💯 Joe. And I also think having Harris as the CEO and Frenk heading up the whole darn thing, gives us all a different feeling. I am loving everything as it unfolds.
Still in all, it will be very interesting to see how Chesney and the Bruins handle what is essentially a "rematch" of the CFP meeting of Oregon and JMU.
Not that a "moral victory" would be acceptable, but it would be good to see them hold together.
For reference, here's the summary of JMU v the Dux.
Interesting to note that Knight ran for 110 yards with a long of 49. The stats were surprisingly close while the score was 52-34. It struck me is that JMU was well coached but just out manned. I get the feeling that Chesney and UCLA came together from mutual "needs to succeed".
The score of 51-34 is the one to beat....possibly reverse!
Yes.....it was adjustments and an attitude that Chez brought with him to UCLA and his JMU kids helped infuse here. I remember the Duck/JMU game was a blowout up until the end of the 3rd quarter. Lanning was trying to embarrass JMU. I remember that at the time, I wrote this about Lanning and the end of that game : "...............and face it, up to the 3 minute mark of the 3rd quarter, it was 48 to 13 and he was still at it: He had Moore throwing the ball to his superior athlete on the sideline to make it 55-13. Fortunately, a blitz forced a weak throw and the pick was returned to the Duck’s 33.
From this point, it was impressive to see how the JMU kids never quit. They didn’t feel sorry for themselves given what was an embarrassing score. They played with pride, like a team that had won a championship (Sun Belt). They played their butts off like it was 0-0 (to such an extent that all of those gloating bettors who count on Lanning running up the score were left crying in their beers at the end of the game due to JMU beating the 21 point spread with their last minute score). The mentality of this team was a great reflection on Chez." .......................................................Now, we have a UCLA team with some Power 4 talent (unlike JMU) and with that never say die attitude that has dominated the 4th quarter in every game it has played.....I have a real interest in the psychology of this upcoming game and hope we can discuss some of it as the next twelve days go by.
Congrats to HC Chesney and his staff for putting UCLA back into the national spotlight and getting the team into the Top-25 polls this week! Hope they can deliver some JMU payback at Oregon and remain a legit Top-25 team, or at least avoid a one-sided defeat. Scary to see no drop in performance with backup QB Raiola stepping in for injured Dante Moore. Have to go way back to 2017 for UCLA's most recent victory against the lame Ducks (31-14 at the Rose Bowl) and to 2004 for their last win at Oregon (34-26). Interestingly, the Dukes of Madison are also 4-0 this season, having won at SDSU by a similar score (26-13) as the Bruins' victory against the same team (28-10). JMU seems to be producer of good HCs. Need to analyze how Indiana was able to beat Oregon twice last year.
But Joe......the available vaccine may have been distributed too early......I have to admit I’m a little disappointed that the national media just ruined the "disrespected underdog" angle. Once a major outlet like CBS Sports starts printing articles comparing a team to the "historic turnaround" of the Indiana Hoosiers, the element of surprise is officially dead. In addition, as B4E points out, crashing into the Top 25 in both the AP and Coaches polls today, may change everything....... Oregon's players might have been prone to looking past a UCLA team, that given recent history, may have been familiarized to them as a "circled win on the calendar" before the real meat of their schedule; but there is no chance they will look past us now……Lanning and his staff will spend the next two weeks hammering into their players that this isn't the UCLA of old—that we are a ranked, dangerous football team. We still may have an angle to this game given the culture Chesney has brought to this team………but I have take care of some real world stuff this week before I get to that……glad we have a bye….
Yeah, too bad the Bruins can't sneak up on an unsuspecting Oregon like they did against the overconfident and overrated #7 PSU last year. Facing a ranked opponent for the first time this season (and on the road) will be a great challenge for HC Chesney and his team. But I think getting the BBS vaccine early will still reduce the negative effects of losses. Much better than getting hooked on hopium and experiencing endless withdrawal symptoms!
The fact that Baugh (Florida/SEC) is getting Heisman love and Knight is not is starting to piss me off.
Here are the #s:
Baugh 83 carries, 600 yards, 11 TDs, 7.2 yard average per carry.
Knight 49 carries, 445 yards, 9 TDs, 9.1 yard average per carry.
The only metric in which Baugh is superior is volume and that is because UCLA has great depth at the position and uses it liberally so that we can be more fit in the 4th quarter.
In one article, Baugh is among the top five candidates. No mention of Knight in the same article among the five listed, or even the 13 listed as on the fringe candidates, as follows:
Some of these guys are legit candiates. But Lincoln Kienhotz on 2-2 Louisville? Wake's QB? Really?
Knight is not a favorite. Not even in the mix among the top 18. Ohio State even gets a second candidate before Knight on this list.
Boo.
