Dorrell and Norvell continue to throw Ben Olson under the bus pretending as if they have nothing to do with the mediocrity of Dorrell’s joke of an offense:
Dorrell went to great lengths before the season to avoid the appearance of a quarterback controversy, naming Olson as the starter early in spring practices. But with his comments it almost seemed as if the Bruins' coach was trying to create one - even with Cowan now down for at least three weeks with a sprained knee ligament suffered in the fourth quarter.
He wasn't. Dorrell said he was merely trying to point out a positive, to uplift an offense that had absorbed the brunt of a bad loss at Utah the previous week and to keep his team focused and moving forward into a key Pac-10 game on Saturday at Oregon State.
''I haven't changed my thought about that at all,'' Dorrell said. ''I was encouraged by Pat, giving his health status and missing so much time. He got on the field last week and kind of did his normal Pat routine, kind of scramble around and make some plays ...'' […]
''He's got to have better command of what we're doing. He has to protect the football, that's one of the number one things we ask our quarterbacks to do: We ask them to communicate the offense, protect the football and lead the team, and he knows he did not do a very good job of that,'' offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said.
''We played poor collectively. And when you play poor, your quarterback has got to pick you up. That's his challenge.''
I am sure elite quarterback recruits around the country are taking notice how UCLA coaches do not waste any time when it comes to throwing their prized/franchise recruits under the bus in the interest of saving their own rear ends.He wasn't. Dorrell said he was merely trying to point out a positive, to uplift an offense that had absorbed the brunt of a bad loss at Utah the previous week and to keep his team focused and moving forward into a key Pac-10 game on Saturday at Oregon State.
''I haven't changed my thought about that at all,'' Dorrell said. ''I was encouraged by Pat, giving his health status and missing so much time. He got on the field last week and kind of did his normal Pat routine, kind of scramble around and make some plays ...'' […]
''He's got to have better command of what we're doing. He has to protect the football, that's one of the number one things we ask our quarterbacks to do: We ask them to communicate the offense, protect the football and lead the team, and he knows he did not do a very good job of that,'' offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said.
''We played poor collectively. And when you play poor, your quarterback has got to pick you up. That's his challenge.''
But then again Dorrell (despite being hyped as a dynamic recruiter when he was hired into Westwood) wasn’t been able to reel in any kind of prized recruits (except for Olson) at the QB position in his first three years in Westwood. This is why we have end up what is looking the Ryan Wallcott of college football at the QB position for UCLA:
Stanford passed. Idaho State lost interest.
"He'd go on trips and to camp and everybody would say there was something wrong with him, his feet or his arm," Minor said. "It was all nonsense."
UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell, though, said, "we felt he was a diamond in the rough," and encouraged Bethel-Thompson, now 6 feet 4 and 222 pounds, to walk on.
"Since the day I walked in the door, he has sunk his teeth into this offense," offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. "He's very bright, with a good arm and he picks up concepts quickly. Of course, he's mad at me because I didn't let him throw the ball Saturday. He hasn't talked to me in three days."
No worries. That moment has passed. Bethel-Thompson is awaiting the next one, which the Bruins hope doesn't come this weekend.
"A diamond in the rough," another mantra that we were spoon fed during Lavin years while signing players like Ryan Walcott and Spencer Glogger."He'd go on trips and to camp and everybody would say there was something wrong with him, his feet or his arm," Minor said. "It was all nonsense."
UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell, though, said, "we felt he was a diamond in the rough," and encouraged Bethel-Thompson, now 6 feet 4 and 222 pounds, to walk on.
"Since the day I walked in the door, he has sunk his teeth into this offense," offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. "He's very bright, with a good arm and he picks up concepts quickly. Of course, he's mad at me because I didn't let him throw the ball Saturday. He hasn't talked to me in three days."
No worries. That moment has passed. Bethel-Thompson is awaiting the next one, which the Bruins hope doesn't come this weekend.
Anyways the Law Firm is in the team now. We are teasing him a bit. But it is just unfair that he might find himself in position to play significant time in a crucial conference road game. A QB like him should never find himself in this position. It tells us a lot about the mind boggling mediocre job the Thinker has done in managing this program when UCLA finds itself depending on the abilities of a walk on quarterback who was not deemed worthy of a scholarship to programs such as Idaho State and Stanford.
Moving on to this weekend’s game Dohn has these notes:
It is the type of statistic that makes defenders smile, that is, when they are not salivating like a dog staring at a T-bone steak.
The 13 interceptions thrown by a trio of Oregon State quarterbacks are three more than any other team in the nation. Sean Canfield, the sophomore starter, is tied for the nation's lead with nine interceptions.
"That usually goes hand in hand with pass rush," UCLA defensive end Bruce Davis said. "They haven't given up many sacks (six), but he's been on the ground a lot. When a guy is throwing it up like that, he can see the pressure and he's scared to get hit. Hopefully, we'll have a big impact on this game, and that's what we're looking for."
Canfield, a lefty, is a first-year starter and has taken the majority of the snaps (Lyle Moevao and Ryan Gunderson have also played). Eight of Canfield's interceptions came in losses at Cincinnati (34-3) and Arizona State (44-32), a game in which the Beavers blew a 19-0 lead.
"I think it's just a lot of inexperience, really," UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said of Canfield. "He's gotten better and better."
Hmm. It takes a mediocre head coach to identify with a mediocre opponent. I will have more on Oregon State later tonight. Suffice to say we see this as a game UCLA should have no problem winning despite having a clown like Dorrell on its sidelines.The 13 interceptions thrown by a trio of Oregon State quarterbacks are three more than any other team in the nation. Sean Canfield, the sophomore starter, is tied for the nation's lead with nine interceptions.
"That usually goes hand in hand with pass rush," UCLA defensive end Bruce Davis said. "They haven't given up many sacks (six), but he's been on the ground a lot. When a guy is throwing it up like that, he can see the pressure and he's scared to get hit. Hopefully, we'll have a big impact on this game, and that's what we're looking for."
Canfield, a lefty, is a first-year starter and has taken the majority of the snaps (Lyle Moevao and Ryan Gunderson have also played). Eight of Canfield's interceptions came in losses at Cincinnati (34-3) and Arizona State (44-32), a game in which the Beavers blew a 19-0 lead.
"I think it's just a lot of inexperience, really," UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said of Canfield. "He's gotten better and better."
GO BRUINS.