UCLA Coach Blames Rodney Van for the Loss to UW

by Ajax on Sep 24, 2006 11:35 AM PDT in Football Comment 26 comments

DC Dewayne Walker is now publicly blaming Rodney Van for yesterday's loss to UW:

The defense's tackling doldrums, a staple of the last few seasons, showed up in bits and pieces and also played a role in Washington's comeback.

The biggest culprit was cornerback Rodney Van, whose missed tackle of receiver Quintin Daniels gave the Huskies a first down on a third-and-11 from their own 7. It was also the impetus for a nine-play, 92-yard drive as Washington got back into the game on Sonny Shackelford's 23-yard touchdown catch. It brought the Huskies within 16-7 with 65 seconds remaining in the first half.

Van then missed another key tackle two minutes into the second half that allowed Shackelford to turn a short gainer into a 28-yard touchdown reception as Washington pulled within 16-14.

"It cost us a game, it cost us a touchdown," UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker said. "One kept the drive alive, and then he missed the other one. That's a problem. It's an issue that keeps showing up."

The irony in this, if it's not obvious, is Van took an agressive angle on a ballcarrier instead of taking the safe route. In other words, he was trying to make a play. I'll never blame a kid who is being agressive and trying to make a play. It didn't work this time. Of course, Coach Walker conveniently forgets the fact that UCLA should have already had a 3 TD lead when this happened.

For Walker to put the blame for this loss on Rodney Van's shoulders is disgusting, and as Nestor points out, not the best way to win over recruits. Walker, with all of his NFL expereince, should recognize the real reason for the loss, and address it accordingly.

Blaming a 19-year old kid is not going to help anything. I expect to hear an apology from Coach Walker forthcoming.

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Disgusting

Walker ought to be ashamed of himself.

This the kind of dirty laundry that should be aired in the locker room.

What a bunch of cowards these coaches are.

After Rice game Dorrell and Svoboda were publicly blaming Olson.

And now Walker is publicly blaming Dorrell.

Dorrell is of course blaming everyone else.

Bruin football is a total clusterfuck under clueless, spineless Dorrell.

Cowards.

by Nestor on Sep 24, 2006 11:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I am so mad right now ...

I have been biting my tongue. But this sh!t is incredible.

Blaming players publicly for total f*ck ups on the coaches part.

Yeah this will win over elite recruits.

What a bunch of cowardly losers Dorrell's coaching staff is made of.

And this guy is supposed to be best of the bunch.

And you guys haven't brough up Jim Colletto yet - the gas bag OL who got fired from every job he ever took.

Losers.

by bluestreet on Sep 24, 2006 11:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This is what happened after the Wyoming game in LV

(allegedly)

Dorrell yelled at some players who weren't even in the game because of his incompetence. Lesson not learned.

by Ajax on Sep 24, 2006 11:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Trend

Fresno State (03)
Arizona State (04)
Wyoming (04)
Arizona (05)
Washington (06)

Games where we f*cked up and gave it away to teams with lesser talent.

When will people just say ... this is a f*cking trend.

by bluestreet on Sep 24, 2006 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You left a few out

2003
lost to a 5-7 Colorado team
lost to a 4-7 Stanford team

2004
lost to a 5-6 WSU team

by McCloskey on Sep 25, 2006 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Implosion

Two quick comments...Maybe this is good (though I agree it is totally unprofessional to put his out in the media)...Perhaps this will lead to the fall of Dorrell. Obviously, nothing that happens on the playing field affects his job security..Second, could you please remove the banner counting down the days to the USC game...I find it akin to counting down the days to root canal...

by Gary72 on Sep 24, 2006 11:44 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Implosion ...

You could be right.

When the coaches are so publicly blaming the players this could lead to John Mackovic style implosion we saw in Arizona.

And as for the request ... we will have to keep it.

Face it. Being a UCLA football fan is like going through a root canal. That game (a judgement game) is part of it.

by Nestor on Sep 24, 2006 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL Gary, good point

But Dorrell can make up alot of ground by knocking off Southern Cal.

by Ajax on Sep 24, 2006 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It could also be a countdown

to the end of KD's tenure.

by scittles on Sep 24, 2006 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

On a different note ...

Stanford can beat Rice straight up. No?

Oh boy.

by Nestor on Sep 24, 2006 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Running out

These douchebags may run out of players to blame by the time we get to Southern Cal game.

I don't envy the guys who are going to South Bend.

Oh my.

by bluestreet on Sep 24, 2006 11:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm already getting sick...

...thinking about what happens if we lose to Stanford at home. Nothing less than winning out from that point would save him.

by scittles on Sep 24, 2006 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And this year

we will not have Drew Olson or MJD to bail us out.

Neither we will have a fiery guy like Tom Cable to scream in the locker room.

Then again why did we have to depend on an OC to fire up the team?

