Rick Neuheisel, I Owe You an Apology
By Brian Kamenetzky | College Football, UCLA, What I See, ColumnLike just about everyone (including Vegas), I figured the Bruins, with their tattered, fresh-and-wide-eyed offensive line and third string quarterback (among other issues) would have no chance to knock off Tennessee Monday night at the Rose Bowl. By now, everyone knows that I, along with just about everyone, was wrong. Since I was covering the Dodger game Monday for the LAT, I only had a chance to watch small bits of the first three quarters, but what I saw didn’t deviate from 
what I expected, namely a Bruins D doing everything they could to keep an inept offense in the game. It was working, but I figured the Vols would pull away late.
Then Kevin Craft turned into Troy Aikman and UCLA was able to pull off their biggest win since knocking off USC a couple seasons back. The fourth quarter was a ton of fun to watch. That finishing blow we all expected UT to deliver never came, even after the Vols scored with under two minutes to go. Anyone who has watched UCLA football over the last few years could be excused for thinking the Bruins didn’t have a last minute TD in them, but Craft showed they did.
The play calling was fantastic (my particular favorite being the middle screen from Craft to Ryan Moya that would set up Moya’s TD two plays later), so it was no surprise to see ESPN cut to a smiling Norm Chow more than once. That’s something Bruins fans could get used to. Creativity is back. DeWayne Walker deserves heaps of credit, as does Rick Neuheisel. I don’t know what will become of the rest of 2008, but it took Neuheisel all of one game to change the conversation regarding Bruins football.
Again, my apologies. With that, enjoy a sampling of what the web was saying this morning about the win:
…How did it happen?
Coaching, coaching, coaching — Norm Chow on offense and DeWayne Walker on defense.
These guys could coordinate anything.
Walker’s defense played like pit bulls in the first half, holding Tennessee down even as the UCLA offense looked like it wouldn’t score in 100 years.
“DeWayne, he kept us in the game,” Neuheisel said. “He kept us in.”
It was like an old Western movie where 11 guys try to hold the fort while three guys sneak out to get help…
…I repeatedly had to pinch myself over and over again during second half watching our offense just carving up a SEC defense filled with speed and athletcism. I haven’t seen a football offense I root for doing that to an opponent since the days of Cade M. You know there was also something very different in last night’s comeback vs. the multiple comebacks we experienced during the 2006 season. Last night’s comeback was methodical. It was systematic. Coaches pulled it off with their schemes and playing to our team’s strengths, rather than depending on helter-skelter plays and freakish talents of players like MJD. That comeback was real and legit, and it left no room for the opponent to point to dumb luck….
…Patience is supposed to be the key word when you start a new program, and Neuheisel will ultimately receive it, but Monday night he managed to accelerate expectations with one of the more improbable victories seen around here in years.
Understand, UCLA had no business being in their game with No. 18 Tennessee on Monday night. Not after a first half that would sent the kiddies hiding under their blankies and begging their mommies not to let them grow up to be Bruins.
But UCLA did win, pulled off a you-had-to-be-there-to- believe-it second half, scraped, clawed, juked, danced and survived for a 27-24 overtime victory against the Volunteers.
“For an opening act, it was a lot of fun,” Neuheisel said…
Matt Hinton, Yahoo.com’s Dr. Saturday:
…This is not entirely about Kevin Craft, because UCLA’s improbable win belongs mostly to the defense. But mostly, for obvious reasons, it’s about Kevin Craft. Because whatever potion, spell, hypnosis, mind control, secret serum, animatronic implant or satanic pact Rick had administered to his flailing, third-string transfer quarterback after the second quarter would fetch millions on the open market — not only for desperate coaches and their hapless passers, but for networks, too, anxious for the kind of brilliant half of football and thrilling, surprising finish the Neuheisel/Craft halftime voodoo produced...
…After the fourth interception, which resulted in a 61-yard touchdown return by Tennessee linebacker Nevin McKenzie, UCLA wide receiver Terrence Austin made a beeline for Craft.
“So what?” Austin told him. “It’s the second quarter. Don’t even worry about this.”
