SB Nation - Micah Reed

More Than Words

Nestor — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:21:39 -0000

Before getting into some of my specific impressions from yesterday’s thrilling win let’s quickly reset the big picture here a bit. We now have a record of 3-4 with a conference record of 2-2. Looking back at last 7 games, the loss that really hurts right now is the one against Fresno State. Given what we have now seen from Kevin Craft (more on his clutch second half below of course), I think we would have had a good shot at winning that game if we hadn’t turned the ball over in that last drive. If we had won that game we could have probably looked at a record of 4-3 (and if we had gotten lucky at Oregon) perhaps 5-2.

Given what we have been through in terms of injury situation that pretty much wiped away an entire starting offense from last spring, lack of experienced talent in our roster , what the coaches have done is nothing short of remarkable. I am still not sure whether we are going to get to a bowl game this season. My brain tells me it’s a tall order since every game for this team will be a challenge. But it’s obvious now that when CRN and his players and coaches talk about "relentless optimism" and not giving up on this season, we are hearing more than just words:

Photo Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Time

So with that here are some thoughts from yesterday’s afternoon hear stopper. For today though, I will start with the portion from yesterday’s notes that are disconcerting before going on to the positive/inspiring moments from yesterday’s resilient win.

I will break up my negative notes in two sections. First, talking about personnel related issues then raising question about decisions (just for discussion’s sake).

So let's start with the personnel issues. Here is my question that I think is on lot of people’s mind: can we afford to stick with Kahlil Bell as our starting tailback?

Let’s first look at the numbers from yesterday: Bell had 28 yards in 11 carries (2.5 avg), while Coleman rushed for 20 yards in 4 carries (5.0 avg). For the season now Bell has rushed for 187 yards in 71 carries (2.6 avg) and 5 TDs. While Coleman to date has rushed for 191 yards in 32 carries (6.0 avg) and 1 TD.

In terms of number, right now I think it is pretty clear who has been the more productive back at least when it comes to sustaining drives and getting us into more manageable 2nd and 3rd down situations at a more consistent level. From what my eyes are seeing, it appears that Bell is playing injured. He still has the power to go straight up, but he is not as effective as he was before getting injured, when he tries to make his cuts. I have nothing but admiration and respect for the effort this kid is giving for this team and the leadership he brings to the table. But at the same time, I think we have to ask the question whether the coaches need to lessen his load a bit so that we can look at more productive options.

I think based on numbers at least it makes sense to increase the work load of Coleman a bit and also give Aundre Dean some good looks so that perhaps we can take advantage of the speed and power he brings to the table. Am I off here? One explanation I can think of about why Bell is getting more time is perhaps Chow and Palcic think he is a better option when it comes to providing Craft a little extra protection as he is more familiar with blocking schemes and in sync with our OL. They see the tapes lot more than I do and I will not question their eyes given their proven track record. However, I am still a little perplexed.

Staying on the theme of personnel issues, Bret Lockett was getting lit up against yesterday. I am sure you have seen the highlights Tele posted below and saw the block Gerhart made on the poor kid. Lockett at times looked helpless when it comes to providing help against the Stanford rushing attack. But Walker stayed with him yesterday:

After playing poorly last week at Oregon and nearly losing his job, Bruins senior strong safety Bret Lockett played so well Walker scrapped plans to use redshirt freshman Glenn Love to spell Lockett.

"It was probably the toughest week, this and the Tennessee week when I did not play (because of suspension)," Lockett said. "All the criticism and the people doubting me, but I just used it as motivation."

Lockett finished with three tackles and also forced a first-quarter fumble.

"I felt like he was playing well enough to where it was like, `OK, let's not break the rhythm,' because he's been ridiculed the whole season," Walker said. "For him to be having a little bit of success, in terms of doing his job, I thought that was important for his confidence."

I actually thought Walker had a good game scheme wise yesterday. Our tackling looked much better than it did against Oregon (and previous game) and he seemed to put our two monster DTs in best position to contain the Stanford running attack. Moreover, I think he deserves credit for the coverage our secondary provided the whole game, which completely shut down the Stanford passing game. Still that said, I would have love to see a little bit of Glenn Love at SS and see what the kid could do. It’s obvious Love can hit, as he showed in that hit during Stanford punt return leading to turnover. He is a physical player. I think it would be good to see him in there in the coming weeks and see what he can do. Again just my 2 cents because whenever I see an opposing TB bowling towards Lockett, I think I am not the only one with a lump in my throat.

Those are the two personnel issues that stick out to me for now. Now let’s get to one specific decision from yesterday’s game. Here was the sequence after UCLA had a 1st and goal on the Stanford 6 yard line towards the end of 3^rd leading to a Forbath FG:

1st and Goal at STAN 6: Chris Forcier rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Stanf 7.
2nd and Goal at STAN 7: Kevin Craft sacked for a loss of 3 yards to the Stanf 10.
3rd and Goal at STAN 10: Kevin Craft rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Stanf 11.

I will never question Chow’s over all game scheme just like I have never called out Coach Howland’s game schemes. Chow had no peer when it comes to devising schemes. None (at least in college football). But honestly just in this specific case, those three plays left me confused. Perhaps it showed he is merely human. :-) I would have loved to hear his explanation for those calls and find out what his thought process was behind those calls. I don’t write that to be snarky at all. I am genuinely curious behind what he was thinking.

So those were the negatives. Let’s pivot from the negatives to yesterday’s heroes and great storylines, and the perfect transition is this guy:

Photo Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Uh yeah … count me in as one of those who got excited when Forcier was warming up on the sidelines. I have been supportive of Kevin Craft all season and I more than understand how at this point it is probably the best decision on RN and Chow’s part to stick with this kid. But at the same time while watching the first half, the question kept popping in my head: could Forcier be any worse?

After KC fumbled in the first half, I don’t think I was the only one somewhat excited in reading CRN’s lips saying something like, "that’s it. We are going with Forcier." From CRN in today’s DN:

"There was a point in the game where I did consider it, and sometimes it gets the better of me because I'm an old quarterback and an old quarterback coach," Neuheisel said. " It was probably a little irrational on my part, but the kid, God bless him, he responded. His resiliency is one of the reasons why we're standing here with a victory. Norm calmed me down."

Two things here. First, and 66 already noted this in his as usual brilliant observations, note how CRN had no problem checking his ego and deferring to Chow. For those who have been involved in leadership positions or observing effective executive decisions, that is pretty much perfect example of how an effective CiC takes in the feedback of his trusted advisors and has the instincts to overrule himself after careful insta-analysis. That’s good stuff. Second, going back to Chow, given how KC has his trust, I think rest of Bruin Nation should have the same faith in this kid who is doing as much as he can within his athletic ability to listen to his coaches.

The last play Craft made up was a scrambling throw to backup tight end Cory Harkey, a freshman who has had a bum ankle.

It came with 10 seconds left, it was for a seven-yard touchdown, and Chow said that if Craft hadn't trusted his instincts he might have settled for a receiver who was open on the one- or two-yard line.

"The initial read Kevin wasn't real patient with," Chow said. "The initial read would have gotten us four or five yards, and we needed seven. Kevin scrambled around and made that play. If he would always trust that instinct, he's a really good player."

And it’s not just Chow, who are believing in the Bruin QB:

"He's clutch," UCLA offensive lineman Nick Ekbatani said. "I really believe he's a clutch player. When it comes down to it and it's on the line, he's going to make plays. I love blocking for him."

Craft, the son of former San Diego State coach Tom Craft, could spend the game ripping his offensive linemen for ridiculously poor protection - they allowed seven sacks against Stanford - but he doesn't.

After a roughing-the-passer penalty, lineman Jeff Baca tried to help Craft up and make sure he was OK, and Craft flung his arm away.

Craft can take a hit and bounce back on his own.

What was even more impressive was how Craft handled himself after the game. Instead of being over exuberant, he was ice cold, composed and talked about how he needs to address all the issues from first half. To me that was even more impressive on how didn’t lose perspective despite the great win.

Speaking of instincts perhaps the coaches should think about getting Craft and co in the "hurry up" no-huddle mode all game? The results kind of speak for themselves. No?

In addition to Craft’s clutch turnaround there were other heroes in our offense. From the LA Times:

UCLA wide receiver Nelson Rosario, a freshman from Oceanside who has been slowed by a sore knee, had a career-high four catches for 71 yards. One catch came over the middle where he was unfazed by the hard tackle that came immediately, and another came during UCLA's game-winning touchdown drive.

"It feels so great," Rosario said. "I think I'll get more chances as I'm healthy, and when I make catches the quarterback will have more faith in me."

Another freshman, Taylor Embree, was on the receiving end of a 43-yard pass from Craft in the third quarter -- UCLA's longest gain on a pass play this season.

In addition to Rosario and Embree, huge props go out Terrence Austin. Austin was nothing short of a warrior, leading the team with 5 receptions (for 50 yards) and catching that huge TD of Craft’s shovel pass. There was also Chane Moline’s clutch run in that last drive when he rumbled up for 17 yards on 3rd and 1. Ryan Moya also came up big with not only a huge catch, but also to have the smart instinct to run up and hustle towards the sideline to save time on the clock.

Going back to game winning touchdown the LA Times has some interesting quotes from Micah Reed on what went on in the huddle:

"I told those guys, this was a moment we could look back on down the line," Reed said.

If hindsight is 20-20, Reed's foresight turned out to be 23-20 -- the numbers favoring UCLA on the scoreboard at the end.

Craft scrambled to his right and flipped a pass to Cory Harkey, who was in the back of the end zone.

"Micah told us," guard Scott Glicksberg said. "This was a chance to move forward as a team. This makes it easier to believe in what we're doing and keep doing it."

Reggie Carter had this to say about the same play:

"I had a few tears," UCLA linebacker Reggie Carter said. "After the offense scored that touchdown, my eyes watered up. You get emotional. It's hard to hold all that emotion in. Winning is fun."

I know I am probably not covering number of other details from yesterday’s game (i.e. we still need to see better coverage from our special teams) … but I can’t think of any better way to end on that note for this Sunday, before starting to focus on what will be an incredibly difficult and challenging game next weekend.

I like this team … a lot. They are making football fun (despite the frustrations we experience as fans), which I haven’t had following UCLA football since Cade left Westwood.

GO BRUINS.

Dealing With Reality: Bouncing Back With Basics

Nestor — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:06:44 -0000

So where to pick up the day after?

All off season we had been mentally preparing ourselves for a very tough season during Rick Neuheisel’s first year at UCLA. There were a number of outsiders who mocked those pre-season projections asserting that somehow we were low balling the expectations game to protect a first year coach. What we saw yesterday was a realization of all the warning signs we flashed this off season based on our thorough analysis of our entire roster. Sure the jolt of 0-59 was beyond jarring:

Photo Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

However, the kind of low we are all collectively experiencing this morning, shouldn’t have been a surprise to any knowledgeable Bruin football fan who has been following this program on a day to day basis for last few years. This was coming and there wasn’t much even the best coaching combination in the country could do about it.

The victory against Tennessee was magical. No doubt. But there was a reason we posted this warning sign moments after that missed Volunteer OT kick at the Rose Bowl (emphasis added):

Tonight is just a start. We are experiencing the kind of high we haven't experienced since 13-9. We know there are tough times ahead. We are going to experience our share of adversity. It is going to happen.

So it has happened. Within 2 weeks, the reality around UCLA football has brought everyone back crashing to earth. The question is how everyone is going to react?

Well, a good place to start would be not to get into any kind of blame game and recognize the reality that right now we don’t have the horses to compete at an elite level. Please note that when I make that assertion it’s not meant to be an attack on any of our players in the team. I have no doubt these kids are doing everything they can and will do everything they can to help the new regime build a foundation for the long term future of this program. But that doesn’t preclude us from making the observation that right now we don’t have the talent and experience to compete at the top level of the Pac-10 conference or even the MWC.