Isn't that Dorrell's job?

What exactly is Dorell's job?

What exactly is he doing to earn his quarter million bucks a year?

by Nestor on Sep 24, 2006 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How DG...

Can be such a great Athletic Director, steer the entire department in the right direction, make inspired choices with Coaches Howland and Savage, and yet have a complete blindspot with Karl is beyond me.

All this talk about program building, positive things on the horizon, and heading in the right direction? How can he really mean this?

The extension? I mean, Dan is great, but this is just insane. I guess we demand excellence in everything...Except football.

Second tier program forever.

Go Bruins...F@#$% Southern Cal... UCLA Fight Fight Fight!

by HomeBruin on Sep 24, 2006 11:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Son's comments

My 11 year old son who is a big Laker fan wants to know if Mitch Kupchek has been hired as the AD's consultant. My son is right to suspect this since Guerrero is to Division 1 football as Kupchek is to NBA basketball...proponents on mediocrity...

by Gary72 on Sep 24, 2006 12:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Dan Guerrerro

I still think he gets it. And he is taking note.

That is why I am holding on to hope something will happen by the end of this year if not by the end of next.

by Nestor on Sep 24, 2006 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

DG is no Kupchek

DG gets it but I think he is afraid of the race factor being played by the media. Think about it for a moment. What we see from last year is different. What others from outside will see a director firing a minority coach when he is actually coming off a "10-2" season. What pisses me off is that KD is now a bad example for other minority coaches, who want head coaching positions.

by justwatching on Sep 24, 2006 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Howland v. Dorrell

One has class, the other doesn't.

Anyone remember Jordan Farmar screwing up towards the end of the West Virgina game. Not once Howland or anyone in his staff ever blamed the players.

And look at these losers in the football program.

by bluestreet on Sep 24, 2006 12:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Letter writing/phone call campaign

Is it possible to organize UCLA alumni and even current students into forming a MASSIVE letter writing campaign to the athletic department, the Daily Bruin, and even local newspapers to get these shithead coaches replaced?

by JWongUCLA on Sep 24, 2006 1:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

If I had a Nickel

For every mistake from this Coaching Staff, we could all pay off our Sallie Mae debt. Why did the Defense switch to a Nickel for most of the second half? When Starting Linebacker Aaron Whittington was in the game, UW could barely get a First Down.

by NorCal Bruin on Sep 24, 2006 3:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

great observation

have to look at game film to see this. great read.

I truly hope for a great season, but if we dont have one we must dumpdorrell.com

by DumpDorrell on Sep 24, 2006 7:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't get the criticism of Walker here

Walker made it public in the week leading up to the game that Rodney's tackling has been a problem and it needs to improve. Pointing out the FACT that Rodney's missed tackles were a critical reason why we lost the game is fine with me. It's holding the players accountable. You guys want to link Coach Walker with Dorrell and Svoboda and it's not right, because Walker is clearly the best coach we have right now and the only one doing his damn job. It's common knowledge that Coach Walker is very hard on his DB's, and you can ask Van or Verner about that.

by ucla21 on Sep 25, 2006 11:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Uh no ...

It's one thing to criticize players in public but its entire a different matter to pin the loss on Rodney Van in public, when the buck stops with Karl Dorrell and his clueless play calling.

It was a bush league thing to do for DeWayne Walker, who is riding on his DC credentials on some suspect stats piled up against mediocre to horrible teams.

Walker was classless in those remarks.

by bluestreet on Sep 25, 2006 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The playcalling is irrelevant in this case

Walker is not responsible for the playcalling miscues exhibited by Dorrell and Svoboda. He's responsible for his defense and his players. UCLA had the defensive gameplan in place to win the game on Saturday, the only thing that was missing was the tackling on the edges. Van missed some tackles, period. Walker has a no excuse philosophy, so he's not going to excuse Van either when he screws up. We can just rehire Kerr if you want a "classy" coach and give up 400 yards a game again. Or we can ride with the guy trying to hold his players accountable for their mistakes even if it seems "classless".

by ucla21 on Sep 25, 2006 12:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Then Walker needs to STFU

and stop figuring out in public who cost us the game.

It was Dorrell's lack of adjustments and Svoboda's play calling that cost us the game.

As blue said criticizing a player in public is fine, but it is disgusting and classless to pin the loss on the shoulders of a 18-19 year old kid.

Just classless.

I have lost all respect for Walker and this coaching staff after seeing all the blame game that has been going on.

by Nestor on Sep 25, 2006 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

seriously

why blame a kid whose playing your style when you blitz with zero or man coverage behind you'll get burned. rodney tried to make the big play, he missed. if he made it hes the hero, but unfortunately he didnt so he's the goat. im guessing walker takes after his mentor, you know the one just down the road

by redsand514 on Sep 25, 2006 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs