Spaulding Roundup: Neuheisel Meets The Media And The Longhorns Change QB's
by Patroclus on Sep 13, 2011 5:01 AM PDT
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PrintThe Bruins were off from practice on Monday, but that did not stop the news coming from the football program and around the upcoming game against the Texas Longhorns. Coach Neuheisel spoke with the media yesterday, going over the remains of the San Jose State game and looking at the team's status heading into the week.
On the San Jose State game, Neu simply stated that the team did not play well enough on either side of the ball; that the team was not playing fast enough. Considering the level of athletes on this team (and guys like Randall Carroll on the bench), the statement is not simply a critique of athleticism or pace, but of a team playing too cautiously, without the skill and instinct that got these players to UCLA. Neu stressed the need for the team to play faster, it is one of his main concerns with the team and something that he is trying to figure out how to fix.
On his decision to punt on 4th and 2 from inside Spartan territory during the Bruins' first drive on Saturday, Neu told the media that his decision was based upon that early series not being a critical moment of the game. I get that against San Jose State, that series (or any series, really) should not be a critical moment, but we really should not have been playing, or making coaching decisions like we are playing against San Jose State. If an early drive against SJSU is not a critical moment, what is? Would Neu go for the 1st down against Stanford? Against Texas, or Southern Cal? As this game went on, I hope that dawned on Neuheisel and the staff, but starting off a game without that sense of aggression or even trust in your team to gain yards on a physically outmatched opponent is not helping to build confidence in the team, whether internally or from the alumni and the fanbase.
Kevin Prince is expected to be healthy and able to fully participate in practice this week. He is noncommittal on making a decision on the starter, and may not make an announcement until game day.
"My thinking is I’ve got two quarterbacks and I’ll let you know when it’s appropriate as who is going to be in," he said. "Both will be ready to play. I’ll need to know if Kevin is healthy before he’d be considered to be the starter."
Kai Malava is back from his 1-game suspension, but is not guaranteed to get his starting spot back, looking at a competition in practice this week after Greg Capella filled in admirably at center on Saturday. Glenn Love's shoulder has healed, and is also expected to be available to play against Texas.
Peter Yoon wrote a piece on Kip Smith, his early struggles and that his perfect performance against San Jose State is helping to rebuild his confidence. While Kip had been struggling with his confidence for a while, an attempted change to his mechanics did not help matters.
Smith has been struggling with his technique ever since the spring, when inconsistencies led the coaching staff to tinker with his form. They tried to gain accuracy by getting Smith to chip at the ball instead of power through it, but Smith struggled and has fixed things by going to a hybrid of sorts.
"I was kicking kind of like an eight iron or a nine iron," Smith said. "Now its more like a five or six."
But the biggest change came in his mental approach. Doubts and thoughts of missing "aren’t in my head anymore" he said. And he plans on approaching each kick with the calm mindset that it's a kick he has made a million times.
In other news, Tommy Lasorda will be speaking to the Bruins at the team hotel before Saturday's game. As noted last night, the lack of a post-game speech by Coach Neuheisel after last week's SJSU game was a pre-planned decision that Coach Neuheisel had reached with "his superiors", feeling that the talks had become a distraction. And for what must have been the 50th time in the last 4 years, Rick confirmed (starting at 9:15 into the presser) that he did not have input into the decision to run, or anything else to do with the creation of the "Monopoly Ends Here" newspaper ad that Morgan Center ran after his hiring in early 2008. Just to get that out of the way. Again.
Like the Bruins, the Longhorns have been experiencing some issues at Quarterback. Unlike UCLA's injury-fueled woes, Texas has been struck by the simpler flaw of substandard play at the position. Garrett Gilbert, first seen nearly two years ago replacing an injured Colt McCoy in the BCS Championship game (played at the Rose Bowl) has lost his starting job to sophomore Case McCoy after a pair of bad games to start the year - and a less than impressive 2010 campaign. Technically, Colt's brother is the Longhorns' co-starter, along with freshman signal caller David Ash, with Gilbert knocked down to the #3 slot on the depth chart. The BON folks tab McCoy to get the majority of snaps for Texas on Saturday; while a brief read points to Ash having the better arm, he does not yet have the playbook fully in his grasp.
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That press conf
was brutal. I feel bad for CRN because he has to deal with a complete d-bag like TJ Simers. The guy tried to hi-jack the press conference with questions about the post game speeches.
Not just Simers
You had Jill Painter piping in with dumb and dishonest questioning around the ad. The real questioning on the actual game, personnel issues didn’t start till 11:44 mark when Peter Yoon brought up QB question and then Tracy Pierson finally brought up the poignant inquiry re. 4th and 2. Otherwise Simers, Painter, and Foster were just hacking away showing their total ignorance about the actual game on the field.
Jill Painter
her next poignant inquiry will be her first! I hate it when she fills in for Gold…
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that counts" - John Wooden.
agreed, she's really bad.