Let’s take our defense for example. Over here we have been critical and difficult on DeWayne Walker and have raised questions about his ability to scheme against the spread offense. Yet, today I am not sure it would be wise to single him out for failing to properly scheme against BYU’s lethal passing attack. Let’s go back to the discussion we had on stopping spread type of offense before the Tennessee game:

The most effective way to stop spread offense is to have speedy defenders who can offset any mismatches spread OCs try to create with their skill position players. So what can a DC like Walker do to spread the effective passing attack of Max Hall? He can compete when he can field a defense with speedy LBs and a fast and athletic defensive secondary. Does he have that? Well again just look through our roster. Walker is working with 3 new starters in his defensive backfield and his experience safety Lockett was getting in his first action of the season. At LB with all due respect to Bosworth and Hale (who are playing their hearts out), Walker has a blue chipper in Reggie Carter who is playing a new position at Mike, replacing the experience and brain of last two year’s unit in Christian Taylor.

I guess the question here could be is why did our DBs give Cougars receivers so much cushion? From Dohn:

Collie matched a career-high with 10 receptions - all in the first half - and scored two touchdowns as quarterback Max Hall picked apart UCLA's secondary, Verner in particular, en route to No. 18 BYU's 59-0 thrashing of the Bruins on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

"It was a shocker," Walker said. "We've got to get (Verner) going. I'm just as shocked as you guys. I thought he could handle (Collie).

"That was our whole game plan going in, and it didn't work out that way."

Walker said he did not want Verner to give Collie much of a cushion at the line of scrimmage, but time and again Verner lined up 10 yards off the line of scrimmage.

It allowed Hall to constantly complete short passes to Collie, and kept UCLA's defensive line and blitzing linebackers from pressuring Hall. He finished 27 of 35 for 271 yards and seven touchdowns, and was a big reason the Cougars were 13 of 17 converting third downs.

"I played off too much," Verner said. "They were doing short routes most of the game, taking 5- or 6- or 8-yard gains all day. I played too far off him and gave him too much room to make catches. That type of guy you have to get up and try to take their space away and make them go over the top on you.

"I didn't do that in the beginning, and I tried to change it up at the end."

I think the fact that our best cover corner felt like he had to give Austin Collie a cushion to effectively cover him tells us all we need to know about the talent level in our defense. This is the kind of reality that might not be pleasant for fan but this is where we are after what has transpired in the recruiting front over last five years. I know we have lot of youngsters who came in this last recruiting class. But football is not basketball where kids can just come in and take over. There are some exceptions but it generally takes 2-3 years for a high school kid to get comfortable in the college game.

The obvious difference in this year’s matchup with Cougars from last year was the absence of Bruce Davis. Davis was a terror who brought the heat on Hall from the outside. There was only so much the combination of Harwell and Price could do. They tried to push from the inside, but the BYU OL was able to neutralize them given the fact that we were not getting any pressure from our DEs and backers. As a result, Hall had enough time in the pocket to write up terms papers and slice up the UCLA secondary. And when Unga was getting outside he was simply bulldozing over our ends and LBers. They were undersized and overmatched.

There was not much Walker could do. Could he have gone for broke time and again by bringing in LB and safety blitzes? I am honestly not sure if that would have worked because as mentioned above he doesn’t have seniors like Davis, Horton or Keyes in the roster. Only thing he can do right now is to try to get back with his players and get them to refocus on the fundamentals for next weekend at the Rose Bowl.

Now let’s shift our attention towards the offense. Again there is not much either Neuheisel or Chow could do yesterday. If you go through the game, I am not sure how much second guessing we can do about their play calling. If anything, they actually tried to be aggressive. They head faked the BYU coaches into taking a TO, when they showed as if they were going for it on 4^th and 1 in our first drive. They mixed in good calls on first downs. Loved those quick outs and bubble screens to WRs on first downs that worked like running play.

But all that didn’t hide the stone cold reality about our OL, which once again generated only 16 yards in 9 carries (See box score). I have always liked the effort the Chane Train gives out there. But he is not really an every down back. We didn’t have Bell out there and Carter got dinged up early on. My main reservation from yesterday was that I wish our coaches had tried out Dean or Franklin out there early. My understanding is that Dean was out there for 1 carry and got hurt (update below). I think it would be good for coaches to get these kids out there lot more (if Dean is healthy) next week and just give them their chances. Because they need something.

