Jim Mora The Genius: The Bruin Head Coach Stays Quiet On Brett Hundley
Sep 13, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora smiles on the sidelines against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium. The Bruins beat the Longhorns 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
When Jim Mora talked about the injury to Brett Hundley in his teleconference this past Sunday, he was pretty clear on the status, “I am not going to tell anybody anything until kickoff versus Arizona State.” Why is that? Because Mora is a genius. Last Saturday against Texas, Hundley left the game in the first quarter after he hyperextended his elbow. He did it trying to brace his fall diving through the Longhorn defense for a first down. We have no idea what has gone on with Hundley since then.
Very smart.
Unlike what happened at Arizona State. Last week, the Sun Devil’s hopes for winning the South Division a second straight time took a hit when Taylor Kelly was injured in the second half of the game against Colorado. Kelly had gone to the locker room and emerged later on crutches and his foot in a large protective boot?
Why did that happen? Why did ASU head coach Todd Graham or his staff allow this? It was toward the end of a game Arizona State had well in hand, so the sight of Kelly hobbling back onto the field not only gave away a that secret and the severity (Kelly with a towel over his head looking distraught did not help) but it exposed ASU for their next game… against UCLA.
Kelly could have easily stayed in the locker room with everyone silent on the subject. Instead, reports have come out that Kelly will be out for the “revenge game” against the Bruins. Last year, ASU beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl to claim the Pac-12 South. It also looks like Kelly may be out the following week against USC. This is not exactly how you want to game plan.
Arizona State QB Taylor Kelly out for UCLA game on Sept. 25, status beyond that unknown http://t.co/JleQAZLaFx #SunDevils
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) September 16, 2014
Report: Taylor Kelly officially ruled out of UCLA game, unlikely to play against USC http://t.co/oS4AP0l7Lt
— House of Sparky (@HouseOfSparky) September 15, 2014
In Westwood, Mora is quiet as Trojan fans after the loss to Boston College. Why? As stated before, he is a genius. Not saying anything about Hundley throws ASU’s preparation off. If the Bruin QB does have a serious injury, no one will know unit next Thursday. If he does not have an injury, no one will know until next Thursday. Whatever information is known has not left the confines of the UCLA football team.
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Why give the opposition any information they could use against the Bruins? Mora is not only playing the game on the field, but off of it and that is giving him good position to plan his attack against ASU, with or without Hundley. The Bruins coach has taken it further in not allowing it to be known if Asiantii Woulard or Jerry Neuheisel (who helped orchestrate the comeback victory over Texas) will start if Hundley cannot. Whatever Mora is concocting is happening behind closed gates. Not even the media knows what is going on.
Pure genius.