Mora Greets Apathetic and Lazy Media After Practice

Mora's post practice press conference is shortened by the imbecilic media's inability to come up with more than a single question regarding U.C.L.A. football.

Line(r) Notes on Cid and Baca

There was a nice little piece in the OC Register on a couple of our linemen last night. Most of the article looks at the key role Albert Cid has played in filling in spots along the line and often having to do it at a moments notice.

When right tackle Simon Goines went out agaisnt ASU with a knee injury, Cid moved in to the right guard spot and Baca slid over to Goines' tackle position. Those two anchored the right side on the game winning drive. Cid also filled in significant time in the Utah and Oregon State games this year.

"He's always ready for duty," Mora said of Cid, who started six UCLA games in 2011 after transferring from Citrus College. "He's had to come in cold, and he's doing a great job of being mentally into it, right away."

"Whatever my role is, I just want to be ready, and help," he said. "Once you get on the field, it's just playing. It's just about getting the chance to go out there and do something to contribute to us winning."

Cid is a junior this season, so the playing time this year will be key when he becomes the lone senior with any significant experience along the line next season. The O Line has been a big question mark for the Bruins for several years, due in large part to the inconsistency in personnel. Now with the line getting much deeper through recruiting, Cid has an opportunity to be a real leader for the newer players next season.

The article concludes with a quote from Coach Mora on senior Jeff Baca and his versatility.

Baca (Mission Viejo High), who has a team-high 39 starts, has played every position on the offensive line - which, Mora says, will serve him well at the next level.
"In the NFL, you can only dress seven offensive linemen for games," the 25-year NFL coach said. "That's where a guy like Jeff will be very valuable."

Last season's starter at right tackle, Mike Harris, is now holding down the starting left tackle position for the San Diego Chargers, and Baca looks poised to follow him to the NFL next season, so it is good to see the Bruins once again putting some offensive linemen back in The League.

Let's all say it together...Line wins games.

Wednesday UCLA Football Notes: Playing Fast and Wearing Navy Blue

Mora addresses the media after Wednesday's practice and discusses Franklin's record, new uniforms, and Arizona's tempo.

Tuesday UCLA Football Notes: Mora on Giving Manfro “A Break”

I know it's cliché but thanks to the big win on Saturday every game is going to get bigger and bigger provided the Bruins can take care of business. Arizona has been a major PIA for the UCLA program during the dark Chianti decade of obscurity as the Wildcats have given the Bruins multiple beat downs embarrassing the program on national stage.

Now the Wildcats are coming into the Rose Bowl on a major high, after beating Southern Cal. They are coming in with an explosive offense and a reckless head coach who appears to have no problem sending out a quarterback even though he is going through concussion issues. So it will be interesting to see how the Bruins handle all of this and also the new national ranking (we haven't handled national ranking well in recent years.

Anyway, here was Coach Jim Mora after practice, who sounds pleased about "staying in the hunt" (for a conference championship) and who didn't shy away from referencing "implications down the road" while talking about what is at stake this Saturday night:

Couple of personnel notes that stuck out to me and both of them have to do with special teams:

• Mora mentioned that when the Bruins were driving for the game winning field goal, his "line of demarcation" was the 35 yard line as he felt that Fairbairn could make kick from 52-53 yard range. Not sure what I think of that. I certainly don't want UCLA coaches to get conservative when they get to 35 yard line in the future thinking that they are going to get 3 from the kicker. That mindset burned us against Oregon State and against Cal, and don't want to see any conservative tendencies creep up again.
• Mora mentioned that UCLA was trying out bunch of guys for punt return mentioning the names of Shaq Evans, Devin Fuller, Randall Goforth, Tevin McDonald, Ahmad Harris and Jordan Payton. Damien Thigpen will remain back there (as he has been there as one of the two returners). But it sounds like Mora is getting ready to give Steven Manfro "a little break" from punt returning duties. Perhaps Manfro will end up being a solid player but I think at this point when it comes to punt return, Mora and the team needs to go on another direction.

Mora also talked about an apology he received from the Pac-12 conference re. the coin toss debacle, saying the league "accepted responsibility." Now it'd be nice if the league did the responsible thing and asked Rich Rod wth is he doing throwing out a player back into action who now has a history of multiple concussions.

We will share more notes they become available.

GO BRUINS.

Brett Hundley Presser - ASU and Concussion Thoughts

Brett Hundley meets with the media to discuss two straight games against Arizona schools.

Mora's Weekly Presser- Arizona, Schemes and Homecoming

If there's one word you learn this week, it's schematically.