What *really* won UCLA the game? Kevin Prince. Seriously
by carlosatthetoe on Nov 6, 2011 12:01 AM PDT
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PrintHey guys. In case you didn't know, UCLA upset Arizona State University 29-28. And, in case you didn't know, it was one of the wildest, most frustratingly exciting wins you'll ever see UCLA play in.
(At least, that's what it felt like at the Rose Bowl; I was ticked half of the second half.)
The first thing people will jump to, and it's the first thing the Daily Bruin here at UCLA decided to jump to, is the UCLA defense which so valiantly stopped the ASU offense, right?
Wrong. While the UCLA defense wound up doing its job, it was bend-don't-break as hell. Brock Osweiler torched us on the underneath throws and medium-distance tosses. Those normally came on third down and normally ripped the defense's heart out. And consider that the defense gave up a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter when we led 23-21. They got their hands on a pair of field goals (one of which was one that would've won ASU the game), so let's give them a "B" and be done with them for now.
No, if you had to point to someone who won that nail-biter, it was Kevin Prince, the dude I helped boo when Richard Brehaut went down with an injury (yep, guilty).
Maybe it's because Rick Neuheisel's losing his job, or maybe it's because the coaching staff realized what we all couldn't, but Kevin Prince was let loose.
Last week against Cal Berkeley, Prince was allowed to run freely and ran for nearly twice as much as he threw. The Golden Bears never stopped him, and that allowed for the option to work impeccably well.
This week? ASU planned for Prince to run. The result? Price didn't run nearly as well. An even more elaborate result? Prince didn't run as well and called ASU out on their lack of belief that Prince can throw.
Kevin Prince didn't throw all too often -- he only let it fly 17 times and a good handful were underneath or dump-off throws. However, the dude aired it out on numerous occasions and it payed off big. (Hey there, 3rd-and-32.)
And ASU never adjusted. The Bruins' offense was damn near unstoppable when it got on a roll and that's thanks to (dare I say it) Neuheisel's fine utilization of Derrick Coleman and Prince's arm. (Still, let's fire Neuheisel, yeah?)
So, Kevin Prince? I'm sorry. I felt bad that I boo'd a fellow Bruin in the first place, but now I feel stupid to go along with it.
Go Bruins.
Carlos Sandoval is a junior at UCLA and blogs for BallHyped blogs, where all his dreams come true. He also puts silly footers at the bottom of all his posts reminding everyone he goes to the greatest school on earth. Follow him on Twitter: @ThePigeonToeNFL
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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LOL Prince was the man tonight
agree that he made some great decisions tonight. he definitely took some hits too and got bak up (phew). let’s hope he can stay healthy the next two games so we can look forward to an incredible city championship! Let’s OWN exposition park this year and make UCLA the major team here instead of the figueroa tech tROGANS….
and did you see randall carroll blitzing? and the last coleman touchdown? and 3rd and 29? these clutch plays tonight help to define the character of this team!
Prince was really really good
And when I say good, I mean that he was solid.
Prince isn’t going to rack up 300+ yards like Luck or Barkley or Foles. So for Prince to be good means that he is making good reads in the run game, keeping the run D off balance by running himself and opening up the game for Coleman and Franklin, avoiding too many big hits when he keeps the ball, and making smart throws without trying to do too much, not turning the ball over, and moving the chains. And he did those things very very well last night. I’m really happy for him (and all the kids) that they got that win.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Prince has been better
…but by saying “maybe it’s because the coaching staff realized what we all couldn’t, but Kevin Prince was let loose” reinforces that RN has seriously underutilized the talent we all recognize we have on this team.
The fact that RN let Prince throw 3 interceptions in the Texas game before putting in Brehaut told me everything I need to know about him as a coach. The fact that Tressey still gives WR too much of a cushion tells me everything I need to know about him as a coach.
The players talent and dedication were never in question; the coaching and Donut Dan were…and still are.
I know you're angry
Mainly at RN, but it’s not fair — or accurate — to say he didn’t coach a complete game. He did. He saw that ASU didn’t trust Prince’s arm and it was he (not Prince) who called those passing plays.
He has underutilized them all season but he’s seem to have figured out, at least these past two games. We can agree, though, that KP is legitimate.
Our NFL blog/podcast isn't porn, but it might as well be: http://blog.thepigeontoe.com/
by carlosatthetoe on Nov 6, 2011 2:48 PM PST up reply actions
I would add
that he would have had better passing numbers, but for some horrible drops and some BS calls by the refs.
that long 3rd down was a huge conversion, but another great one was Prince having to improvize to avoid a blitz, and then find Shaq Evans who made a great catch near the sideline.
Within the system we run, that was pretty much a complete game by KP.
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