As for Craft, again this is a kid who is giving everything they have. He did missed couple of easy passes. But his production was decent (23 for 39, 240 yards, 1 pick). He did what he could to move the chains. Then again we saw the extent of his athleticism when his hailmary pass at the end of the first half fell more than 20 yards short of the end zone. Once again, it’s telling about the talent level of our program when our best QB prospect (including the current kids on the roster) is probably a helicopter ride away from Westwood.

What happened yesterday was a total implosion that’s a result of a decade long roster and recruiting mismanagement in this football program. And the problems on both offense and defense metastasized and spilled over into every facets of the team which we saw in the repeated breakdown of special teams. As painful and dispiriting as it is, there is not much we can do about it.

We already posted CRN’s message re. adversity. As T pointed he has standing when he talks about dealing with adversity given what he has gone through last few years. There is no one better in terms of offering to lead by his own example. He also had this to say about yesterday’s loss:

"We have to get better, and that's across the board," Neuheisel said. "All of us have to get better. This loss is pinned on every one of us. The bottom line is what do we do to fix it?"

I think in terms of fixing the problems, as alluded it will probably start with going back to basics on defense. Same goes for both offense and the special teams. I imagine coaches are going to be working on with basic drills of holding on to the ball. CRN had to say this about our offense:

"Our game is always going to be the same; we're going to have to stay on the field, keep our defense off of it,'' Neuheisel said. "We could not do that. We left our defense out there far too long, and BYU was methodical.''

And that plan falls apart when the offense keeps turning the ball over. For the long term issues silverlakebruin nailed it:

The Key now is to get the troops rallied, play with pride the next 10 games, hope for a .500 season, and one more thing::

ITS ALL ABOUT RECRUITING… CRN MUST HAVE STELLAR RECRUITING THE NEXT TWO SEASONS

Then we will be in a position to be excellent in 2010.

As for injuries here was the update from Don following the game:

Center Micah Reed injured the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, and it appears he will not be ready for next week against Arizona.
Linebacker Kyle Bosworth injured the MCL in his left knee, and was pulled from the game so not to injure it more.
Running back Raymond Carter has a bruised knee, but said he didn't believe it was serious.
All three will have MRIs Monday or Tuesday.
Running back Aundre Dean sprained his ankle on his only carry and defensive tackle Jerzy Siewierski suffered a strained neck. Not sure on either's status for next week until the next few days.

I haven’t seen any updates yet. If you see it, please post it in the comments on the fan shots.

Right now ... we don't need outsider's "pity" or calls for "gut check" who in their cursory interest in writing about our program never really cared to deal with with facts and failed to recognize what our program has gone through this past decade. Let the MSM types cackle all they want. We need to stick together with this team and with each other.

So, I will reiterate what I wrote last night. We saw this play out in Howland’s first couple of years again, again, and again. Under the best coach in college hoops, kids with UCLA stitched in front of their jerseys were getting humiliated at Pauley and on the road in blowout losses to Arizona, Notre Dame, St. Johns and on and on. In fact Howland’s best moment his first season was a close loss against Tubby Smith’s Kentucky team in Anaheim. I remember those days clearly because it makes the taste of success we have experience last three years that much sweeter. Especially sweet for those of us who stay with the team for the entire ride.

So chin up … take a deep breath.

GO BRUINS.

Spaulding Roundup: Comeback Stories

Nestor — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:00:06 -0000

Picking up from my last post re questions around our football team, looks like we are not the only one wondering about which Craft is going to show up at Provo on Saturday. Here is Chow in the LA Times on what to expect from his young QB following his first game as a Bruin:

"I don't think you could have written a better script," offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "My wife said it was like a movie. The problem is the movie is not over yet. We don't know how it's going to end."

Well the good news according to Chow is that Craft has been steadier in practices since the first game:

"I've seen some real growth in his maturity," Chow said. "He's more confident in the huddle and is understanding the offense better. It's still going to take some time. It's not like he's a polished guy just yet."

Craft's play in practice since that game has been smoother, with fewer interceptions. Craft said he learned "to stick to the game plan and don't try to push the ball up the field. The big plays will happen."

The victory, though, did help Craft in one area.

Said Coach Rick Neuheisel said: "He brought us back in that game, and that will always be there. You can talk until you're blue in the face about stuff like that, but until you've done it, you always wonder."

