A 20-13 loss to LSU yesterday at Razorback Stadium ended the Arkansas football season at 4-8, a mark that fell far short of preseason expectations. In retrospect, hopes for nine or ten wins this year were unrealistic at best, but it's still bittersweet when you see how hard the Hogs competed in their final game of the year, for nothing more than pride with no bowl game on the line.
It's hard to measure the frustration Razorback fans have endured with their football program over the past seven months. Watching Tyler Wilson, Cobi Hamilton, Dennis Johnson and (likely) Knile Davis hit the exit door of their college careers yesterday didn't make it any easier to swallow.
From the very moment that Bobby Petrino's motorcycle went into a curbside ditch near Elkins late last March, the 2012 season became a veritable throwaway. Nobody wanted to hear it back in the spring, or the summer either, for that matter, but dreams of a return to the BCS mix for Arkansas were done. Not that Petrino was the best recruiter, or the best defensive mind, or even the best possible leader of young men. What he was though was a tremendous offensive coach, a scary motivator and a competitive freak.
Jeff Long had no choice but to do what he did once Petrino had put the program and the University at risk with his reckless behavior. Whether or not John L. Smith was the best possible replacement can be debated all you want, but why waste your breath? No one was going to come into Fayetteville and recreate the intimidating mojo that Petrino had just flushed down the drain with him.
So they took their lumps this year, many times over, with the upset to Lousiana-Monroe in Little Rock setting a terrible tone, only to be followed up by massacres at the hands of Alabama and Texas A&M. A loss to Rutgers was painful too, as were defeats to both Mississippi schools, Rutgers and South Carolina.
Wins against lowlights Auburn, Kentucky and Tulsa did little to the ease pain, and neither did the ongoing coaching search talk. Surely 2012 will be remembered as the limbo year for the Razorbacks. It was the inbetween season where every name under the sun came into the mix as a possible candidate, including some who were so unrealistic as to be laughable.
But such was the state of the Razorback football conversation this year. Even as the season already fades in the rear view mirror, the anticipated hiring of a new coach within the next week or two will be the focus of the fans, a point for rebirth and reinspiration. It can't come soon enough.
-JB
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Friday, August 12, 2011
Razorbacks Lose RB Knile Davis, Must Find Ways to Persevere
This was supposed to be the dream season for Razorback football when all the offensive pieces came together at once.
It was going to be the team with so many weapons, offensive mastermind Bobby Petrino wasn't going to know what to do with himself.
It could have been the year when Knile Davis built upon a scary wrecking ball performance from 2010, running all the way to Broadway in 2011, for a red carpet appearance with Johnny Heisman in December.
And then, last night, in slow and terrifying fashion, the news about Davis started trickling across Razorback nation, one bleeding red fan by one, until, to paraphrase Keyser Soze, it became undeniably clear that "just like that---poof---he was gone."
It would be easy for Razorback fans to play the "woe is me" card, and nobody would fault them for doing that. But that's not what hurts the most right now. What hurts the most is knowing that nobody is more heartbroken for Knile Davis than Knile himself. He was heavily invested in this season, and had clearly emerged as the emotional leader of this offense in the spring, staying that way, from all accounts, throughout the summer. Coming off a campaign in which he led the SEC in rushing with 1322 yards, the workhorse junior from Texas was expected to tote another hefty load, setting the pace for an inexperienced, though talented, quarterback in Tyler Wilson.
Considering he'd averaged an incredible 6.2 yards per carry last year, and at 6'1, 240 pounds is built like a bona fide freight train, there'd have been little reason to doubt him.
Until last night's disastrous turn of events at evening practice.
Just seven plays into a full scrimmage, in what was only the eighth day of fall practice, after carrying the football a mere three yards into a "typical player pile-up", according to one assistant coach, Davis went down and didn't get up.
The immediate aftermath was chilling, with Knile's clearly audible screams the first indicator that something horrible had happened.
The word is Knile suffered a fracture of the lower left tibia, which in layman's terms means he has a broken left leg, and for all intents and purposes, will not play football at all this year.
It was a shot to the gut, for the staff, for the fans, for the team itself. But none more so than for Davis. His lengthy history of broken bones---a right ankle in high school and again as a freshman at Arkansas, a collarbone as a sophomore, now a left ankle---grows even longer.
"I am extremely disappointed for Knile," head coach Bobby Petrino said. "He is a captain who was incredibly focused for the upcoming year. His leadership throughout the offseason was significant in the development of this team. Our athletic trainers and medical staff are the best in the country, and Knile's mental toughness will be an asset to him during the recovery process. I am fully confident in the mindset of our running back group and their ability to perform."
It was highly appropriate that Petrino, now in his 4th year with the Hogs, closed his brief statement with an encouraging glance at Ronnie Wingo, Dennis Johnson and Kody Walker. The talented lightning flashes were set as the alternates to Davis' tempo-setting thunder.
Now they are the main event.
From a touches standpoint, Wingo is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of Knile's absence. The shifty tailback is visibly bigger and broader than a year ago, and will need to be, running through the behemoth lineman filling the trenches of the SEC. He's got the swagger and confidence to have a great season, but there's no way he can withstand the wear and tear of being an every down back all the way through.
Fortunately, he won't have to be, as junior Dennis Johnson returns from his own injury early last season. DJ is a great kickoff returner, but now will get a likely ten plus carries per game too. Surely he's excited about the chance to be even more involved on offense.
Freshman Kody Walker is inexperienced, but looks confident so far in practice. He's got a dart to his step, and Petrino will have no qualms about giving him a shot early now.
