UCLA: The Bruins Head to Texas with a Lot of Question Marks

Apparently Jim Mora is channeling his inner Norman Dale.

According to reporting via the Los Angeles Times, Mora plans to take his charges on a field trip to visit AT&T Stadium the day before the Bruins play Texas.  And just like in Hoosiers, he will presumably point out that even though the palatial appointments of the stadium are larger than life, the actually playing field is regulation, no different than the one they call home in Pasadena. (The article is silent on whether they will get to meet Jerry Jones.) 

All smart aleckiness aside, I think this is a good move. Reduce the distraction of the glamor location and refocus on playing the actual game. 

I hope it yields results, because something doesn’t look right. Is it just me? That’s the question I keep turning over and over in my mind. UCLA football spent the summer enjoying all kinds of sports media love, everything from Heisman candidacy speculation for quarterback Brett Hundley to a preseason No. 7 national ranking by USA Today.

The new season looked to be full of promise. And then UCLA opened against unranked Virginia and barely pulled off a win against a backup Cavaliers squad playing with a backup quarterback. If it wasn’t for the stellar second quarter play of its defense—it scored three defensive touchdowns—UCLA would have lost. 

But "a win is a win" Bruin Nation told itself: The home opener against Memphis will be different.

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Except it wasn’t. This time the team traded personalities. The offense looked okay in the team's 42-35 win over the Tigers, but where was the playmaking defense of the previous week? I can’t put my finger on it but this team just looks...out of sorts. 

I think the raised expectations have taken a toll, whether they want to admit it or not. Think about it:  When Jim Mora showed up in Westwood two years ago, he took a struggling program and remolded it into a tough, physical unit. The decision to hold training camp in San Bernardino in scorching August was brilliant. Get away from distractions, and let the heat temper this team into something gritty and united. 

It worked. UCLA molded an identity: We will be tougher and more physical than you. We may be underdogs, but we will not shy away from any challenge. Sometimes they reminded me of an old saying Pat Hill used to use when he was the coach at Fresno State. His teams were unafraid and declared their willingness to play “anybody, anywhere, anytime.” Great slogan. 

If you had to sum up the Bruins right now what would you say? I think the last couple of years they relished their underdog status. But you can’t really play the “no one respects us” card when you start the season ranked in the Top 10.

So, who are they?

Right now, what the Bruins are for unranked opponents like Virginia, Memphis and Texas, is an opportunity. 

UCLA hasn’t really spent a lot of time lately being a favorite—at least perception-wise. But once that perception changes, every opponent, even the lowliest underdog, is dangerous. An upset is always in play because in a game that can so often turn on effort and execution, what better path to glory for a Bruins opponent then to triumph over the team that all the pundits expect to defeat you handily.  

I think UCLA is struggling with this new status. They don’t want to get cocky, but they don’t really have any swagger either.

Sticking with the Texas theme, this is where Jim Mora needs to channel his inner Coach Eric Taylor.  Remember him and his fictional Dillon Panthers from the television series Friday Night Lights?” Coach Taylor, just like fictional Hoosiers coach Norman Dale, was terrific at motivating his young charges to tune out distractions and come together as a team.

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Texas is going to bring everything it has. This is a proud, legacy franchise that would like nothing more than to take the Bruins down on national television. This is about mindset as much as it is about execution. 

In practical terms what does that mean? 

The Bruins look tight to me and maybe even a little overcoached. If I was giving the pregame speech I’d say the keys to winning the game are to play smart situational football, with an emphasis on avoiding dumb penalties. Each man must win his physical matchup. Quit overthinking it. Know your position and do your job. 

And quit looking ahead. That goes double for Bruin Nation. It’s the middle of September; stop thinking about rankings and playoffs. The only focus right now should be defeating the Longhorns.

This season is going to be a grind. The only path to victory is play by play, quarter by quarter, game by game.

The Bruins can take the next step Saturday with a quality win over Texas.