Pac-12 Network’s ‘The Drive’ Episode 1 Review

Jul 24, 2014; Hollywood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora talks to the media during the Pac-12 Media Day at the Studios at Paramount. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

If you missed it, here is a quick recap of Episode 1 of the Pac-12 Networks docu-series, ‘The Drive’ which will be following the goings-on of UCLA football this season. Tonight, we got to see what the Bruins have been doing in the last few weeks.

The premiere started with Pac-12 Media Day at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and followed head coach Jim Mora, QB Brett Hundley and LB Eric Kendricks around the media circus. Despite the chaos, all three were in ‘work mode’ and could not be anymore cool, calm and collected when talking about their expectations for the season.

The best thing about Mora, were his tidbits which often sounded more like philosophical verses from a Joseph Campbell lecture.

“Everything matters… we are going to win with every little detail.”

“You represent everyone from this school whether they were a player or not”

“Great. That has to be our focus.”

It is quite refreshing hearing the words of a man that believes his team can do great things. Just to have that confidence, to have that know-how, that …swagger.It is refreshing.

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Betsided

The show then followed the Bruins to fall camp in San Bernardino. The purpose of going to the desert for two weeks is to bring them together, get the new guys up to speed and basically kick their butts. But it was the film outside of practice that allowed us to see who these kids were. But there was one Bruin that stole the show: Jerry Neuheisel. Like father, like son, Jerry is the younger and more modern version of former UCLA quarterback and head coach, Rick Neuheisel. He could even be a clone. He looks, sounds like and even has the charisma of his father. I fully expect to see Jerry in the broadcast booth one day.

One of his funnier quips was him mocking his father’s football expertise, because that is what the public wants. He gets it. It is comedy in a hectic football world. I mean what 18/19/20 year old is part pf a reality show? Not many, but that is what this is about, having fun with the cameras. In the end, they had to do what they had to do and realized they just needed to be themselves. This was only the first episode.

As Bruin fans have seen in the last two years Mora has been in charge, the tone changed when the coach started his practice. The jokes were for later, focus was for now. The Bruins were going full force. Some of the best parts of filming a reality-type show is getting real reactions, like when secondary coach Demetrice Martin was barking out orders to a few of his players. It was much more explicit live, but as a family show, you got a good sense of the intensity at practice. It was also brilliant seeing how what he was barking out actually worked.

The episode ended with Mora on a treacherous San Bernardino mountain trail. And what was he doing? Staying in shape and dishing out life advice, you know, the usual stuff. His prose was simple but enlightening. That mixed with beautiful shots of the mountain range that borders the northern part of Cal State San Bernardino gave a serene end to the show. That is what it is for now. In three days, it will be college football mayhem.

With the season opener against Virginia this Saturday, we are sure to see the transition from the desert to the westside in Episode 2, along with the lead-up and outcome of the game.

Until then, Go Bruins!

To check out every episode of ‘The Drive’, watch or visit Pac-12 Networks.