It’s obvious she doesn’t give a damn when she fills in for him. If I were Gold, I’d tell her to not even bother. Zero coverage for a day would often be better than the crap she puts up, she does a disservice to his blog.
+1
Gold does solid work and his blog is different (and more interesting) becasue of his writing style. I absolutely agree it’d be better to have a void of coverage than to allow Jill Painter to slowly break down what he’s accomplishing over there. I’ve written this point on several occasions in his comment threads and I’d encourage you guys to do the same.
Listening to what Painter tries to do in CRN’s presser just confirms my opinion of her.
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Sep 13, 2011 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree with you re. Gold
He has really grown on me. He is goofy sometimes but he always does it in good faith. Sure he can be polished but he is doing what he can and he covers UCLA with good intentions. I also think he deserves lot of props for making an earnest effort to integrate use of social media in his coverage.
I now look to combination of BRO, Gold, and Yoon for my dose of UCLA sports. Other folks are basically hacks who have been operating with a clear anti Bruin agenda for years.
Well said, P
On his decision to punt on 4th and 2 from inside Spartan territory during the Bruins’ first drive on Saturday, Neu told the media that his decision was based upon that early series not being a critical moment of the game. I get that against San Jose State, that series (or any series, really) should not be a critical moment, but we really should not have been playing, or making coaching decisions like we are playing against San Jose State. If an early drive against SJSU is not a critical moment, what is? Would Neu go for the 1st down against Stanford? Against Texas, or Southern Cal?
Didn’t Coach say something along these lines? There are no big or small opponents?
The truth is we know from past experience that Rick won’t go for it in big games. One of the silver linings from the Houston game was the fact that we went for it. I had thought it was a sign of things to come. I figured since his head was on the chopping block, The Rick was going to let it all go this year. It looks like unclenching that sphincter muscle is not easy to do.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Speaking about Texas.
I’m not going to be able to make the game, so if anyone is interested let me know. I rather sell them to a Bruin.
Sec. 1-H, row 13.
Well, Press Conferences, Pre-Game Speeches
and the like are, after all, just words. I’m not saying words don’t have significance, even power, but, in this context, it’s all after the fact. I do sympathize with CRN, or anybody (except, maybe, McCourt) who has to deal with the complete insincerity and wise-guy attitude of Simers, who is just looking for victims. I haven’t read any of his stuff for over a year and I can’t tell you how much happier it has made me to treat that pile of steaming dreck as if he doesn’t exist. As for that punt, I understand that it was questionable, mainly because, as executed, it affected field position very little and, perhaps, showed too little confidence. Otherwise, at the time, I didn’t attach much significance to it, either way. MexiBruin says it’s important as part of a pattern of not going for it, but, really, should you always go for it? I’m not convinced of that. Maybe CRN does consult that big Donahue in the sky too much. But as to the conflict between balls and brains, you need both to win. Moving on, do we all agree this Texas thing is winnable? Oh, and a note apropos of the discussion about the Rose Bowl atmosphere: Texas played BYU before a crowd of 100, 995.
You probably don't want to go for it all the time.
But when you are in a position where your punter has to kick it straight up so as to not give them a touchback, why punt at all?
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
I have a solution for Coach Neuheisel
Just as I turn the volume down to avoid hearing the blowhards, Coach Neuheise can just tell the blowhards that he wants real questions about the game, and he’s just not going to respond. Or he can just not answer the blowhards. One of the hacks asks a stupid question, and Coach Neuheisel just ignores it. If someone challenges him on it, he can say he didn’t hear it, or he thought it was someone just trying to be funny so he ignored it Or he can answer a totally different question. “Hey Coach, what about the monopoly ad?” “Good question. We decided to put Coleman in because he was a big, strong, guy who had fresh legs, and it looked like they were wearing down.”
I have had three or four quotes in the press, and not one has been accurate. Then I stopped talking to the one press person who wanted a quote from me, and she stopped calling. Rick can decide simply to not play the game.
When they keep asking old questions
You can tell them “I already answered that – if you do a little digging you can find it.”
by KnudsenRockne on Sep 13, 2011 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions
For Neuheisal
I am still a backer for Neuheisal and I think he will turn this program around. It is hard being patient for these past 3 years but we, as TRUE BLUE BRUINS, have to believe and stand behind him. All this talk about firing him can only cause friction and worry on his part. A coach should not have that in the back of his mind everyday. He needs to focus on his players and his other coaches and the game coming up. I know we all want to win. The players need to get fired up and make catches and not fumble and play hard all game long. Players need to play with “HEART”. GO BRUINS!
by Forever a Bruin on Sep 13, 2011 10:21 AM PDT reply actions
Agree wholeheartedly
I like the guy. I’ll never believe that Morgan Center is giving him the support he needs to create the program we all want. Dan G. is the guy we need to get rid of. It’s no coincidence that as soon as he left UCI their baseball team was reinstated and kicked a$$.
by AnteatersandBruins on Sep 13, 2011 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Interesting comment on the UCI baseball team
The UCI baseball team has been really really good lately. Judging from your username, sounds like you might have some insight into this. Since I have none, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Disagree
True that DG and the Administration are responsible for a coaching pay scale that is not competitive. But DG doesn’t recruit players and coach them on the field. CRN is solely responsible for that. So no, I do not “have to believe and stand behind him”. At this point, that would be called blind faith.