The young tackles will have to find their groove in a hurry, to buy time for the offense to make plays down the field.
Obviously the spotlight now shines even brighter on junior quarterback Tyler Wilson, as if there was ever any evading it in the first place. Tyler will have to be sharper earlier with less of a sure thing behind him. He must find his quartet of gamebreaking wideouts---Greg Childs, Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Cobi Hamilton---whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Another positive spin on a bad situation is the fact the injury happened during fall practice, and not during the course of the season when there is little time to get new personnel into the mix. Make no mistake, Petrino and his staff will use every inch of August to adjust the playbook as much as they can. They will have to get even more creative offensively, and Petrino will probably secretly relish the challenge, as much as one can after watching his stud tailback suffer a devastating injury.
Even with the loss of Davis, the 2011 University of Arkansas football team remains deep and highly talented. It will be harder to close out games without a go-to clock grinder, but I still believe they have a realistic shot of getting to a BCS game for the second straight year.
But the margin for error just got a whole lot smaller. And there's definitely no time to be wasted sitting around bemoaning a dream that could have been. The reality of this season can still be sweet.
You have to believe Petrino will find ways to persevere, and so will the rest of these Razorbacks.
They must take a tragic turn and find a way to make it make them stronger.
That's the nature of life in the SEC. There's no other choice.
-JAB
It was going to be the team with so many weapons, offensive mastermind Bobby Petrino wasn't going to know what to do with himself.
It could have been the year when Knile Davis built upon a scary wrecking ball performance from 2010, running all the way to Broadway in 2011, for a red carpet appearance with Johnny Heisman in December.
And then, last night, in slow and terrifying fashion, the news about Davis started trickling across Razorback nation, one bleeding red fan by one, until, to paraphrase Keyser Soze, it became undeniably clear that "just like that---poof---he was gone."
It would be easy for Razorback fans to play the "woe is me" card, and nobody would fault them for doing that. But that's not what hurts the most right now. What hurts the most is knowing that nobody is more heartbroken for Knile Davis than Knile himself. He was heavily invested in this season, and had clearly emerged as the emotional leader of this offense in the spring, staying that way, from all accounts, throughout the summer. Coming off a campaign in which he led the SEC in rushing with 1322 yards, the workhorse junior from Texas was expected to tote another hefty load, setting the pace for an inexperienced, though talented, quarterback in Tyler Wilson.
Considering he'd averaged an incredible 6.2 yards per carry last year, and at 6'1, 240 pounds is built like a bona fide freight train, there'd have been little reason to doubt him.
Until last night's disastrous turn of events at evening practice.
Just seven plays into a full scrimmage, in what was only the eighth day of fall practice, after carrying the football a mere three yards into a "typical player pile-up", according to one assistant coach, Davis went down and didn't get up.
The immediate aftermath was chilling, with Knile's clearly audible screams the first indicator that something horrible had happened.
The word is Knile suffered a fracture of the lower left tibia, which in layman's terms means he has a broken left leg, and for all intents and purposes, will not play football at all this year.
It was a shot to the gut, for the staff, for the fans, for the team itself. But none more so than for Davis. His lengthy history of broken bones---a right ankle in high school and again as a freshman at Arkansas, a collarbone as a sophomore, now a left ankle---grows even longer.
"I am extremely disappointed for Knile," head coach Bobby Petrino said. "He is a captain who was incredibly focused for the upcoming year. His leadership throughout the offseason was significant in the development of this team. Our athletic trainers and medical staff are the best in the country, and Knile's mental toughness will be an asset to him during the recovery process. I am fully confident in the mindset of our running back group and their ability to perform."
It was highly appropriate that Petrino, now in his 4th year with the Hogs, closed his brief statement with an encouraging glance at Ronnie Wingo, Dennis Johnson and Kody Walker. The talented lightning flashes were set as the alternates to Davis' tempo-setting thunder.
Now they are the main event.
From a touches standpoint, Wingo is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of Knile's absence. The shifty tailback is visibly bigger and broader than a year ago, and will need to be, running through the behemoth lineman filling the trenches of the SEC. He's got the swagger and confidence to have a great season, but there's no way he can withstand the wear and tear of being an every down back all the way through.
Fortunately, he won't have to be, as junior Dennis Johnson returns from his own injury early last season. DJ is a great kickoff returner, but now will get a likely ten plus carries per game too. Surely he's excited about the chance to be even more involved on offense.
Freshman Kody Walker is inexperienced, but looks confident so far in practice. He's got a dart to his step, and Petrino will have no qualms about giving him a shot early now.
The young tackles will have to find their groove in a hurry, to buy time for the offense to make plays down the field.
Obviously the spotlight now shines even brighter on junior quarterback Tyler Wilson, as if there was ever any evading it in the first place. Tyler will have to be sharper earlier with less of a sure thing behind him. He must find his quartet of gamebreaking wideouts---Greg Childs, Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Cobi Hamilton---whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Another positive spin on a bad situation is the fact the injury happened during fall practice, and not during the course of the season when there is little time to get new personnel into the mix. Make no mistake, Petrino and his staff will use every inch of August to adjust the playbook as much as they can. They will have to get even more creative offensively, and Petrino will probably secretly relish the challenge, as much as one can after watching his stud tailback suffer a devastating injury.
Even with the loss of Davis, the 2011 University of Arkansas football team remains deep and highly talented. It will be harder to close out games without a go-to clock grinder, but I still believe they have a realistic shot of getting to a BCS game for the second straight year.
But the margin for error just got a whole lot smaller. And there's definitely no time to be wasted sitting around bemoaning a dream that could have been. The reality of this season can still be sweet.
