Though it is expected that UCLA football head coach Chip Kelly will make improvements with this team, the public will not know exactly how that will come about as he has closed fall camp.
There once was a Bruin Revolution, but that has since been put in the guillotine. Now it is time for a more progressive movement into the future as UCLA football head coach Chip Kelly is looking to evolve, not only this program but his own style.
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Kelly is one of the most innovative minds in college football. He put Oregon and his blur offense on the map during his four years he was up in Eugene. In that time he amassed an incredible 46-7 record which also came with two Rose Bowls, a Fiesta Bowl and a BCS National Championship Game appearance.
With his innovative style of football, which is based around the run game and an aggressive defense (which were the #5 and #2 most efficient defenses in the country in his last two years at Oregon), Kelly revolutionized the way the game was played.
Just like evolution itself, the growth of this UCLA football team will take time. We just have to trust the process.
Unfortunately, when he jumped to the NFL, though he started out with some success, by the time he exited in 2016, teams figured him out. Kelly, who has always been known for being ahead of the game, was pushed to the back of the line. But do you think that stopped him?
He is now back in the college ranks, which could arguably be said is better suited for his style of play. But since he left in 2012, programs across the country have emulated his style. One of his former assistants, Scott Frost, built on the blur offense and made it successful at Central Florida and is now taking that mentally to Nebraska. If Scott could evolve that style of offense, you better believe Kelly will do the same.
This should give UCLA fans hope as the new Bruin coach is not one to just sit around and accept what is given to him. He has always looked for ways to improve his style of play and that is something we are going to see at UCLA.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to see that progress, at least not yet. As expected, Kelly has closed fall practices to the public. Even the media is only getting 20 minutes to observe practices. Though it is frustrating as we all want to know what Kelly’s next move is, it is understandable as he doesn’t want us to know what his next move is.
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During spring practice, which in fact was open to the public, we saw glimpses of what Kelly wanted to implement. There were zone reads, run-pass options, and short-route passing plays. It was fairly standard for a Chip Kelly offense, but from now until kickoff, we are not going to see what else he is bringing into the mix.
For a few practices, we saw elements of the triple option, which could be another part of his evolution. Kelly is known for creating mismatches to get the most out of his offense, so with this added element, he will continue to evolve his style. Kelly is known for executing a solid run game though UCLA has been atrocious running the ball the last several years. So anything that will help move the ball down the field will greatly increase the Bruins’ chances of becoming the team Kelly desires.
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What will also help with this progress is that Kelly has reportedly hired Navy’s triple-option guru Bryce McDonald to his administrative staff (not his coaching staff). For those that do not know, Navy had the second-best rushing offense in 2017, gaining 351.4 yards per game. If bringing in a triple-option will help UCLA head towards these types of stats than they will be more than welcome.
Along with this, expect Kelly to implement more tweaks, schemes, and formations for his receivers right ends and running backs that will help move both UCLA and his philosophy forward.
But this is just one example of how Kelly is trying to make UCLA a great team again, especially on the offensive side. On defense, the Bruins will become a more aggressive squad that will react to the offense rather than waiting for the offense to come to them as it did last season.
Will we see more blitzes? More double coverages? More edge rushing? More hurries? We will soon see.
Kelly needs his defense to dominate opposing offenses. The quicker the D shuts down the other team, the quicker the ball gets back into the hands of Kelly’s quarterback.
But as stated above, we will not be able to see that, at least not until September 1.
Kelly is a very detailed individual and getting this team going is something he will work diligently on, but he is not going to show all of his cards just yet. Just like evolution itself, the growth of this UCLA football team will take time. We just have to trust the process.