Look at how much can change in a year. It was only last fall
that UCLA seemed on the verge of a turnaround, behind the unknown,
but highly recommended, coach Karl Dorrell.
What could have changed things so quickly? Well, try watching
every minute of the 2003 season, and you’ll understand why.
Better yet, you can feel the pain and anguish, too, as we review
“What Went Wrong?” with the Bruins’ 2003 football
season. Here are some of the highlights (or lowlights) of last
season and some suggestions on how to share the experience
yourself.
1. The non-existent running game. The offensive line
couldn’t open any holes, and gave new meaning to
three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust.
Feel the pain: To put yourself in Tyler Ebell or Maurice
Drew’s shoes, find a brick wall and run really hard at it. If
you get even one yard, it’s a miracle. Helmets are
recommended.
2. The starting quarterback. Dorrell’s handling of the
quarterback situation wasn’t great, as Matt Moore and Drew
Olson seemed to exchange the job on a weekly basis.
Feel the pain: Find a quarter. Flip it. And that’s how you
get your starting quarterback. Note: Remember to assign heads and
tails before flipping.
3. Injuries. At various points last season, it seemed as if
everybody had an ailment. But no injury was as big as the loss of
Manuel White, who went down in the Arizona State game. Prior to
White’s injury, UCLA was 6-2. Without White, UCLA finished
0-5.
Feel the pain: White and Drew were often called “Thunder
and Lightning.” Go outside in a thunderstorm, and leave your
metal stick at home. Listen for a roar of thunder, followed by a
flash of lightning. Pretty scary, huh? Now, go inside your house.
Turn a light switch on and off. Not so scary to just have light, is
it?
4. The playcalling. It’s hard to understand how what fans
saw last season was the West Coast offense. But to run the ball on
third and long?
Feel the pain: There are lots of things you can do to be
conservative. My suggestion: become Republican.
So how in the world can Dorrell turn things around and salvage
his job? On the surface, things already looked stacked up against
the Bruins, with the loss of their entire defensive line, a new
offensive coordinator and UCLA picked to finish eighth by the
media, their lowest preseason placement prediction in recent
memory.
But things don’t seem as bleak as that. Let’s face
it, the system from last year wasn’t working. Prior to those
awful seasons with Idaho, new offensive coordinator Tom Cable was
the man behind those great Colorado rushing teams from the late
’90s.
The offense returns most of its starters, and Olson no longer
has to look over his shoulder. Already in practice, Olson has
improved in making his reads and seems to have a better grasp of
the offense.
It also won’t hurt to have Tab Perry back. Opponents
frequently centered on Craig Bragg, making it difficult for him to
get open. With the less experienced defense, the offense will have
to carry the team this year for UCLA to have any success.
Which brings us back to Dorrell, who will try to organize all
this. Was Dorrell the right man for the job? Well, for
comparison’s sake, USC coach Pete Carroll didn’t really
start having success until his second season, and prior to that
year, Trojan fans were clamoring for his job. Of course, Carroll
also had a track record. Dorrell is still relatively unknown, and
this season will be the litmus test. Dorrell’s Last Stand, or
a Return to the Top?
All the feelings that surrounded the Bruins’ happy
marriage to Dorrell last fall have quickly subsided, and the
honeymoon has long been over. Without turning in a winning season,
Dorrell and UCLA may soon be looking at a bitter divorce.
Bruce has a headache from running into a brick wall. E-mail
him at btran@media.ucla.edu.