You have to believe Petrino will find ways to persevere, and so will the rest of these Razorbacks.
They must take a tragic turn and find a way to make it make them stronger.
That's the nature of life in the SEC. There's no other choice.
-JAB
Sunday, July 17, 2011
US Women Fall Short in Cup Final, America Shrugs
Every four years, America shines a light on a sport that we as a nation don't really care about all that much. They call it football, we call it soccer. It makes little difference: the lack of offensive fireworks has long kept the beautiful game from being anywhere near all that popular in the United States.
Strangely it's a fringe sport that most of us played at some point growing up. In fact, we tend to see it as a good one for getting the kids some exercise while enjoying the outdoors autumn weather. But being competitive on the international level is something the men's team has yet to approach, despite competing for over 60 years. Sure, people get up for it every four years, but it's only for a few weeks, and by the time the last eight teams are left standing, we're already talking about baseball again (not that we ever really stopped).
Instead, it's been the American women who have fared better in Cup play, though the female version of the event has only been held since 1991 (USA having won 2 of the 6 titles). The hype for the Women's World Cup is just about on par with that of the Men's, which is to say, most sports followers in a country filled with them at least keep an eye on it. And a lot of that has to do with the championship run by the Mia Hamm led '99 team, which culminated with America blasting China in penalty kicks and Brandi Chastain ripping her shirt off to cap an exciting female title run on a big media stage for the first time.
The afterglow wasn't so sweet. Soccer has remained in the margins for this country, despite the persistence of incredibly lame Major League Soccer. (Seriously, do you know anyone who has ever gone to a game? Me neither.) And the last two Cup runs by American women weren't so sweet. USA failed to make the final in either, finishing 3rd both times. But this Cup in Germany was supposed to be different. With a new generation of soccer stars leading the way, Hope Solo, Abby Wombach and Megan Rapinoe were supposed to end the drought. And then a funny thing happened: they didn't win.
After a wobbly 2-1 mark out of group play that was marred by a throttling at the hands of Sweden, the US gutted its way through an exciting penalty kick win against Brazil in the quarterfinals. France was too slow to stop the American girls from rolling through the semifinal round, but Japan stood its ground in the Final, dodging US attacks early and often.
Opportunities certainly abounded for the US side in the first half, but a couple of clanked posts and a hard crossbar still equaled no goals at the break. The second half saw 22 year-old star Alex Morgan give the Americans a late regulation lead off a strong finish of a long ball by Rapinoe. But just minutes later, the US defense squandered the advantage on a bad defensive sequence in front of its own goal. In extra time, Morgan hit Abby Wombach for a header goal that looked like it would clinch the game, only to see Japan's Hamare Sawa hit a on a sensational one-timer rocket off a corner kick to tie it up at 2-2 and force a shootout for the crown.
That's when it all got a little hazy for USA coach Pia Sundhage and the Americans. Instead of using her better shooters early on in the kickoff, Sundhage saved them till late. Japan struck early and often, and goalkeeper Ayumi Kaori was lockdown on her saves when it mattered most, while Solo faltered. Cruelly, American scorer Alex Morgan never even got a chance to shoot by the time Japan had clinched the penalties, and the Cup, 3-1.
A great win for the Japanese undoubtedly, particularly when you consider their country was truly devastated by a major earthquake and subsequent nuclear power disaster just a few months ago. Sometimes sports can help the healing process, if only emotionally, and this victory will surely do some of that for Japan.
On the flip, simply a disheartening loss for the Americans, who believed so deeply and were so close to their ultimate goal, only to see it all slip away at the very end. And now women's soccer will disappear from public view for the next four years, because that's just the way it goes around here.
Canada 2015 anyone?
-JAB
Strangely it's a fringe sport that most of us played at some point growing up. In fact, we tend to see it as a good one for getting the kids some exercise while enjoying the outdoors autumn weather. But being competitive on the international level is something the men's team has yet to approach, despite competing for over 60 years. Sure, people get up for it every four years, but it's only for a few weeks, and by the time the last eight teams are left standing, we're already talking about baseball again (not that we ever really stopped).
Instead, it's been the American women who have fared better in Cup play, though the female version of the event has only been held since 1991 (USA having won 2 of the 6 titles). The hype for the Women's World Cup is just about on par with that of the Men's, which is to say, most sports followers in a country filled with them at least keep an eye on it. And a lot of that has to do with the championship run by the Mia Hamm led '99 team, which culminated with America blasting China in penalty kicks and Brandi Chastain ripping her shirt off to cap an exciting female title run on a big media stage for the first time.
The afterglow wasn't so sweet. Soccer has remained in the margins for this country, despite the persistence of incredibly lame Major League Soccer. (Seriously, do you know anyone who has ever gone to a game? Me neither.) And the last two Cup runs by American women weren't so sweet. USA failed to make the final in either, finishing 3rd both times. But this Cup in Germany was supposed to be different. With a new generation of soccer stars leading the way, Hope Solo, Abby Wombach and Megan Rapinoe were supposed to end the drought. And then a funny thing happened: they didn't win.
After a wobbly 2-1 mark out of group play that was marred by a throttling at the hands of Sweden, the US gutted its way through an exciting penalty kick win against Brazil in the quarterfinals. France was too slow to stop the American girls from rolling through the semifinal round, but Japan stood its ground in the Final, dodging US attacks early and often.
