In his Monday press conference, UCLA Football Head Coach Jim Mora talked about Stanford and Arizona, but what really stood out is how he lauded the work of his players.
The UCLA Football program has recently gotten a lot of criticism for their performance in their first four games. The Bruins were expected to be contendors in the Pac-12 this season and after 2-2 start, many are calling to Jim Mora to be fired.
It is understandable that many Bruin fans would be upset, but if you look closer, you can see that UCLA is slowly improving.
Now when Mora looks deeper, he can see a team that is full of potential. A team full of leaders. A team that can still make waves.
The Bruins have lost two games to teams that are currently ranked in the Top 10, which says a lot about this team. Still, a loss is a loss. Though it is a tough pill to swallow, the team needs to move on as the season is far from over.
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During his Monday press conference, Mora was asked about bouncing back and which players would lead that charge.
Mora replied, “You probably know who they are. The Jayon Browns. The Scott Quessenberrys. You know, the Jaleel Wadoods. The Fabian Moreaus. The Soso Jamabaos. You know, the Mossi Johnsons. The Conor McDermotts. The Eddie Vandordoes. The Elis, Takk, you know there are a lot of guys that have that mindset.”
Clearly, Mora has faith in his team and several of his players.
UCLA has changed their approach to football in 2016 and even though it has started slow, this is a machine that can finish strong, at least Mora thinks so.
“This is a good group. This is a good group of young men. I really like this football team, a lot. I like the way they competed the other night. Obviously we were disappointed in the loss.”
The Bruins have a bit of a hole to climb out of, but it is nothing that can’t be corrected. They still control their own destiny and still have eight chances to make an impact in the South Division. It is possible, Bruin fans.
Next: UCLA Football: Negating the Negativity
“I like the way they are bouncing back. I love the way they think. I love the way they treat each other. I love the way they prepare. I think we have a chance to do special things this year. It’s been made more difficult, but we’re still on track.” So do we, coach. So do we.