And that’s the weird thing: he didn’t. He didn’t worry about the boos, or Neuheisel in his face, or the three Bruins senior starters who went down in the first half (tight end Logan Paulsen, running back Kahlil Bell and wide receiver Marcus Everett). Instead, he recovered.
Craft’s second-half total: 18-of-25 for 193 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions. By game’s end he had completed passes to nine different Bruins receivers. He also had withstood everything Tennessee and the crowd could heave his way.
“I knew he wasn’t going to let us down,” Bosworth said. “He didn’t look like a juco transfer.”
Transfer? In the second half, Craft looked like UCLA’s answer…
…Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker also was working with marching orders to play conservatively and not take high-risk, high-reward chances because the offense, it was thought, wouldn’t be able to make up the difference.
“DeWayne’s defense kept us in the game,” UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said. “We came into the game with an idea of how to manage field position. I told him to be a little more conservative on their end of the field and if they get to the 50, now use your tricks.”
The defense produced two takeaways, including one on a critical Arian Foster fumble on the Bruins’ 6-yard line.
It only had one sack, but it consistently pressured and rattled Vols QB Jonathan Crompton, who completed only 18 of 40 passes for 184 yards with an interception. At one point in the fourth quarter, Crompton had missed on nine of 10 passes.
Up front, the Bruins more than handled what was reputed to be the SEC’s best offensive line.
“They think the Pac-10 is soft,” senior tackle Brigham Harwell said. “We let the people talk and talk and talk. But talk is cheap. We had to prove it.”
The Bruins produced eight tackles for a loss. Cornerback Alterraun Verner, who Walker reserved special praise for, had six tackles to go with his interception. End Korey Bosworth had the lone sack…
Discuss:
6 Responses to “Rick Neuheisel, I Owe You an Apology”
- 1 Pingback on Sep 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 am
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I’m a Trojan fan and alumni…so needless to say I rarely root for UCLA. But the one thing I hate more than UCLA is the big headed crap coming from the SEC. Sure they’re a strong conference, but guess what, last year’s SEC title contender just fell to a PAC-10 team to kick off their 2008 season. AGAIN. A Pac-10/UCLA team forced to use a third string QB. A UCLA team that threw four interceptions. A UCLA team that went 6-7 last season. What’s the deal SUC…err…i mean SEC.
And give credit where credit is due. The UCLA D looked as strong as ever. DeWayne walker is one of, if not the top defensive coach in college football. That two timing Chow. Got to hand it to him.
And if you match up PAC-10 to SEC matches since 2000, the PAC-10 has a clear edge: a 9-6 record against the SEC.
Yesterday morning, I got a call from my brother (Big UCLA Fan)who said he had an extra ticket to the UCLA/Tennessee game, if I wanted to go?
I turned him down because I didn’t want to rain on his parade with the beatdown I expected for the Bruins and because I would rather watch it on TV and make comments about the Gutless Little Bruins, but someone forgot to tell UCLA’s third string quarterback that they were playing a Mighty SEC Team and the second half of the game tuned into a “dog fight” and a mighty entertaining one at that!
Good for UCLA, good for the Pac 10 and good for USC to have someone who’s worth slapping around again.
That game is what really kicked off college football season. There were a couple of other good close games this weekend, but it was mostly garbage. Watching that UCLA game Monday night brought the serious juice back into me. What a fantastic viewing experience.
I’m a USC fan but I like UCLA anyways. Against non-conference foes I always root for them. Pac Ten football forever, baby.
Watching Jeremy Maclin run that 99 yarder back, Michigan State’s desperate final drive and Alabama hold Clemson to 0 total rushing yards were great. But the UCLA game really was a treat. Even had Tennessee won, it was the game of the week and hopefully, a preview of what’s to come every Saturday, Thursday and sometimes Monday.
It’s great to see Trojans fans complimenting the win, despite the rivalry. I, for one, am excited at the idea that down the road, the USC/UCLA game could start having very serious Rose Bowl implications for BOTH teams, rather than just USC. It’s better for local CFB if both programs thrive. Despite the win, we’re not nearly there yet. But at least the hope is back.