Opportunities certainly abounded for the US side in the first half, but a couple of clanked posts and a hard crossbar still equaled no goals at the break. The second half saw 22 year-old star Alex Morgan give the Americans a late regulation lead off a strong finish of a long ball by Rapinoe. But just minutes later, the US defense squandered the advantage on a bad defensive sequence in front of its own goal. In extra time, Morgan hit Abby Wombach for a header goal that looked like it would clinch the game, only to see Japan's Hamare Sawa hit a on a sensational one-timer rocket off a corner kick to tie it up at 2-2 and force a shootout for the crown.
That's when it all got a little hazy for USA coach Pia Sundhage and the Americans. Instead of using her better shooters early on in the kickoff, Sundhage saved them till late. Japan struck early and often, and goalkeeper Ayumi Kaori was lockdown on her saves when it mattered most, while Solo faltered. Cruelly, American scorer Alex Morgan never even got a chance to shoot by the time Japan had clinched the penalties, and the Cup, 3-1.
A great win for the Japanese undoubtedly, particularly when you consider their country was truly devastated by a major earthquake and subsequent nuclear power disaster just a few months ago. Sometimes sports can help the healing process, if only emotionally, and this victory will surely do some of that for Japan.
On the flip, simply a disheartening loss for the Americans, who believed so deeply and were so close to their ultimate goal, only to see it all slip away at the very end. And now women's soccer will disappear from public view for the next four years, because that's just the way it goes around here.
Canada 2015 anyone?
-JAB
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Just An Audio Reminder
For those of you interested in hearing some unedited, in-depth takes from your favorite UCLA Bruins, check out AM 570 KLAC’s website at http://www.am570radio.com/. Go to the “On Demand” drop down menu, click on “UCLA”, and there you shall find some extra audio goodies.
Thanks again for checking out the blog.
Regards,
Josh B.
Thanks again for checking out the blog.
Regards,
Josh B.
UCLA Rocked By Cal, .500 Halfway Home
(first published on KLAC's Bruins Board website --- 10/20/09)
It’s all unraveled so quickly for the Bruins. After Saturday’s 45-26 home loss to a mediocre Cal team, what once was a promising 3-0 start has devolved into a 3-3 mark that reeks of one obvious fact: UCLA is still competing underhanded. Which is to say, head coach Rick Neuheisel has yet to significantly close the talent gap that has plagued Bruins football for years. USC clearly still runs this town.
None of this is meant as any kind of a bash. It’s not even meant as a complaint about the Neuheisel Era. Too little has transpired in too short a span of time to fairly judge this coaching regime yet. But concerned Bruin fans are talking, and it’s not just about the troubles at quarterback. The whispers are growing louder. Senior linebacker Reggie Carter knows that. He also knows the 2009 season is getting late fast.
“In a lot of ways, it’s all about momentum,” Carter told me after the Cal game on Saturday. “I mean, if you ask me to point out something specific, like whether we’re missing tackles or assignments or something fundamentally wrong, I’d be the first to say, ’Hey guys, we need to go and fix this. Or we need to go work on that.’ But the truth is I just don’t see it. I mean, our offense is young, but that’s no excuse . . . We’ve got to find a way to make this better.”
The pain in Carter’s voice was tangible. He’s a player who’s always worn his emotions right out there on his sleeves for everybody to see. He genuinely cares about leaving some kind of legacy, however small, for the next class of Bruins to build on. It’s just not happening right now.
“I’m feeling more comfortable and I want to say that we’re getting there, but I know that’s not good enough,” freshman quarterback Kevin Prince said in the locker room on Saturday. This after throwing for a career-high 310 yards and looking drastically improved from an abysmal performance against Oregon a week earlier. “The coaches, the fans, all my teammates, they deserve better and I’m just going to keep doing my best to give it to them.”
Prince is going to get better as time goes on. Remember, this is a guy who hadn’t even played in a competitive football game since his junior year in high school. Physically, he’s got the tools to deliver. And there’s no doubt that freshman Jonathan Franklin is the real deal. His 74 yard lightning flash against the Bears proved that. A little undersized, he runs smoothly and downhill most of the time. When he’s not banged up, he can hold his own with just about any running back in the conference. But the wide receiving corps longs for someone to step up and be the go-to guy. Everyone just keeps wondering when and where that’s going to happen.
“I’m not going to sit here and give you all a bunch of excuses, that’s just not going to happen,” Neuheisel stated from the post-game podium last weekend. “We’re a young team and we’re trying to get better, and it’s really tough to see how well we were playing in the first quarter of the season, at three and oh, then watch the second quarter of the year, at oh and three, and now we’re kind of back where we started. Now it’s up to us to fight through this and find a way to close out the second half of the schedule as strongly as we can. I still believe in this team, and I know that the guys in that locker room do too.”
A defense that played so magnificently early on this year has sprung some leaks against the run. That 93 yard touchdown for Jahvid Best was both beautiful for Best and utterly atrocious for the UCLA ‘D’. Silly penalties have emerged as a nagging problem too, as exemplified by Datone Jones’ pointless personal foul after a third and long stop that gave Cal a first down early in Saturday’s fourth quarter. Those kinds of plays can be devastating to a defense’s mental momentum, and it’s hard to tell which player is going to step up and grab it back. (Could UCLA use another pick from Rahim Moore right now or what?)
Red zone woes have plagued this team too. Nothing against kicker Kai Forbath—he’s probably the best and most reliable player on the team—but you don’t want to see his number called every time the Bruins get deep into enemy territory. Four field goals in four red zone trips just leaves you with an empty feeling inside. Kind of like you forgot to eat your dinner.
“All we can do is focus on the next game, the next practice,” Carter summed up. “We’ve just got to do everything we need to in order to go and beat Arizona next weekend. We do that, and things will change for us in a hurry. I know it.”
