Kelly, Sanders express some mutual respect
UCLA's football game against Colorado on Saturday at the Rose Bowl will be a clash in front of millions of eyes from across the nation. But on a one-on-one basis, both program's coaches look at each other with admiration.
“I'm a Chip Kelly fan,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said during a Tuesday morning news conference.
“I love what he's brought to college football. I love what he's brought to football, period. So I respect the heck out of him and I really admire his accomplishments thus far in the game of football.”
Sanders said he took his son, Shadeur, to a UCLA camp and spoke with Kelly about how he coaches. Kelly also mentioned meeting Sanders and his son during the camp and was complimentary of what Sanders has achieved with the Buffaloes.
“I think he's great for college football,” Kelly said. “I think the attention and the buzz that he's brought to this game (is great), but I also admire him because he's a little bit old-school in terms of his approach. He has a tremendous amount of talent, but he has an unbelievable work ethic in what he does.”
Sanders was also complimentary of UCLA linebackers coach Ken Norton, with whom he was a teammate on the San Francisco 49ers in the early 1990s. The Buffs coach said he thinks Norton has head-coaching potential.
Norton's group of linebackers is visibly one of the more energetic groups on the field during morning practices, responding to each of its coach's commands verbally and non-verbally with enthusiasm.
Linebackers Darius Muasau, Kain Medrano and Oluwafemi Oladejo lead UCLA in total tackles with 38, 32 and 30, respectively.
“That defense that they feature is a pretty darn good unit, especially statistically,” Sanders said. “But it starts with the front four and that linebacker corps, they get to the ball. They play just like
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Saturday: Colorado at UCLA, 4:30p.m., Ch. 7
their coach.”
Amid all the Colorado buzz and interest in Saturday's game, which is slated for 4:30 p.m. on ABC, the players' attention remains on the field, according to receiver J.Michael Sturdivant.
“We just go out there and play, do what we can do and show the world what we can do,” Sturdivant said. “Play the football that we do every day out here and just have opportunities to showcase it to a lot more people.”
If Sturdivant's reaction is any barometer, the hype that follows Colorado football might not have taken hold as of Tuesday morning's practice in Westwood. The schedule ensued as usual under an overcast sky at Spaulding Field — the only difference was the scout team's jerseys had changed to black.
Saturday will likely be a different atmosphere. UCLA announced a sellout for the homecoming game, which will be complete with throwback powder blue jerseys reminiscent of what the 1954 national championship-sharing team wore.
“When you get on the field, all that matters is the people that are on the field,” Sturdivant said. “It is cool to have all that stuff, but then, at the end of the day, the game is the only thing that really matters.”
QB anticipation
Kelly has not committed to a starting quarterback yet, even though UCLA is over halfway through the season. The coach has told reporters that he and the coaching staff decide on the starter on the Friday before a game, creating some anticipation to see who takes the first snap when the weekend comes.
“Our quarterback situation is a little different than most,” offensive lineman Duke Clemens said.
The depth chart ahead of Saturday's game lists the starting quarterback as “Ethan Garbers or Dante Moore or Colin Schlee.” All three practiced as usual Tuesday morning, with Garbers getting multiple consecutive reps at the start of the media viewing period.
Garbers got the start and played most of Saturday's game against Stanford, then Moore came in during the fourth quarter. Garbers completed 20 of 28 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions in the 42-7 win.
The mystery at quarterback has caused Colorado to game plan in a broader sense.
“You prepare for the team. You're not preparing for an individual,” Sanders said. “For us, it's daunting because you would prepare for someone like Shadeur and the plethora of receivers that we have. With them, you prepare more for their coach. Their coaching is phenomenal.”