UCLA graphic
Here is the information that ran in a graphic in today's paper. I do not think it was online.
Result: Wyoming 24, UCLA 21 (Dec. 23, 2004)
Reaction: “We all have to question how we play this game. If we played inspired football like we did against 'SC, then I think it's a different outcome. I don't know if we put everything into each and every play,’’ UCLA quarterback Drew Olson said.
Next game: UCLA 44, San Diego State 21 (2005 opener)
Result: Arizona 52, No. 7 UCLA 14 (Nov. 5, 2005)
Reaction: “We thought we were better than we really were. We have to come out and know that any given Saturday we can lose. That's how it is. You have to be able to play football with a heart and passion and not underestimate anyone,’’ UCLA tailback Maurice Drew said.
Next game: UCLA 45, Arizona State 35
Result: No. 1 USC 66, No. 11 UCLA 19 (Dec. 3, 2005)
Reaction: ``We had a great week of practice, and to perform the way we did is disappointing. That's what our players are saying. We did not operate at a level we're capable of. That's not taking anything away from USC. They're a very, very good football team, but we're a better team than showed up,’’ UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said.
Next game: UCLA 50, Northwestern 38
Result: Florida State 44, UCLA 27 (Dec. 27, 2006)
Reaction: “We can be a great team and compete with anybody, and there are other games where we just give games away,’’ UCLA running back Chris Markey said.
Next game: UCLA 45, Stanford 17 (2007 opener)
Result: Utah 44, No. 11 UCLA 6 (Sept. 15, 2007)
Reaction: “It can’t get worse than this. It’s one thing to go out there and fight, but it’s another to get your (butt) kicked up and down the field,’’ UCLA cornerback Trey Brown said.
Next game: UCLA hosts Washington Saturday
Comments
Ranking of the games from 1-5, with 1 being the most disappointed
5. Florida State. Hey they're good football players on that team too.
4. USC. this was one team that UCLA was just not going to come back on.
3. Wyoming. first year. team not together.
2. Arizona. what happened here?
1. Utah. THE most disappointing because of this season's potential with all the returning personnel, the experience, the talent, the level of the opposing team
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 01:21 PM
WHYoming: We had our QB go down to injury that game didn't we?
Arizona: no argument there. A conference loss by blowout: inexcusable.
USC: who wasn't SC blowing out? We got them back 13-9
Florida State: no excuse.
UTAH: no excuse, but early OOC game. It shouldn't matter and doesn't matter for PAC-10 play.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 02:46 PM
The trend will obviously continue. Washington will be an easy win for us.
Posted by: Norbert Donahue | September 20, 2007 02:56 PM
Hm. Stanford, Northwestern, San Diego State, and Arizona State. It's a lot easier to bounce back when you don't have to bounce too far, I guess.
Posted by: Husky djohnson | September 20, 2007 04:55 PM
I was looking for something like this on the official Bruin site, like I said, different players, same comments, talk to talk.
Posted by: Kevin | September 20, 2007 05:35 PM
Who cares what the players or coaches say after the games? What can they possibly say that will satisfy people? People who lose games need to find some reason why. An easy answer is that "they weren't up for the game" or "they lost focus." Just because someone says that, it doesn't mean that's why the game was lost. The difference between a player guessing right and intercepting a pass versus getting burned is sometimes chance. When you don't have a significant talent advantage over another team (and quite frankly, UCLA doesn't have that talent advantage over most teams), sometimes games come down to chance. Does that make Dorrell a bad coach? Of course not. Every coach has bad losses on his resume. Carroll had the UCLA loss last year. How could he possibly have let that happen??? Did his team come out without focus? They wanted to win that game. But sometimes emotion and some luck will help an underdog win. A lot of this is ridiculous.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 05:56 PM
These are almost verbatim to comments USC staff and players made after the loss to Oregon State (over confident, under estimate opponent), Texas (great week of practice), UCLA 13-9 (flat, didn't execute, didn't come ready).
And before someone says that the Texas game doesn't compare; remember Bush's sloppy lateral, and SC giving up fourteen straight points at the end of the game. Texas did not so much as beat SC as much as SC self destructed.
My point is that even a very good team can play down to an opponents level (and below it) - or just lack execution. SC is considered the gold standard, and they did it three times in less than 12 months.
Posted by: C D | September 20, 2007 05:57 PM
These are almost verbatim to comments USC staff and players made after the loss to Oregon State (over confident, under estimate opponent), Texas (great week of practice), UCLA 13-9 (flat, didn't execute, didn't come ready).
And before someone says that the Texas game doesn't compare; remember Bush's sloppy lateral, and SC giving up fourteen straight points at the end of the game. Texas did not so much as beat SC as much as SC self destructed.
My point is that even a very good team can play down to an opponents level (and below it) - or just lack execution. SC is considered the gold standard, and they did it three times in less than 12 months.
Posted by: C D | September 20, 2007 05:59 PM
So UCLA to UTAH is the same as USC is to UCLA?
How is that acceptable? UCLA used to be a football powerhouse!
Remember that in EVERY SINGLE Dorrell season, we have had at least one terrible blowout loss. Even though USC lost to us, at it wasn't 44-6!
Yes, crap happens even to the best of coaches. But to deal with this every year --- with returning starters that HAVE dealt with this every year --- that is the sign of incompetence.
Posted by: Michael | September 20, 2007 07:41 PM
Forgot to add that Dorrell left our starters in when we were down 38 points.
P.S. Olson. Injury.
Posted by: Michael | September 20, 2007 07:42 PM
CD before you write one more excuse consider this:
Since Dorrell arrived, UCLA has lost 11 games when favored by Vegas (including 3 of 4 bowl games). That record is tops in the nation. During the same period of time UCLA has lost 22 games, USC has lost 4 games.
This is UCLA. We are supposed to strive for success, not dig through other team's failures to justify our own.
Posted by: MarcoTheBruin | September 20, 2007 09:03 PM
Hmmmm. It doesn't look like any of those bounce backs ever occurred prior to November.
I like our chances.
Posted by: SunDodger the Husky | September 20, 2007 10:33 PM
I think what's key in this analysis is that the Utah loss was with Dorrell's best team (in paper at least) with 20 RETURNING starters during the THIRD game of the season. At least the previous meltdowns were later in the year.
You would think that the starters, who'd been around during the previous debacles, would know better by now. Sheesh! These guys are so inconsistent that nobody takes them seriously (polls), and then they get all upset that no one gives them any credit and are disrespected.
And then they wonder why the fans are so fickle at the Rose Bowl.
Posted by: mike | September 21, 2007 04:48 AM