No easy task in beating the #23 Wildcats on the road. They’re playing really well while UCLA is oh for the conference slate, though it's clear that this team still hasn’t played its best game. Unfortunately for Blue & Gold fans, it’s running out of time to do so and save yet another Bruins’ season from being bowless.
Hopefully, it all changes on Saturday in Tucson, for everyone’s sake.
-JAB
It’s all unraveled so quickly for the Bruins. After Saturday’s 45-26 home loss to a mediocre Cal team, what once was a promising 3-0 start has devolved into a 3-3 mark that reeks of one obvious fact: UCLA is still competing underhanded. Which is to say, head coach Rick Neuheisel has yet to significantly close the talent gap that has plagued Bruins football for years. USC clearly still runs this town.
None of this is meant as any kind of a bash. It’s not even meant as a complaint about the Neuheisel Era. Too little has transpired in too short a span of time to fairly judge this coaching regime yet. But concerned Bruin fans are talking, and it’s not just about the troubles at quarterback. The whispers are growing louder. Senior linebacker Reggie Carter knows that. He also knows the 2009 season is getting late fast.
“In a lot of ways, it’s all about momentum,” Carter told me after the Cal game on Saturday. “I mean, if you ask me to point out something specific, like whether we’re missing tackles or assignments or something fundamentally wrong, I’d be the first to say, ’Hey guys, we need to go and fix this. Or we need to go work on that.’ But the truth is I just don’t see it. I mean, our offense is young, but that’s no excuse . . . We’ve got to find a way to make this better.”
The pain in Carter’s voice was tangible. He’s a player who’s always worn his emotions right out there on his sleeves for everybody to see. He genuinely cares about leaving some kind of legacy, however small, for the next class of Bruins to build on. It’s just not happening right now.
“I’m feeling more comfortable and I want to say that we’re getting there, but I know that’s not good enough,” freshman quarterback Kevin Prince said in the locker room on Saturday. This after throwing for a career-high 310 yards and looking drastically improved from an abysmal performance against Oregon a week earlier. “The coaches, the fans, all my teammates, they deserve better and I’m just going to keep doing my best to give it to them.”
Prince is going to get better as time goes on. Remember, this is a guy who hadn’t even played in a competitive football game since his junior year in high school. Physically, he’s got the tools to deliver. And there’s no doubt that freshman Jonathan Franklin is the real deal. His 74 yard lightning flash against the Bears proved that. A little undersized, he runs smoothly and downhill most of the time. When he’s not banged up, he can hold his own with just about any running back in the conference. But the wide receiving corps longs for someone to step up and be the go-to guy. Everyone just keeps wondering when and where that’s going to happen.
“I’m not going to sit here and give you all a bunch of excuses, that’s just not going to happen,” Neuheisel stated from the post-game podium last weekend. “We’re a young team and we’re trying to get better, and it’s really tough to see how well we were playing in the first quarter of the season, at three and oh, then watch the second quarter of the year, at oh and three, and now we’re kind of back where we started. Now it’s up to us to fight through this and find a way to close out the second half of the schedule as strongly as we can. I still believe in this team, and I know that the guys in that locker room do too.”
A defense that played so magnificently early on this year has sprung some leaks against the run. That 93 yard touchdown for Jahvid Best was both beautiful for Best and utterly atrocious for the UCLA ‘D’. Silly penalties have emerged as a nagging problem too, as exemplified by Datone Jones’ pointless personal foul after a third and long stop that gave Cal a first down early in Saturday’s fourth quarter. Those kinds of plays can be devastating to a defense’s mental momentum, and it’s hard to tell which player is going to step up and grab it back. (Could UCLA use another pick from Rahim Moore right now or what?)
Red zone woes have plagued this team too. Nothing against kicker Kai Forbath—he’s probably the best and most reliable player on the team—but you don’t want to see his number called every time the Bruins get deep into enemy territory. Four field goals in four red zone trips just leaves you with an empty feeling inside. Kind of like you forgot to eat your dinner.
“All we can do is focus on the next game, the next practice,” Carter summed up. “We’ve just got to do everything we need to in order to go and beat Arizona next weekend. We do that, and things will change for us in a hurry. I know it.”
No easy task in beating the #23 Wildcats on the road. They’re playing really well while UCLA is oh for the conference slate, though it's clear that this team still hasn’t played its best game. Unfortunately for Blue & Gold fans, it’s running out of time to do so and save yet another Bruins’ season from being bowless.
Hopefully, it all changes on Saturday in Tucson, for everyone’s sake.
-JAB
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Cal Brings Issues, Talented Best to Rose
(first published on KLAC's Bruins Board --- 10/15/09)
It's a matchup of two reeling Pac-10 teams in Pasadena on Saturday. Both California and UCLA have hit the skids of late.
The Golden Bears were thankful for a bye last weekend that at least guaranteed they wouldn't get blow out again. Prior to that, eighth-year coach Jeff Tedford saw his Cal crew destroyed 42-3 by Oregon on the road before USC throttled the Bears 30-3 on their home turf. It hasn't been pretty, to say the least.
"We're struggling right now to get our swagger back, you know, and our confidence about what we're trying to do," said star tailback Jahvid Best earlier this week. "I still believe in this team and I know everybody in our locker room does to. Hopefully, we can get back on track (against UCLA on Saturday)."
The word is out on how to defend California. Teams who stack the line and contain the uber-talented Best have a shot to beat California. The junior running back had just 102 yards on 30 rushing attempts the past two weeks as both Oregon and USC pressed eight up in the box and took Best out of the game.
