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- Winless UCLA faces No. 7 Penn State at Rose Bowl with new coordinator Jerry Neuheisel making play-calling debut after coaching upheaval.
- The Bruins’ “Blue Out” promotion draws jokes on social media as team hasn’t held a lead in any of four games this season.
- Penn State enters as 25.5-point favorites with coach James Franklin’s teams historically dominant against struggling unranked opponents.
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If the jokes don’t write themselves, those following UCLA football are happy to oblige.
Informed that the winless Bruins were holding a “Blue Out” against No. 7 Penn State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, the trolls from the space formerly known as Twitter made plenty of forays into the punny business.
Feel free to follow their “Blue Out” quips with your own rim shot:
“More like a blowout ...”
“Gonna be a black and blue out for the bruins [sic].”
UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond faces criticism for his management, but some supporters argue he deserves credit for success outside of football.
“They must be tarping the whole thing.”
Others pointed out that Associated Students UCLA was selling white T-shirts and that Penn State also wears blue, meaning that its large throng of fans expected at the game could make it a “Blue Out,” all right — of a darker shade.
Adding to the hilarity factor in some people’s minds was the departure this week of a UCLA offensive coordinator who had never previously called plays a little more than two weeks after the Bruins dismissed the head coach who had never previously been a head coach before last season.
Oh, and UCLA has not held a lead in its four games, 16 quarters and 240 minutes of football this season.
At least the Bruins (0-4 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) are expected to have a largely intact roster when they face the Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1). Here are five things to watch in a game that will be nationally televised by CBS:
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Jerry’s world
This will be the playcalling debut of Jerry Neuheisel, the lifelong Bruin.
Calling him that is not an exaggeration considering he was born at UCLA Medical Center to a father who at the time was a Bruins assistant coach and would later become head coach.
As a UCLA quarterback, Neuheisel came off the bench to lead UCLA to a thrilling comeback victory over Texas in 2014. Beating the Nittany Lions with less than a week’s worth of preparation while installing what appears to be a faster-paced, spread-the-ball-around offense similar to the one he ran under Noel Mazzone when Neuheisel played for the Bruins would be even more heroic.
In the wake of the team’s 0-4 start and coach DeShaun Foster’s firing, offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri is leaving UCLA in a mutual parting of ways.
“Just getting the ball to the playmakers, that’s the big thing,” interim coach Tim Skipper said of Neuheisel’s approach, “and trying to be creative in doing it.”
Pending the approval of his contract, Mazzone could be around to offer advice to his former protege after agreeing to return to UCLA as an analyst.
Change is needed for an offense that’s averaged 14.2 points per game.
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A defense on the rise?
UCLA displayed a more aggressive, attacking style under Kevin Coyle in his debut as de facto defensive coordinator.
(Todd Kirkland/AAF/Getty Images)
Skipper was pleased with a defense that did not allow a point in the second half against Northwestern last week, helping the team’s comeback bid.
The Bruins used a more aggressive, attacking style under Kevin Coyle in his debut as de facto defensive coordinator. They also gave more opportunities to young players such as freshman linebacker Scott Taylor in a bid to identify new playmakers.
Of course, stopping a Penn State offense that’s averaging 39 points won’t be nearly as easy.
“Their offense is gonna give you a lot of eye candy,” Skipper said of the Nittany Lions. “They’re gonna shift, motion, and then they’re gonna do what they’re gonna do on the play. So, you’re gonna have to be locked in, you’re gonna have to adjust to formations, and they run every formation and they invent formations. They have offensive tackles out wide.
“It’s gonna be one of those games where we’re gonna have to lock into what we’re doing and adapt to the formations and looks that they give us. They run every play in the book, every motion in the book, every shift in the book.”
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Taking care of business
For all the criticism heaped on Penn State coach James Franklin regarding his perceived inability to win the big games, there is a flip side.
Franklin’s teams rarely lose games they shouldn’t.
This one qualifies.
UCLA players continue to report to football practice after hitting the mark by which they would need to redshirt to preserve a year of eligibility.
The Nittany Lions are 89-14 against unranked teams under Franklin and seldom lose as heavy favorites, which they will be Saturday given the 25.5-point spread.
Even with Penn State star linebacker Tony Rojas sidelined by an unspecified injury, beating the Nittany Lions could be doubly difficult for the Bruins because this is a team that rarely beats itself in these kinds of situations.
“Probably, pound for pound and athlete to athlete position-wise, the best team we have played,” Skipper said of Penn State. “So, we’ll have to be ready to go.”
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Seeing red
UCLA can say it’s No. 1 in one category — the Bruins have converted on every trip into the red zone, tying for the best percentage in the nation.
The problem is that their eight trips have produced five field goals and only three touchdowns.
What does UCLA need to do to have more success reaching the end zone in those situations?
UCLA shows some fourth-quarter fight against Northwestern, but the same issues that plagued it under DeShaun Foster were on display in a 17-14 loss.
“First and foremost, no penalties,” tight end Hudson Habermehl said. “We can’t go back outside the red zone, but when we’re in the red zone, I think we need to come off the ball, and then it’s a lot more condensed down there, so tight coverage, so contested catches, just coming down with the ball when the ball’s in the air and in the run game, just getting off the ball, driving and getting in the paint.”
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Honoring Andrea Donahue
Nicole Ianni and Michele Hull, the oldest daughters of the late Andrea and Terry Donahue, will be UCLA’s honorary captains.
Andrea, the wife of the legendary Bruins coach, passed away in April.
A pink heart will be painted on the field with Andrea’s initials inside. During the first television timeout, members of the family will be acknowledged on the field near the heart.