Craft’s challenge is going to be even tougher on Saturday. And as Dohn notes it will not be Craft’s first appearance in Provo. He got in a game there during his time with San Diego State where the results (in terms of his team’s performance) didn’t go so well:

Craft's previous visit to BYU didn't go so well, despite completing 20 of 32 passes for 216 yards and an interception. The Aztecs trailed 40-3 at the half and lost 47-17.

"It's a good experience playing there. It gets loud up there, and they rock that stadium," Craft said.

"It's one of those things where you have a routine, like we do before games for the Rose Bowl, and you know what to expect and nothing will surprise you. That's kind of nice that I'll have that, but we're a new team. And they have a different team, too.”

Hopefully this time the score will be a little different. To help out Craft, he will have the support of a group of team-mates who are developing under the new coaching staff after going through some incredible adversity last few years at UCLA. He will have team-mates like Ryan Moya to count on:

A pass-catching tight end who's a mismatch for most defenders, Moya was off to a promising start to his sophomore campaign in 2006, catching 12 passes through the first six games.

But Moya broke his left leg early in the game at Oregon and was out for the rest of the season, while the Bruins struggled at his position for the remainder of the season.

Moya missed all of spring practice and more, as the injury did not heal properly. So he opted to sit out last fall and remain home in El Dorado Hills and had surgery to have bone spurs cleaned out of his ankle. He also had personal issues, which he has declined to talk about, that led him to take time off from school.

Moya re-enrolled in the winter, made an instant impact in spring ball and was expected to be used as an H-Back this season, with senior Logan Paulsen starting at tight end.

However, Paulsen broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in UCLA's opener against Tennessee, and he'll be sidelined anywhere from two months to the entire season. That threw Moya into the spotlight in coordinator Norm Chow's offense, which features lots of plays for the tight end.

Moya responded with a career-high seven receptions for 65 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 27 seconds remaining.

In addition to Ryan, Gavin Ketchum is back in the fold just in time to step up in the absence of Marcus Everett:

"It's great to be back," he said. "I can come to practice with a smile. I hated sitting out, and that's all I had been doing."

Ketchum, who missed most of last season with a broken leg and qualified for a medical redshirt, was sick for the first two weeks of training camp before his family doctor diagnosed him with mono. He was quarantined for a week and did some light individual drills last week before coming back in earnest this week.

A 6-foot-5, 210-pound possession receiver who also makes an impact on special teams, Ketchum has been getting extensive reps with the first-team offensive this week in preparation for BYU.

With Marcus Everett sidelined with a dislocated toe, Ketchum's return comes at an opportune time for the Bruins, who have just two available players with significant game experience at the position.

Earlier in the week, Coach Rick Neuheisel said Ketchum might play only about a dozen snaps because of conditioning, but Ketchum said he's no longer feeling winded.

"I am definitely looking forward to contributing," Ketchum said.

And those three are not the only ones with their own come back stories as Bruin football players. Brian Dohn today has a great piece on OL Scott Glicksburg’s travails in his five years in Westwood. The fifth year senior who came into the program has gone through four position changes and one physical setbacks after another, before settling into his current position as Chow and Palcic’s RG, giving everything he can to help our coaches rebuild this program.

By now it’s not a shock how these kids have been hanging in there through their struggles and doing what they can to contribute to the development of this program, remaining “relentlessly positive.” Rhiannon Potkey in the Salt Lake Tribune has this on an energized UCLA football team:

   The UCLA players noticed an immediate difference once Neuheisel charged in preaching his "relentlessly positive" message.
    "There is a lot more energy and a lot more excitement," junior cornerback Alterraun Verner said. "He is more interactive and more into it with the players instead of being in the back and letting other people do things. He is more in your face and hands on."
    It was the minor details that impressed UCLA fifth-year senior center Micah Reed.
    "He told us he would have everyone's first and last names memorized by spring ball, and he did," Reed said. "I came here as a walk-on, and the last couple of years I don't know if every coach knew my name. But he made it a point."

Again none of this is a surprise to anyone … we had a good feeling that the original “come back kid” would electrify this program. Let’s hope we can keep building on it on Saturday.

GO BRUINS.