When teams have trouble carrying the rock, they usually turn to the air. But Golden Bears' junior quarterback Kevin Riley is only completing 51% of his passes this season, though he does have a good ratio of five touchdowns to just one interception. He couldn’t complete 40% of his passes against Oregon or Cal.
Additionally, the Golden Bears' defense was shredded in both of its last two contests, giving up 524 yards to Oregon and 457 to USC. It hasn't made Tedford happy. "This team has as much talent as any group in the conference," he proclaimed in Tuesday's teleconference. "I know we're capable of better things collectively, but we have to get some momentum rebuilt and rolling first."
California's problems aside, the UCLA Bruins are 3-2 and coming off of two straight troubling defeats. The team could only muster 16 points on the road at Stanford and just 10 a week later home to Oregon. Just when it looked to be turning a corner, the running game for the Bruins has headed south with just 95 yards on 26 carries against Stanford and a miserable 66 yards on 33 carries against Oregon.
Defensively the team has been good against the pass but has been struggled against the run in each of the past two games. Freshman Bruins quarterback Kevin Prince will get the start again despite a 13 for 25 performance for 81 yards last week home to Oregon. The freshman is hitting on 54% of his attempts this season with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The Bruins are 9th in the Pac 10 in total offense producing just 282 yards per game and a miserable 4.5 yards per play average.
One of these clubs will turn it around and get the confidence going again on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. With both of these teams so up and down so far this year, it's hard to predict who that's going to be. When in doubt, go with the home team.
Prediction: UCLA 24 - California 21
-JAB
It's a matchup of two reeling Pac-10 teams in Pasadena on Saturday. Both California and UCLA have hit the skids of late.
The Golden Bears were thankful for a bye last weekend that at least guaranteed they wouldn't get blow out again. Prior to that, eighth-year coach Jeff Tedford saw his Cal crew destroyed 42-3 by Oregon on the road before USC throttled the Bears 30-3 on their home turf. It hasn't been pretty, to say the least.
"We're struggling right now to get our swagger back, you know, and our confidence about what we're trying to do," said star tailback Jahvid Best earlier this week. "I still believe in this team and I know everybody in our locker room does to. Hopefully, we can get back on track (against UCLA on Saturday)."
The word is out on how to defend California. Teams who stack the line and contain the uber-talented Best have a shot to beat California. The junior running back had just 102 yards on 30 rushing attempts the past two weeks as both Oregon and USC pressed eight up in the box and took Best out of the game.
When teams have trouble carrying the rock, they usually turn to the air. But Golden Bears' junior quarterback Kevin Riley is only completing 51% of his passes this season, though he does have a good ratio of five touchdowns to just one interception. He couldn’t complete 40% of his passes against Oregon or Cal.
Additionally, the Golden Bears' defense was shredded in both of its last two contests, giving up 524 yards to Oregon and 457 to USC. It hasn't made Tedford happy. "This team has as much talent as any group in the conference," he proclaimed in Tuesday's teleconference. "I know we're capable of better things collectively, but we have to get some momentum rebuilt and rolling first."
California's problems aside, the UCLA Bruins are 3-2 and coming off of two straight troubling defeats. The team could only muster 16 points on the road at Stanford and just 10 a week later home to Oregon. Just when it looked to be turning a corner, the running game for the Bruins has headed south with just 95 yards on 26 carries against Stanford and a miserable 66 yards on 33 carries against Oregon.
Defensively the team has been good against the pass but has been struggled against the run in each of the past two games. Freshman Bruins quarterback Kevin Prince will get the start again despite a 13 for 25 performance for 81 yards last week home to Oregon. The freshman is hitting on 54% of his attempts this season with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The Bruins are 9th in the Pac 10 in total offense producing just 282 yards per game and a miserable 4.5 yards per play average.
One of these clubs will turn it around and get the confidence going again on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. With both of these teams so up and down so far this year, it's hard to predict who that's going to be. When in doubt, go with the home team.
Prediction: UCLA 24 - California 21
-JAB
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Oregon Blows Past UCLA, 24-10
(first published on KLAC's Bruins Board website --- 10/11/09)
No Jeremiah Masoli at quarterback for the Ducks yesterday at the Rose Bowl. No matter. A flurry of third quarter touchdowns, solid game management by backup Nate Costa, and Oregon rolled over a fatigued Bruins' defense en route to a 24-10 win.
For UCLA, it was the second straight Pac-10 loss after beginning the year with a 3-0 record. The Bruins are now 0-2 and in danger of bottoming out in league play with a loss to California at home next weekend. Oregon is 5-1, with a 3-0 conference mark and five straight wins after a season-opening loss at Boise State.
"That's what our team does," first-year Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "They feed off each other. When somebody makes a big play, the other guys feed off that. These guys have a great attitude, a great chemistry right now. It's fun to be around them."
It was a tale of limited offense and missed red-zone opportunities for Rick Neuheisel's crew in this one. In the first half, UCLA saw a third and goal from the one yard line lead to zero points. Consecutive quarterback sneaks by QB Kevin Prince went nowhere. Later in the fourth, UCLA wideout Terrance Austin took a punt return inside the Oregon twenty-yard line. Again, the Bruins went for it on 4th and goal, this time from the five, but came away with nothing.
Kicker Kai Forbath's 52 yard field goal was responsible for the only points on the board at halftime, UCLA with a 3-0 lead.
"There are no excuses for that really," freshman RB Jonathan Franklin said afterwards. "Our defense is playing its guts out, and we didn't give them the kind of lift or breathing room that we needed. I really don't know what to say, other than we've got to keep working at getting better and converting (red zone chances). That was so disappointing out there today."
