[Updated] Joe Fauria: Vontaze Bufict is Nothing Special

by Nestor on Nov 3, 2011 2:22 PM PDT

"He's another guy," junior tight end Joseph Fauria said. "I played him in high school, I don't think he's anything special at all."

Fauria did go on to say, "I'm not going to knock him, he's a great player."

So, which is it?

The timing is interesting if nothing else. Burfict played arguably his best game of the season last Saturday in a win over Colorado, registering 9 total tackles. Burfict was also in on three of four tackles during a third quarter goal line stand.

Oy. It makes me cringe to read these kinds of comments from our players. I like Fauria a lot. By all accounts he sounds like a great kid who represent UCLA well. He is a baller, who has been under utilized all season and yet through it all he has kept his spirits up. He is also bit of a class clown and one can sense he is well liked by his team-mates. Sometimes he makes silly comments on Twitter and even though he may not have bad intentions, one of these days they could come back and bite our entire team.

One can bet that ASU will be pinning those comments on the bulletin board. We saw how ASU responded when Matt Barkley talked trash. It will be interesting to see the reaction this Saturday. Either way not a smart move from someone who has been one of the key players for our offense this entire season.

I don't really care one way or another whether the Bruins win this Saturday. The results this Saturday is not going to do anything to wipe away the ugly taste of a season, which has already been a severe underachievement according to our eye test. Yet it is interesting to see how our team is operating going into this game. There were reports yesterday of the team having a lackadaisical practice and now this. Kind of telling.

The comments are not indicative of a smart and well disciplined football team which is getting ready for a "big game" with "conference division championship" on the line. It also makes me wonder about the leadership of this program. Not surprisingly that's also a category that has consistently underperformed all season.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE (N): Joe is not backing down:

Yikes. Good luck Joe.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Comments

Nice going Joe

Jeepers creepers. Well, I hope that earns Vontaze some bad personal fouls and he gets ejected.

The thing is, I don’t disagree too much with Fauria…but come on man, keep that stuff to yourself!

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Nov 3, 2011 2:32 PM PDT reply actions

Meh

I don’t think he said anything crazy. He said that Vontaze isn’t some phenom LB or anything which is accurate. Vontaze Burflict is a good athlete with a high motor who plays hard and often gets dirty.

He doesn’t deserve any respect from UCLA after the way he treated Kevin Prince last year. I hope he’s a marked man in the UCLA locker room.

I also like the fact that Joe ain’t backing down from his words and wants to prove it on the field. Now if only the rest of the team feels the same way we should be talking about a great Bruin victory on Saturday night.

by King J77 on Nov 3, 2011 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions

He didnt say anything crazy

But he should have kept it to himself. We are not program that can talk trash. This is par for the course that goes crazy after stopping opponents on second downs as if they won a BCS game or something. It’s kind of tacky to say the least.

by Nestor on Nov 3, 2011 3:13 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Good Point

We haven’t really earned the right to talk smack to anybody. I still want my team to have the attitude he has, just not publicly like you said.

by King J77 on Nov 3, 2011 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Right

I have no problem with Joe’s attitude here. I love it. But why show them your cards? There is also the issue that our coaches may forget Joe is one our team. Ugh.

by Nestor on Nov 3, 2011 3:50 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

They'd have to know he's on the team before they can forget

:-)

by impaulv on Nov 3, 2011 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Also

The shot against Prince didn’t come last season. It came the year before. Last year Prince was out when the Bruins got slaughtered in Tempe.

by Nestor on Nov 3, 2011 3:18 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

I knew a guy who played in the NFL in the 40s and early 50s

There were lots of dirty players back then, because there was no TV and no film going to the commissioner, etc. (His favorite story was a college basketball game he played against Curt Gowdy at Wyoming. He was proud of giving Gowdy a hip check that sent him quite a few rows up into the stands.)

Anyway, there was a play that was designed to stop excessively dirty hits, and that was the “bootsie play.” On the bootsie play, the QB would get the ball and sprint for the sidelines, and the other ten guys would go after the guy who was excessively dirty and beat the crap out of him. Sometimes there would be a penalty, but sometime there wouldn’t be, if the refs thought the guy needed it. And this was the NFL.