The only thing that warms me is that, knowing what I know about HCBC and his players, this is not a significant concern with any of them. I am sure Knight would rather win a team championship than an individual trophy.
Very happy for the program, but it may not last too much longer as Oregon is on the horizon. My hope is that UCLA plays a competitive game in Eugene and if they don't pull the upset and win the game outright, they make Oregon "feel it" afterwards.
Joe, first ranked since October 29, 2023, and they earned it the old-fashioned way — by knocking Maryland's teeth out. What caught my eye in the comments is the Knight conversation. 49 carries, 445 yards, 9.1 a pop, and the kid cannot crack a fringe list of 18 while a guy on 2-2 Louisville is getting Heisman ink. The only thing Baugh has on him is volume, and that is because UCLA's depth lets them keep Knight fresh for the fourth quarter. If he runs for 130 at Autzen next week, the list will find him in a hurry.
ESPN* has UCLA at #18 with the "hard hitting" Toe Jams at #19! Glowing report and link below..
...just seems like $70 millions doesn't buy what it used to anymore!
*I know, I know.
😁👍
"Bob Chesney is working his magic already in Westwood, where UCLA is 4-0 for the first time since 2022. Be it Chesney's own doing, that of his staff and/or the players he brought over from James Madison or simply the comfortable coalescence of it all, the Bruins look the part of a team that every blue blood hates to play: aggressive, well-coached and with little to lose. The competition Chesney & Co. have faced has not exactly been the most formidable, but they have handled opponents with such ease and dominance. All of their wins, including Saturday's 54-3 walloping of Maryland on the road have been by double digits. The Bruins have scored 45 points or more three times, and though they face Oregon in two weeks and end with games against Michigan and USC, the schedule could set up for them to make some serious noise down the stretch. -- Uggetti"
This ranking feels so different than 2023 💙💛💙💛
Yes, it does.
I think much of that feeling has to do with confidence that our head coach has the program moving in the right direction.
I don't think any Bruin fan had any confidence that Chip was doing anything besides collecting a fat paycheck.
💯 Joe. And I also think having Harris as the CEO and Frenk heading up the whole darn thing, gives us all a different feeling. I am loving everything as it unfolds.
Go Bruins!!! 💙💛💙💛
Our first “real” test will be the Quacks away game. Oregon is a legit team & in hostile territory
Still in all, it will be very interesting to see how Chesney and the Bruins handle what is essentially a "rematch" of the CFP meeting of Oregon and JMU.
Not that a "moral victory" would be acceptable, but it would be good to see them hold together.
For reference, here's the summary of JMU v the Dux.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/40177984
Interesting to note that Knight ran for 110 yards with a long of 49. The stats were surprisingly close while the score was 52-34. It struck me is that JMU was well coached but just out manned. I get the feeling that Chesney and UCLA came together from mutual "needs to succeed".
The score of 51-34 is the one to beat....possibly reverse!
Heard this somewhere...
"Go Bruins!"
I watched that game closely and rooted for the Dukes (not the Ducks).
I expressly remember that JMU was getting beat bad early, but they came back in the second half and almost made a game of it.
The second half adjustments were impressive.
If WarPlanner's link doesn't work, try this one:
https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401779843/james-madison-oregon
Yes.....it was adjustments and an attitude that Chez brought with him to UCLA and his JMU kids helped infuse here. I remember the Duck/JMU game was a blowout up until the end of the 3rd quarter. Lanning was trying to embarrass JMU. I remember that at the time, I wrote this about Lanning and the end of that game : "...............and face it, up to the 3 minute mark of the 3rd quarter, it was 48 to 13 and he was still at it: He had Moore throwing the ball to his superior athlete on the sideline to make it 55-13. Fortunately, a blitz forced a weak throw and the pick was returned to the Duck’s 33.
From this point, it was impressive to see how the JMU kids never quit. They didn’t feel sorry for themselves given what was an embarrassing score. They played with pride, like a team that had won a championship (Sun Belt). They played their butts off like it was 0-0 (to such an extent that all of those gloating bettors who count on Lanning running up the score were left crying in their beers at the end of the game due to JMU beating the 21 point spread with their last minute score). The mentality of this team was a great reflection on Chez." .......................................................Now, we have a UCLA team with some Power 4 talent (unlike JMU) and with that never say die attitude that has dominated the 4th quarter in every game it has played.....I have a real interest in the psychology of this upcoming game and hope we can discuss some of it as the next twelve days go by.
Congrats to HC Chesney and his staff for putting UCLA back into the national spotlight and getting the team into the Top-25 polls this week! Hope they can deliver some JMU payback at Oregon and remain a legit Top-25 team, or at least avoid a one-sided defeat. Scary to see no drop in performance with backup QB Raiola stepping in for injured Dante Moore. Have to go way back to 2017 for UCLA's most recent victory against the lame Ducks (31-14 at the Rose Bowl) and to 2004 for their last win at Oregon (34-26). Interestingly, the Dukes of Madison are also 4-0 this season, having won at SDSU by a similar score (26-13) as the Bruins' victory against the same team (28-10). JMU seems to be producer of good HCs. Need to analyze how Indiana was able to beat Oregon twice last year.
