2007 4:36 AM PDT in Football

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

UCLA coach Karl Dorrell had his assistant coaches step aside for a bit after Wednesday's practice, while he had a discussion with players in the post-practice huddle.

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."

Actually Shannon its not just practices. The whole programs hasn’t been up to our standards. Anyway, as Painter reports in another DN piece, the QB situation may be in flux again due to Cowan’s injury. Here is an update on Cowan:

It seems that it wouldn't be a customary week for UCLA without a quarterback controversy.

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."

Don’t get too worried. With or without Cowan, Bruins should be fine this Saturday considering the opponent they are taking on. Doba’s Washington State is either last or next to last in every major defensive category in the conference (more on that later this evening). But the point is with our without Cowan if UCLA gets any kind of competent coaching, it shouldn’t have a problem handing Washington State even with the Law Firm taking snaps up in ~~Siberia~~ Pullman.

Meanwhile, with QB situation in a little flux, this would be another week to get Osaar some action. Right? From the LA Times:

With Cowan limited to limping and watching, Bethel-Thompson ran the first-team offense and Forcier worked with the second unit.

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."

So why did Forcier get more reps? Is it because Forcier has a better arm? Is it because Forcier brings something to the team that Osaar doesn’t? Well let’s here it from Training Jay (from the same LAT article):

If Cowan is unavailable, or gets re-injured during the game, the Bruins will have to alter their play selection to a degree.

"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.

So once again let me get this straight. Training Jay seems to be implying Forcier and Rasshan can make a difference with their "speed." I have never heard anything from the coaches on how Forcier brings more to the table in terms of his passing ability. And it sounds like Norvell thinks they are at the same level. And then on top of that to reiterate a point we have made over and over OR has 2 more years of experience in this "system" than Forcier. So why isn’t OR getting more reps?

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

Not a good week for practice, which means that after we lose to WSU, Dorrell will point to this fact as the "reason" for the loss.

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.

by Barnes2JJ on Oct 25, 2007 6:19 AM PDT reply actions

Forcier v. Rashaan

This has been the clusterfuck issue of the last several months.

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.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Oct 25, 2007 7:50 AM PDT reply actions

there is no link, but i got SI yesterday

there is an article on Callahan, and how he is done in Nebraska at the end of the year. One of the reasons stated is that the west coast offense can't seem to generate more than two offensive touchdowns a game. Sound familiar?

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Oct 25, 2007 7:55 AM PDT reply actions

Hot Seat

Considering that for the most part (e.g. CNNSI's Stewart Mandel and that Coaches' Hot Seat blog...sorry, I don't have the links), Bill Doba is considered to be more on the hot seat than Dorrell, you would think that there should be no problem in beating WSU, if a coach is considered to be doing a worse job than Dorrell is.

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...

GO BRUINS. HOOK 'EM HORNS (well, except on Dec. 2).

by uclawarren on Oct 25, 2007 8:04 AM PDT reply actions

To bef air, I think ND was not LAST...

... in offense.

After all, they were all of 114th, IIRC.

"Because I'm tired of it. Year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of 'Who cares?'"

by Meriones on Oct 25, 2007 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions

My bad

Now it makes sense why we lost.

GO BRUINS. HOOK 'EM HORNS (well, except on Dec. 2).

by uclawarren on Oct 25, 2007 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions

Osaar

What is his deal? If he is as good as advertised he would not be sitting on the sidelines watching. This "coaching staff" knows that it is in big trouble, and would not hesitate for one minute to turn this guy loose (throw him under the bus)if he could bring them a win, or any hope for the future. Either way you look at it, from a recruiting/evaluation standpoint, a coaching standpoint, or looking right at osaar, the whole situation is completely hopeless. Osaar should just transfer and get it over with, that way we can give another coach's son a free ride.

by Peter Petersen on Oct 25, 2007 8:28 AM PDT reply actions

Two Issues

First your premise is that the coaching staff knows it is in big trouble. There is no evidence that KD beleives this team is in trouble. He explains away the loses to Utah and ND as aberations, not flaws.

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.

by Bruin77 on Oct 25, 2007 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Tthis goes to CTS even having offered OR a

scholarship. Why on earth waste a scholarship in a QB that doesnt fit your offense and then make sure he never gets to play?

By all means, with PC, a healing BO, OR and MBT, its too deep in the season to use CF and waste his season.

by bruinhawk on Oct 25, 2007 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I asked before, and I'll ask it again...

...What does CTS have against Osaar Rashaan?

After two weeks, the question is still hanging there.

"Because I'm tired of it. Year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of 'Who cares?'"

by Meriones on Oct 25, 2007 8:33 AM PDT reply actions

Also in today's paper

A very nice piece on Carter...

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_7273487

by Free the 16 on Oct 25, 2007 9:13 AM PDT reply actions

The sad part

at the end of that article:

"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.

GO BRUINS. HOOK 'EM HORNS (well, except on Dec. 2).

by uclawarren on Oct 25, 2007 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions

What was that again, Training Jay?

"[T]here are certain things guys do well," said Jay Norvell, offensive coordinator. "There are things you pattern for certain guys."

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.

by Fox 71 on Oct 25, 2007 11:15 AM PDT reply actions

Any chance

we could convince Nebraska to take Dorrell and Norvell? I think we need to start pimping them to the Huskers so that they're tempted...

GO BRUINS. HOOK 'EM HORNS (well, except on Dec. 2).

by uclawarren on Oct 25, 2007 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions

With Tom Osborne at the helm

you can be sure that neither of these clowns will be allowed to set foot in the state! In fact, I bet uttering the words "West Coast Offense" in Lincoln, Nebraska, has become a capital offense.

by tasser10 on Oct 25, 2007 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions

WCO = Wasted Chances and Opportunities

guaranteed, at the college level, to get you less than 50% return on scoring in the Red Zone.

by bruinhawk on Oct 25, 2007 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Letting KD and JN Off the Hook

By accepting the fact that the WCO cannot be successful in college football, you are implicitly saying that the problem we've had is based in the offense we were running.

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.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Oct 25, 2007 3:39 PM PDT reply actions