So maybe brother Burfict needs the bootsie play.

by Fox 71 on Nov 3, 2011 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Whoops

That’s right, Brehaut played last year and put up some good numbers. we would have won if our D had been able to stop Osweiler.

by King J77 on Nov 3, 2011 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Even if it's true (which it's not)

it still shouldn’t be said. Let your play do your talking for you…

by DoubleTroubleBruin on Nov 3, 2011 3:22 PM PDT reply actions

Pretty much what I was going to say.

Let your play do the talking for you.

Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. ~ Vince Lombardi

by MexiBruin on Nov 3, 2011 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions

All I can say is watch out Joe

Burfict has been labeled as a “dirty player” but he hasn’t had any issues this year. The guy plays non stop and with incredible intensity and he can hit with the best of them. Apparently some of you don’t think all that highly of Burfict but his numbers don’t do him justice. His presence alone makes him so valuable to a defense because he always has to be accounted for, and the way he takes on blockers and double teams is just ridiculous. I’m sure some of you have seen when he times the snap count like Polomalu and it is scary as all hell for that offense

by blueandgold100 on Nov 3, 2011 5:34 PM PDT reply actions

Hmm

I think many of us do think highly of Burfict as a player. He is certainly a talent. However, at the same time our players should go by the mantra fear no one, respect everyone. I think Joe is good on first part. It’s the second one that becomes a bit problematic at least perception when making comments like this in public.

by Nestor on Nov 3, 2011 6:35 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with fearing no one

But I think it’s an attitude that you have, not words spoken. However I think we all know Joe loves to talk a wholeee lot. A few said they agree with Joe in that he is nothing special, so I apologize for grouping some who didn’t voice that opinion as well.

by blueandgold100 on Nov 3, 2011 9:03 PM PDT up reply actions

I said he's nothing special

By that I mean that he isn’t a world beater. He is a great LB with good physical abilities and a high motor. He ain’t special, IMO. Special to me is, Lawrence Taylor. The only thing they might have in common is off the field character.

by King J77 on Nov 4, 2011 7:27 AM PDT up reply actions

Saying he's nothing special

Gives off the connotation that you don’t think he is a great LB to me. IMO he is certainly special in that he is the most feared player on the defensive side in all of college football. To me that certainly gives him the “special” label. But having your standard of special being LT is incredibly high. It also means Ray Lewis has been the only special LB in college football since Lawrence Taylor.

by blueandgold100 on Nov 4, 2011 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions

That's is the definition of special

Lebron and Kobe were special high school players. Andrew Luck is a special college player. You start giving everybody the special tag and it loses its meaning a bit. Some guys are really good just not special or phenomenal.

Also, Not sure he’s the most feared. If he is it’s probably due to the him poking your eyes and punching you at the bottom of a pile more than his defensive abilities.

I’m not so sure he’s even going to be the first LB taken in the draft. There’s Te’o, Dont’a Hightower, Luke Kuechly & Zach Brown. All of these guys could be taken ahead of Burflict.

But again, that is my opinion. I see where you’re coming from and it comes down to how you look at the meaning of a “special player”.

Obviously, Joe thinks Burflict is a JAG…now he has to out on the field and prove it.

by King J77 on Nov 4, 2011 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Vontaze does things on the field nobody else can do

I haven’t seen anybody time up the snap count like him in college. I’ve seen Polamalu do it for the Steelers but even he couldn’t do it at SC. His pick on Barkley earlier this year was absolutely special where he had no place being infront of the bubble screen, but just was because he has those type of instincts.

And take it easy on the dirty comments seriously, he’s done everything to disprove that this year and to bring up what he did as a freshman is demeaning to his attitude transformation. He’s got less personal fouls then Dietrich Riley and RIley doesn’t even start.

Burfict is a clear notch ahead of the pack just due to his physical attributes and I think that is the consensus of most teams and draft projections. I love Kuechly and he is so productive but not ahead of Burfict due to physical limitations. Te’o took a major hit in his stock against SC, and Hightower isn’t even the best LB on his team (Courtney Upshaw)

I think we just define special differently which I respectfully disagree with, but I absolutely see your point of view. Burfict is the only LB I have seen in a while to display the potential to be special though. I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one but after all is said and done,
GO BRUINS!

by blueandgold100 on Nov 4, 2011 6:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Vontaze is arguably the best MLB in college today

and a top 10 pick. He is pretty specie. BUT, if there is a weakness in his game it is coverage. The Pistol should be the ideal offense to exploit an over pursuing MLB with slight weakness in coverage, and Fauria should be the beneficiary of any holes over the middle, but I have little faith in Rick to execute. Again, if Arizona State feels that our wideouts don’t deserve any more respect than constant single coverage, it is all moot and Burfict will eat up space.

