Karl Dorrell and offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda continue to embarrass themselves. Another week, another pathetic attempt to explain what went wrong the Saturday before:
This week, Dorrell talked about UCLA's last game -- a 10-point loss at Oregon -- and raised some questions after he said he would not have called for a running play on third and three with the Bruins trailing, 13-0, in the first quarter. UCLA lost yardage on the play and ended up with a field goal.
Svoboda said that isn't unusual.
"There's obviously some times that you would like to have a play back," Svoboda said. "If Coach said that, I'd probably say the same thing myself."
UCLA's offense has been anything but a smooth running machine for the first six games. The Bruins rank eighth in the Pacific 10 Conference in yards per game and only Arizona and Stanford have scored fewer than the Bruins' 12 touchdowns.
"We're going through some growing pains on offense, but Jim has done a good job with the play calling," Dorrell said. "He has the potential to be a great play caller and I have confidence in him."
Dorrell says he gives advice during games and has the prerogative to change a play but added that he likes to give Svoboda room to work.
I don't understand. If KD wasn't happy with that call on 3rd and 3 did he "communicate" that to Svoboda during the game or during the half time? If he did, then why the f*ck did the Bruin offense still look inept in the second half (especially running up the middle during the last 5 mins of the game)? And if he didn't "communicate" the problem to his OC during the game, what good does it do to "communicate" the problem after the team has experienced yet another embarrassing loss? And what the h*ll is going when he has to use the "growing" excuse at the half way point of the season?Svoboda said that isn't unusual.
"There's obviously some times that you would like to have a play back," Svoboda said. "If Coach said that, I'd probably say the same thing myself."
UCLA's offense has been anything but a smooth running machine for the first six games. The Bruins rank eighth in the Pacific 10 Conference in yards per game and only Arizona and Stanford have scored fewer than the Bruins' 12 touchdowns.
"We're going through some growing pains on offense, but Jim has done a good job with the play calling," Dorrell said. "He has the potential to be a great play caller and I have confidence in him."
Dorrell says he gives advice during games and has the prerogative to change a play but added that he likes to give Svoboda room to work.
I know comparisons to Lavin are somewhat unfair given the kind of person Steve Lavin was. Dorrell, by all accounts, sounds like a good, decent man, who works hard. But he is working hard at what? What the heck does he actually do during game days? And his tired, mundane, stupid, clichés are sure starting to sound like Lavin's comments:
"Our approach is really to keep grinding, keep pushing, keep grinding, keep trying to keep a standard so high that, at some point in time, it will all come. At some point in time, you've just got to believe that it's going to come together, and it's all going to show," Coach Karl Dorrell said.
Uhm, yeah, we are grinding allright. UCLA football is grinding straight to oblivion and to the status of the Clippers of college football. How many times did you hear from Steve Lavin about his teams' "grinding" efforts. Apparently, Dorrell and his players are sensing a greater urgency this week:
Dorrell said he has sensed a call for greater urgency and accountability among the players. Weeks of frustration apparently is enough.
"That's starting to come more now," Dorrell said. "I think there are always high expectations about yourself, a feeling that, 'Oh yeah, I can make those plays.'
"But when you're told, 'Hey, you've got to make that play,' that's different (than) when you're saying (it) to yourself and when someone is telling you. I think that we're at that point where these guys are really putting pressure on each other by saying, 'Hey, we know what our capabilities are, we've got to do it. It's about doing it now ... don't talk about it, do it.'"
Then just STFU coach. Because we have heard the same bullsh!t about urgency and focus and how this is week for last six weeks only to be followed by sounding clueless and hapless in the following game week. Just win a f*cking game and show that consistency in the following weeks. Until then perhaps you'd be better served by keeping quiet. It'd be different if you gave the impression about you knew what you are talking about and then back it up with results. Attend one of the press conferences of our basketball coach if you are looking for examples on how it is done ... professionally."That's starting to come more now," Dorrell said. "I think there are always high expectations about yourself, a feeling that, 'Oh yeah, I can make those plays.'
"But when you're told, 'Hey, you've got to make that play,' that's different (than) when you're saying (it) to yourself and when someone is telling you. I think that we're at that point where these guys are really putting pressure on each other by saying, 'Hey, we know what our capabilities are, we've got to do it. It's about doing it now ... don't talk about it, do it.'"
GO BRUINS.