Freshman QB Kevin Prince returned from a fractured jaw for UCLA. After a conservative, mistake-free first half, Prince unraveled in the 3rd quarter amidst a flurry of Ducks' touchdowns. The Bruins saw their 3-0 halftime lead dissipate quickly when Oregon's Kenjon Barner returned the second half kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. Moments later, Prince gift-wrapped a touchdown for Ducks' CB Talmadge Jackson, with an interception on an out throw for Terrance Austin that was returned 32 yards for a score. Less than two minutes after that, Prince lost a fumble that Oregon recovered. The Ducks rolled in for a third straight touchdown a few plays later, Nate Costa hitting receiver Jeff Maehl for a 20 yard score up the middle of the field. That grabbed a 21-3 lead for the Ducks and they never looked back.
"We've just got to get much better as a team, especially on offense," said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel. "Our defense lays it on the line out there, play after play, but our offense has got to move the ball, score points, take time off the clock---really do all the little things that help both units stay fresh. We'll get to fixing this stuff right away, and I know we'll have a better effort next weekend."
Linebacker Akeem Ayers accounted for UCLA's only touchdown with a great interception in the Oregon end zone late in the third quarter. He picked off a forced throw by Costa, then planted both feet down before falling out of bounds. Unfortunately for the Bruins, it was too little, too late.
UCLA hosts Cal next Saturday at 12:30 at the Rose Bowl. Tune in to AM 570 KLAC for all of your Bruins coverage, starting two hours before every kickoff.
-JAB
No Jeremiah Masoli at quarterback for the Ducks yesterday at the Rose Bowl. No matter. A flurry of third quarter touchdowns, solid game management by backup Nate Costa, and Oregon rolled over a fatigued Bruins' defense en route to a 24-10 win.
For UCLA, it was the second straight Pac-10 loss after beginning the year with a 3-0 record. The Bruins are now 0-2 and in danger of bottoming out in league play with a loss to California at home next weekend. Oregon is 5-1, with a 3-0 conference mark and five straight wins after a season-opening loss at Boise State.
"That's what our team does," first-year Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "They feed off each other. When somebody makes a big play, the other guys feed off that. These guys have a great attitude, a great chemistry right now. It's fun to be around them."
It was a tale of limited offense and missed red-zone opportunities for Rick Neuheisel's crew in this one. In the first half, UCLA saw a third and goal from the one yard line lead to zero points. Consecutive quarterback sneaks by QB Kevin Prince went nowhere. Later in the fourth, UCLA wideout Terrance Austin took a punt return inside the Oregon twenty-yard line. Again, the Bruins went for it on 4th and goal, this time from the five, but came away with nothing.
Kicker Kai Forbath's 52 yard field goal was responsible for the only points on the board at halftime, UCLA with a 3-0 lead.
"There are no excuses for that really," freshman RB Jonathan Franklin said afterwards. "Our defense is playing its guts out, and we didn't give them the kind of lift or breathing room that we needed. I really don't know what to say, other than we've got to keep working at getting better and converting (red zone chances). That was so disappointing out there today."
Freshman QB Kevin Prince returned from a fractured jaw for UCLA. After a conservative, mistake-free first half, Prince unraveled in the 3rd quarter amidst a flurry of Ducks' touchdowns. The Bruins saw their 3-0 halftime lead dissipate quickly when Oregon's Kenjon Barner returned the second half kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. Moments later, Prince gift-wrapped a touchdown for Ducks' CB Talmadge Jackson, with an interception on an out throw for Terrance Austin that was returned 32 yards for a score. Less than two minutes after that, Prince lost a fumble that Oregon recovered. The Ducks rolled in for a third straight touchdown a few plays later, Nate Costa hitting receiver Jeff Maehl for a 20 yard score up the middle of the field. That grabbed a 21-3 lead for the Ducks and they never looked back.
"We've just got to get much better as a team, especially on offense," said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel. "Our defense lays it on the line out there, play after play, but our offense has got to move the ball, score points, take time off the clock---really do all the little things that help both units stay fresh. We'll get to fixing this stuff right away, and I know we'll have a better effort next weekend."
Linebacker Akeem Ayers accounted for UCLA's only touchdown with a great interception in the Oregon end zone late in the third quarter. He picked off a forced throw by Costa, then planted both feet down before falling out of bounds. Unfortunately for the Bruins, it was too little, too late.
UCLA hosts Cal next Saturday at 12:30 at the Rose Bowl. Tune in to AM 570 KLAC for all of your Bruins coverage, starting two hours before every kickoff.
-JAB
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Ducks Flock to Pasadena for Big Bruin Test
(first published on KLAC's Bruins Board website --- 10/7/09)
At 4-1 overall, with a 2-0 mark in Pac-10 play, there's no doubt first-year head coach Chip Kelly has Oregon football headed the right way. Four straight wins since an opening night loss at Boise State (something about LeGarrette Blount throwing a punch?) have pushed UO to #13 in the national polls. But Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon's do-everything playmaker at quarterback, injured his knee in last weekend's win over Washington State. He'll likely miss the Bruins game, giving backup Nate Costa a chance for his first career start.
How he fares against a UCLA defense that is one of the tops in the country will be a huge determiner of the outcome in this one. But it's not all about Oregon's QB situation; the Bruins have been forced to shuffle the deck there as well. Starter Kevin Prince had his jaw fractured in last month's win over Tennesee. He missed two games, and while senior backup Kevin Craft played well in his stead, it's likely that Rick Neuheisel will turn back to his redshirt freshman for Saturday afternoon's game.