I hope that isn't a serious question
If it is, show a little class in the future. One legacy scholarship to the son of a Rose Bowl winning QB is not going to define future success of UCLA football.
Blind faith better than no faith
Neuheisal is responsible for the players but he can’t coach them to play with heart. Playing with heart comes from within each and every player. Some of the players act like they are “too cool” to play with heart. When Neuheisal tries to talk to them on the sidelines after coming out of the game, I have noticed that some of them just walk away and don’t listen to him. If I were Neuheisal, I would go after them and make them listen or they would ride the pine the rest of the afternoon. Sometimes I think he doesn’t do that because he would be criticized by the media and others.
Also, we are lucky to have Jerry Neuheisal on our team. He is a good QB and should not be criticized.
by Forever a Bruin on Sep 13, 2011 11:24 AM PDT reply actions
On a more positive note
I’m excited to watch the game this week. Remember the attitudes going into the Texas game last year? Everyone wrote us off, so our players played like they were playing for their lives. Our O-line made from a bunch of rehabbed, previously injured linemen and JC transfers imposed their will on the Texas front 7.
I know the win doesn’t look as good in retrospect, but I still think we left everything on the field that day (ex: injuries to Ayers and Prince). I was in Austin for the game and absolutely loved every minute. I couldn’t believe we were going to win until the final seconds ticked off the clock in the 4th quarter.
I’ve never been one to drink more than a beer or two, but after that game I got drunk with my brothers to celebrate in downtown Austin.
I really think we can do it again, but I think with this staff, and this team, they have to go into the game with a long shot mentality. If they go in expecting a victory, or even expecting to be evenly matched, I think it’ll be a loss. They have to go in there desperate, playing like they have everything to lose.
We have to be physical, take chances, and play fast. Against a team like SJSU, maybe you can afford to hold a little back. Unfortunately, I think we did that last week. Against Texas, no way. Hell, against any team on the rest of our schedule, no way.
As fans let’s cheer our brains like it is huge game, because it is. Even if they are down a bit this year, we are up against the number 1 grossing college football program in the country, and you can’t buy advertising like that. Let’s make the most of it!
by captainqtp on Sep 13, 2011 11:42 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
ok I did it
but I added a bit… didn’t think it was quite fanpost quality :)
Play fast
Have we tried any no huddle or hurry-up stuff this year? I would like to see us call two plays in a row and just run them without four hundred looks to the sidelines and all the Manning-esque pointing at people.
I have a dim recollection of some team (Oregon?) running a hurry up offense all the time, and they ended up having far, far more offensive plays than their adversaries. It seems to me that if we run 20 more plays than the other side, then we might end up with more points.
Texas v BYU
Was impressed with both McCoy and Ash because they seem to have plenty of poise for being young. Then again, they were playing at home. Ash is the better runner whom they used to run option with.
If our DL cannot hold the point of attack, we’re toast. We’ve been gashed up the middle and the edge. Texas will try to run the ball down our throats with their highly touted FR RB, Brown in order to protect their young QB’s on the road. In order to give us different looks, they’ll run option with Ash. Their passing game will be a combination of wr bubble screens, swing passes, quick outs and curls so they overload the youngsters. I expect them to throw in a few bombs over the top to keep us honest but most of their throws won’t travel beyond 10 yards just like Houston. Defensively, they are stout and kept the team in the game early forcing BYU to settle for FG’s although they had very good field position.
I’m concerned that Tresey will play the soft defense again putting the onus on the young QB’s to make completions. Texas has some speed on the outside but nothing our CB’s shouldn’t be able to handle. Therefore, Tresey needs to bring it and put the pressure on the young QB’s and not allow them easy completions. Or else, they’re WR’s will be firing out to block while the receiver has a full head of steam. Their passes will essentially be long handoffs.
There is a lot of discussion on what type of personnel moves should be made to improve the defense on other boards. Some of them are quite interesting. I won’t get into it but I think our depth chart is a joke. For all this talk about “competition” and “production” will determine who plays, the depth chart to me is a clear reflection of just how conservative/cowardly and unimaginative our staff is.
BR ... you should absolutely get into it
And don’t be shy to open up the discussion re depth chart. It’s much needed I think.
by Nestor on Sep 13, 2011 6:00 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Definitely interested in your thoughts
if you think the depth chart indicates cowardice by the coaches, I’d love to hear your rationale.
Fully agree
on how inappropriate our depth chart is. No way some of these guys should still be starting. No way. Stop playing favorites coach. Let some of these kids make a mistake once in a while, because the rest of the time they just might make great plays.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
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