Although Chip Kelly is in his first season with the Bruins, he is no stranger to the magnitude of Saturday’s contest against the crosstown rival Trojans.
“Everybody knows about those certain games – Ohio State, Michigan; USC, UCLA; Army, Navy,” Kelly said. “Those are iconic games that have always occurred in college football, and it’s a really cool thing to be a part of.”
Despite UCLA football (2-8, 2-5 Pac-12) already being eliminated from bowl eligibility this season, redshirt junior linebacker Tyree Thompson said he is still amped up to be a part of one of the longest standing rivalries in college football.
“It’s really exciting,” Thompson said. “Because you know, you get to boast about it for a year – whoever it is who wins, owns LA. … We get a chance to prove to ourselves – not really everyone else – that we’ve been putting in work.”
Not only does this weekend’s matchup have bragging rights on the line, but for USC, Saturday’s game has the potential to make or break the season.
Should the Trojans (5-5, 4-4) fall to the Bruins, they would have to win their season finale against undefeated No. 3 Notre Dame to qualify for a bowl.
Thompson said that while UCLA is preparing the same way it always does, he has noticed an extra dose of energy on the practice field this week.
“I can see a little more pep in our step in practice, we’re getting a little bit more fired up,” Thompson said. “We try to take the same approach every week, but I can see a little more extra juice at practice.”
He said he is excited to get in on the action himself but added that he and his teammates have to remain levelheaded come game day.
“(I) always wanted to (play in one of these rivalry games) growing up,” Thompson said. “I know it’s pretty heated. We’ve got to keep our cool. Just go out there and execute.”
Accolades and expectations
UCLA Athletics announced Wednesday morning that the school has recorded a Graduation Success Rate of 90 percent – a new school record and 2 percent higher than the national average for Division I schools.
GSR takes into account 18 of the 20 athletic programs on campus, and redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Michael Alves said he has seen a clear emphasis on academics since Kelly was hired in November 2017.
“(Kelly) really stresses the classroom, that’s a big thing for him,” Alves said. “We have study hall, we have mentor meetings, we have tutoring, we have tons of stuff to help us in the classroom, and he thinks – everyone thinks – that a large part of being a good team is being good in the classroom.”
Not all the news coming out of UCLA football Wednesday was good, however.
Kelly confirmed to the media that sophomore defensive lineman Moses Robinson-Carr had been suspended indefinitely. Robinson-Carr was also suspended in August before the team’s season opener against Cincinnati for unspecified reasons.
Robinson-Carr’s suspension is one of many the program has had to hand out this season, but Kelly said he made his expectations for the players clear from the start.
“We educate (players) on what’s the right way to carry the standards of this football team and this university and hopefully they understand that,” Kelly said.