UCLA coach Chip Kelly reports no opt-outs, says players ‘love to play football’
Share this post:
EL PASO, Texas — UCLA coach Chip Kelly met with reporters Thursday, less than 24 hours before he sends his team onto the field at Sun Bowl Stadium to play Pitt.
The Bruins will play a Pitt team that will line up without six starters/contributors who have elected to opt-out — college football’s dirty word during bowl season.
Asked pointedly if he anticipates any players opting out even at this late date, Kelly indicated everyone will play.
Why so lucky, coach?
“It’s the type of players we have,” he said. “They love playing football.
“I think all situations are individual. So I can’t comment on what Pitt’s situation is. Our guys are excited about playing the game. Really, it’s as simple as it is.”
Just to be sure, a reporter asked again if everyone will play, and Kelly graciously answered.
“As long as we get to (Friday) at noon kickoff and they don’t get tripped up in the parking lot,” he said.
Earlier in the news conference, he answered, “Yep,” when asked if everyone was at practice Thursday.
There has been speculation that UCLA’s offensive stars — quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and running back Zach Charbonnet — would follow so many others around the country and opt-out of the game.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Pitt prepared for multiple starting quarterbacks in its most recent game when no one was sure Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke would play.
“We’re not worried about it,” he said. “We’re preparing for their starters. If they’re not in there, it will probably be a little bit easier. They got great players, starters, backups. It doesn’t matter. Their quarterback’s athletic. He can run. We’ll figure it out.”
When Narduzzi was asked, jokingly, if his “spies” had offered him any inside information about UCLA’s personnel, Narduzzi went along with the joke and said, “I wish I had spies. Chip was my best spy.”
“I was talking to him (Thursday) night. He didn’t give me any scoops. I wish I had some scoops. They kept it pretty tight over there, which doesn’t matter to us. We left ours pretty open, let our kids make their decisions and put it out there.”
Narduzzi competed against Kelly three decades ago when he was at Rhode Island and UCLA’s coach was on New Hampshire’s staff.
“Chip’s got a great offensive mind. He’s going to change things up. He will scheme you up,” Narduzzi said. “He’s just got one of those minds that he’s going to come up with something different we have not prepared for. I say that every week, but that’s a guarantee with the time he’s had (to prepare).”
Kelly doesn’t believe Pitt (8-4) will change much on defense, even with injured consensus All-American defensive tackle Calijah Kancey not playing and defensive end Deslin Alexandre, middle linebacker SirVocea Dennis and safety Brandon Hill opting out.
“Pat’s defensive scheme is Pat’s defensive scheme,” Kelly said. “He’s done such a great job of recruiting to it that we anticipate the same scheme. The scheme is difficult because they do such a good job of it.”
UCLA is a 7½-point favorite, based on multiple factors, chiefly the Bruins’ powerful offense that ranks third in the nation and is one of only four averaging more than 500 yards per game (507.8).
Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 2,883 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 631 (after sacks) and 11 touchdowns. Charbonnet has rushed for 1,359 yards.
Meanwhile, Pitt’s quarterback/running back combination of Kedon Slovis and Izzy Abanikanda, the ACC’s rushing champion, is transferring and opting out, respectively.
Kelly, a former coach with Oregon, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, has taken a team that was 10-21 in his first three seasons at UCLA (2018-2020) and has it at 9-3, one victory short of the school record.
He credits UCLA’s emphasis on academics with the turnaround.
“(Players) understand what our school is about,” he said. “They accept the challenge of going there academically. We have 20 graduates on our team.
“This team does it on the field and off the field. When you have those type of guys together, the success we’ve had, both in the classroom and on the field, I always think they correlate. As our academics have increased, our win totals have increased.”