It will be really interesting to see how Rick deals with Burfict, I certainly hope he has a plan for keeping Prince alive. Different team, same story: we have the talent and system to match up well with Arizona State, but will it happen?

by JimmyBurke on Nov 5, 2011 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Hard to Let Your Play Talk for You

when your coaches don’t let you play.

And, that may be why he shoots his mouth off.

Throw him the ball 6 times a game and I’ll bet his play speaks volumes.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Nov 3, 2011 7:23 PM PDT reply actions

For some reason

I think Joe will back it up this week. I’ve been watching in games and his blocking is much improved over last year. He seems to be pretty aggressive out there this year.

by captainqtp on Nov 3, 2011 7:25 PM PDT up reply actions

I thought the same.

He can’t back up his words from the bench.

Roses are red, violets are blue...f*** $C.

by KSBruin on Nov 3, 2011 8:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Fauria played close to 80% of the offensive snaps last game

I agree that his blocking has gotten much better over the last year and I definitely give him credit for that. But he also seems to not know the play and is running routes when he should be blocking (happened twice against Cal) and has been chewed out my Neuheisel and position coaches a lot.
People give Neu a lot of flack because we dont throw him the ball but that’s because he is doubled by a LB and safety over the top which opens up the deep ball for Rosario and other receivers a lot

by blueandgold100 on Nov 3, 2011 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions

+1

We need the other wideouts to step it up. He gets most of the attention.

by Bruin'96 on Nov 3, 2011 10:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Perspective

“The results this Saturday is not going to do anything to wipe away the ugly taste of a season, which has already been a severe underachievement according to our eye test. "

I could not agree more. The body of work speaks for itself.

I do care if we win, I can’t help it but I always do. But, I’ve moved the the point where the stomach test is no longer relevant for me — not matter what, my stomach stays calm; I am at peace because I cannot conceive of RN surviving this year — not matter how we finish.

There is no way to overcome the fact that in his entire tenure here, we only played a few complete games.

I know there are people with convenient memories and willing to revise history — but even Chairman Mao could not re-write RN’s history here in a way that would merit retention.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Nov 3, 2011 7:31 PM PDT reply actions

I can't remember a single game that was 'complete' during Neuheisel's tenure.

Not one. Not off the top of my head.

Even big wins like last year against Texas were one dimensional.

by MexiBruin on Nov 3, 2011 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Last week was pretty complete I thought

we had good effort, focus, and play from both sides of the ball.

by captainqtp on Nov 4, 2011 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions

I listed a few a while back

The game at Tennessee was a pretty complete one. Then there was a game where Kevin Prince threw for almost 400 yards against Washington State. Maybe another one in 2009…the Oregon State game comes to mind.

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Nov 4, 2011 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions

It was Washington State

The game against Oregon State wasn’t complete because Prince struggled in first half. He played well against Washington in the following game but got knocked out by a cheap shot from Donald Butler in Q2. He had a great game against Wazzu but that year they were worse than a DII program.

by Nestor on Nov 4, 2011 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions

I can remember a few 'complete' games, but there have not nearly been enough

The game at Tennessee was a complete game, the game At Texas last year was absolutely a complete game.
I would say our come back win against Stanford in Rick’s first year was a complete game, our win against ASU in the Rose Bowl in 09, as well as our win against Houston last year.

As I write this I find myself picking out only 5 games and it makes me want to crawl into a hole because we have been that bad

by blueandgold100 on Nov 4, 2011 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Kevin Craft

It’s still pretty amazing that he had those two crazy comebacks that year…but yeah, it’s slim pickings.

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Nov 4, 2011 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Joe better show up

And be ready for a fight. I prefer focusing on the defense but now I will be watching how Joe plays. Joe we are a running team you will need to block a very good defense. If we pass the ball please do not throw Joe a high ball over the middle. I like that he is fired up and is taking the team on his shoulders. I will be there to cheer you on. Go Bruins!

by BornBruin on Nov 3, 2011 10:14 PM PDT reply actions