Kelly works to turn Bruins into champs
UCLA hasn’t won a football conference championship in more than two decades, which has some Bruins fans a bit antsy. To make matters worse, rival USC has claimed eight league titles during the same stretch.
During the offseason, the school hired former Oregon coach Chip Kelly to revamp the program.
The change in culture introduced by Kelly is one reason UCLA is No. 45 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team.
entering overall) UCLA Chip Kelly (0-0, first season; 46-7
6-7, 4-5 in the Pac-12 Conference; fourth in South Division
After a miserable 4-8 season in 2016, UCLA coach Jim Mora appeared to be on shaky ground. The Bruins opened the 2017 season with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Texas A&M on national TV and followed it with a win over Hawaii. But a disappointing road loss to Memphis followed by double-digit losses to Stanford, Arizona, Washington and Utah spelled disaster.
Mora was fired a day after the team’s loss to rival USC, the Bruins’ third consecutive loss in the series. The team finished with back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 2010-11.
UCLA athletics director Dan Guerrero worked quickly to land Kelly, who was hired one day after the team’s regular-season finale against Cal on Nov. 25. 4
5
OL Kolton Miller, OL Najee Toran, OL Scott Quessenberry, WR Jordan Lasley, WR Darren Andrews, QB Josh Rosen, LB Kenny Young, DB Jaleel Wadood, DL Matt Dickerson, DL Jacob Tuloti-Mariner
OL Michael Alves, OL Andre James, TE Caleb Wilson, WR Theo Howard, RB Bolo Olorunfunmi, RB Soso Jamabo, DL Chigozie Nnoruka, DL Boss Tagaloa, LB Keisean Lucifer-South, LB Krys Barnes, DB Darnay Holmes, DB Nate Meadors, DB Adarius Pickett
The secondary was the bright spot for the Bruins’ underachieving defense. Safety Adarius Pickett (85 tackles) is the team’s top returning tackler.
Tailbacks Bolu Olorunfunmi and Soso Jamabo combined for 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2017, but both are expected to take on larger roles in Kelly’s offense.
The quarterback position is up in the air and a replacement for starter Josh Rosen most likely won’t be decided until preseason camp. Sophomore Devon Modster and Michigan transfer Wilton Speight have the most experience, but freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson is expected to eventually take over the offense. The fourstar prospect’s athleticism best fits the pattern of Kelly quarterbacks.
The Bruins must replace three starters on the offensive line, including tackle Kolton Miller, a first-round NFL draft selection, and center Scott Quessenberry, a sixth-round pick.
Kelly’s success will depend on his ability to recruit in a city that features another powerhouse in rival USC.