Embarrassing. Absolutely embarrassing. There's no other word that better describes UCLA's putrid performance at the Rose Bowl tonight. In a game that offensive "genius" Lame Kiffin and his Trogans were trying to give away (with stupid fourth down calls and turnovers), the Bruins come out flat, uninspired, and get embarrassed at the Rose Bowl.
I will make this very clear: Rick Neuheisel has 12 games left as UCLA's head coach. If he does not win at least 8 of those, with a win over U$C, he should be fired. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. 8 wins with a victory over U$C next year or it's time to give him the ol' Karl Dorrell treatment.
No excuses next year. No more "Karl left the cupboard bare" next year. Next year, it'll be Rick's recruits and it'll be time for him to get it done. Jim Harbaugh took over a program coming off a 1-11 season and in his fourth season has turned Stanford into a BCS bowl team, a team one win away from playing in the national title game, despite the same kind of stringent academic standards. 4-8 is simply not acceptable. You can vote on Rick Neuheisel's job approval performance here.
More post-game thoughts after the jump.
In other words, this is a major strike against Neuheisel. I'm tired of the coach-speak and I'm tired of hearing about "winning back the city" followed by soft, uninspired, lame efforts like this against one of the crappiest U$C teams in the last decade. Heck, it's a U$C team coached by a complete dumbass, and even with that dumbass trying to lose the game, Rick still couldn't get it done.
I will also make this very clear: at this snapshot in time, in terms of wins and losses, Karl Dorrell was a better coach than Rick Neuheisel. Chew on that for a bit folks. Karl freakin' Dorrell. The Doofus. Mr. Confused. Yeah, that guy actually managed to somehow get a win over U$C. Yeah, it was a freak accident (just as his 10 win season was due to MJD & Co. in spite of Dorrell), but he still was the man who gets credit for it.
As for tonight's game, I'm sure most of you saw the same thing I saw: a UCLA team that was unprepared, unfocused, and uninspired. Between the conservative play-calling (two runs in a row after going down to a 1st and 26, WTF?!) and Donahue-esque decision making (punting from inside U$C territory when trailing and in desperate need of a touchdown), the coaching seat in Westwood is getting real hot.
In fact, if Neuheisel doesn't look at this season, at how it was an absolute failure and fails to make wholesale coaching staff changes, that will be another major strike against him. Specifically, the following tools need to go:
- Chuck "Base D" Bullough
- Todd "Pass Interference" Hundley
- Reggie "Stone Hands" Moore
The following coaches should also be feeling the heat. Neuheisel needs to take some time, go over the tape, and really think long-and-hard whether keeping the following guys is worth it:
- Norm "Vanilla Offense" Chow
- Todd "No Front Pressure" Howard
As for the game itself, despite facing a hobbled QB, the Bruins were unable to get consistent pressure on U$C, while letting Allen Bradford run all over them to put the game away. Yeah, the Bruins scored 14 points this time. Big freakin' deal. This game was pitiful and a perfect example of how this entire season has gone.
If you missed the game, count yourself lucky.
This was just pathetic.
UCLA deserves far better than this.
Fire away in the post-game thread with your thoughts/analysis/reflections/venting/etc. As always, if you have extended thoughts, fire away in the FanPost section.
GO BRUINS.