Go Bruins!
So happy to be wrong with my thoughts on this last night. Go Bruins!
Blame it on BBS... ;-)
But, hey! At least a cure has been found!
But Joe......the available vaccine may have been distributed too early......I have to admit I’m a little disappointed that the national media just ruined the "disrespected underdog" angle. Once a major outlet like CBS Sports starts printing articles comparing a team to the "historic turnaround" of the Indiana Hoosiers, the element of surprise is officially dead. In addition, as B4E points out, crashing into the Top 25 in both the AP and Coaches polls today, may change everything....... Oregon's players might have been prone to looking past a UCLA team, that given recent history, may have been familiarized to them as a "circled win on the calendar" before the real meat of their schedule; but there is no chance they will look past us now……Lanning and his staff will spend the next two weeks hammering into their players that this isn't the UCLA of old—that we are a ranked, dangerous football team. We still may have an angle to this game given the culture Chesney has brought to this team………but I have take care of some real world stuff this week before I get to that……glad we have a bye….
Yeah, too bad the Bruins can't sneak up on an unsuspecting Oregon like they did against the overconfident and overrated #7 PSU last year. Facing a ranked opponent for the first time this season (and on the road) will be a great challenge for HC Chesney and his team. But I think getting the BBS vaccine early will still reduce the negative effects of losses. Much better than getting hooked on hopium and experiencing endless withdrawal symptoms!
The fact that Baugh (Florida/SEC) is getting Heisman love and Knight is not is starting to piss me off.
Here are the #s:
Baugh 83 carries, 600 yards, 11 TDs, 7.2 yard average per carry.
Knight 49 carries, 445 yards, 9 TDs, 9.1 yard average per carry.
The only metric in which Baugh is superior is volume and that is because UCLA has great depth at the position and uses it liberally so that we can be more fit in the 4th quarter.
In one article, Baugh is among the top five candidates. No mention of Knight in the same article among the five listed, or even the 13 listed as on the fringe candidates, as follows:
C.J. Carr, Notre Dame; Jaylin Carter, Memphis; Reed Harris, Arizona State; Kevin Jennings, SMU; Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville; Gio Lopez, Wake Forest; Jayden Maiava, USC; Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State; Julian Sayin, Ohio State; Austin Simmons, Missouri; Colin Simmons, Texas; Gunner Stockton, Georgia; Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State.
Some of these guys are legit candiates. But Lincoln Kienhotz on 2-2 Louisville? Wake's QB? Really?
Knight is not a favorite. Not even in the mix among the top 18. Ohio State even gets a second candidate before Knight on this list.
Boo.
The only thing that warms me is that, knowing what I know about HCBC and his players, this is not a significant concern with any of them. I am sure Knight would rather win a team championship than an individual trophy.
Very happy for the program, but it may not last too much longer as Oregon is on the horizon. My hope is that UCLA plays a competitive game in Eugene and if they don't pull the upset and win the game outright, they make Oregon "feel it" afterwards.
Joe, first ranked since October 29, 2023, and they earned it the old-fashioned way — by knocking Maryland's teeth out. What caught my eye in the comments is the Knight conversation. 49 carries, 445 yards, 9.1 a pop, and the kid cannot crack a fringe list of 18 while a guy on 2-2 Louisville is getting Heisman ink. The only thing Baugh has on him is volume, and that is because UCLA's depth lets them keep Knight fresh for the fourth quarter. If he runs for 130 at Autzen next week, the list will find him in a hurry.
Late breaking...
ESPN* has UCLA at #18 with the "hard hitting" Toe Jams at #19! Glowing report and link below..
...just seems like $70 millions doesn't buy what it used to anymore!
*I know, I know.
😁👍
"Bob Chesney is working his magic already in Westwood, where UCLA is 4-0 for the first time since 2022. Be it Chesney's own doing, that of his staff and/or the players he brought over from James Madison or simply the comfortable coalescence of it all, the Bruins look the part of a team that every blue blood hates to play: aggressive, well-coached and with little to lose. The competition Chesney & Co. have faced has not exactly been the most formidable, but they have handled opponents with such ease and dominance. All of their wins, including Saturday's 54-3 walloping of Maryland on the road have been by double digits. The Bruins have scored 45 points or more three times, and though they face Oregon in two weeks and end with games against Michigan and USC, the schedule could set up for them to make some serious noise down the stretch. -- Uggetti"
Link..
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/50028427/2026-college-football-power-rankings-top-25-week-4