The clash of tailbacks will focus on UCLA's Jonathan Franklin, who seems to run harder with every game, and Oregon's breakout back LaMichael James, who's averaging more than six yards per carry.
UCLA hasn't beaten a ranked opponent yet this year, and it's probably not happening at the Rose Bowl this weekend.
Prediction: Oregon 20 - UCLA 13
-JAB
At 4-1 overall, with a 2-0 mark in Pac-10 play, there's no doubt first-year head coach Chip Kelly has Oregon football headed the right way. Four straight wins since an opening night loss at Boise State (something about LeGarrette Blount throwing a punch?) have pushed UO to #13 in the national polls. But Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon's do-everything playmaker at quarterback, injured his knee in last weekend's win over Washington State. He'll likely miss the Bruins game, giving backup Nate Costa a chance for his first career start.
How he fares against a UCLA defense that is one of the tops in the country will be a huge determiner of the outcome in this one. But it's not all about Oregon's QB situation; the Bruins have been forced to shuffle the deck there as well. Starter Kevin Prince had his jaw fractured in last month's win over Tennesee. He missed two games, and while senior backup Kevin Craft played well in his stead, it's likely that Rick Neuheisel will turn back to his redshirt freshman for Saturday afternoon's game.
The clash of tailbacks will focus on UCLA's Jonathan Franklin, who seems to run harder with every game, and Oregon's breakout back LaMichael James, who's averaging more than six yards per carry.
UCLA hasn't beaten a ranked opponent yet this year, and it's probably not happening at the Rose Bowl this weekend.
Prediction: Oregon 20 - UCLA 13
-JAB
Cardinal Derails Perfect UCLA Start, 24-16
(first published on KLAC's Bruins Board website --- 10/4/09)
Stanford is for real, and UCLA’s perfect start to the 2009 season is over. Riding senior tailback Toby Gerhart 29 times for 134 yards, the Cardinal offense displayed a steady balance all game long, en route to a 24-16 win.
It was the first win for Stanford over UCLA since 2003. That was also the last time the Cardinal made a bowl game. With head coach Jim Harbaugh now in his third year as Stanford’s head coach, his team genuinely looks like it’s turning a corner. Of course, having a quarterback like Andrew Luck certainly makes it all look a little easier: the redshirt freshman was 14 of 20 on his throws for 198 yards and the all-important donut in the interception column.
Stanford was a highly efficient 7 for 13 on 3rd down conversions; UCLA was a dismal 2 for 10 on the key plays. Time after time, Luck was able to pick up the blitz ahead of time and deliver his throws on the mark for the Cardinal.
“He’s a talented player, and he really just picked us apart there in the first half,” said Bruins’ coach Rick Neuheisel. “When you let their running game get going early with that big back (Toby Gerhart) of theirs, you put yourself in a difficult situation.
RB Jonathan Franklin rushed 14 times for 58 yards to lead the Bruins ground attack. Stanford Junior WR Ryan Whalen led all receivers with six catches for 188 yards.
After falling behind 24-6 early in the second half, UCLA began to chip away. Kicker Kai Forbath drilled another of his three field goal makes during a twelve minute span that framed a 1 yd TD dive from Jonathan Franklin.
Still, the deficit for UCLA was too much to overcome, as the Cardinal ran out the clock on their final drive.
“I was real proud of the way we fought back, everyone sticking together,” offered Bruins’ QB Kevin Craft, who was 22/34 for 206 yards without a pick. “But the bottom line is you have to find a way to get things evened up, and then get ahead and stay there. We came up short today.”
Stanford remains perfect in the Pac-10 at 3-0. UCLA falls to 0-1 in conference, with a home against #13 Oregon looming next Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
-JAB
Stanford is for real, and UCLA’s perfect start to the 2009 season is over. Riding senior tailback Toby Gerhart 29 times for 134 yards, the Cardinal offense displayed a steady balance all game long, en route to a 24-16 win.
It was the first win for Stanford over UCLA since 2003. That was also the last time the Cardinal made a bowl game. With head coach Jim Harbaugh now in his third year as Stanford’s head coach, his team genuinely looks like it’s turning a corner. Of course, having a quarterback like Andrew Luck certainly makes it all look a little easier: the redshirt freshman was 14 of 20 on his throws for 198 yards and the all-important donut in the interception column.
Stanford was a highly efficient 7 for 13 on 3rd down conversions; UCLA was a dismal 2 for 10 on the key plays. Time after time, Luck was able to pick up the blitz ahead of time and deliver his throws on the mark for the Cardinal.
“He’s a talented player, and he really just picked us apart there in the first half,” said Bruins’ coach Rick Neuheisel. “When you let their running game get going early with that big back (Toby Gerhart) of theirs, you put yourself in a difficult situation.
RB Jonathan Franklin rushed 14 times for 58 yards to lead the Bruins ground attack. Stanford Junior WR Ryan Whalen led all receivers with six catches for 188 yards.
After falling behind 24-6 early in the second half, UCLA began to chip away. Kicker Kai Forbath drilled another of his three field goal makes during a twelve minute span that framed a 1 yd TD dive from Jonathan Franklin.
Still, the deficit for UCLA was too much to overcome, as the Cardinal ran out the clock on their final drive.
“I was real proud of the way we fought back, everyone sticking together,” offered Bruins’ QB Kevin Craft, who was 22/34 for 206 yards without a pick. “But the bottom line is you have to find a way to get things evened up, and then get ahead and stay there. We came up short today.”
Stanford remains perfect in the Pac-10 at 3-0. UCLA falls to 0-1 in conference, with a home against #13 Oregon looming next Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
-JAB
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