WEEK FOUR PRESS CLIPPINGS (Sept. 16-21)

September 16 Page 2: No. 25 UCLA comes up short in Memphis barnburner (Daily News) Page 3: UCLA defense forced to get creative at linebacker (Daily News) Page 4: Josh Rosen tries to will UCLA to win but falters in 48-45 loss to Memphis (LA Times) Page 6: UCLA gets creative with its depleted defense against Memphis (LA Times)

September 17 Page 7: No. 25 UCLA comes up short in Memphis barnburner (Daily News) Page 9: UCLA defense bent, broken entering conference opener against Stanford (Daily News)

September 18 Page 10: UCLA defense hits reset after disappointing start (Daily News) Page 11: UCLA players are wounded, some are barely walking after loss to Memphis (LA Times)

September 19 Page 12: Previous setbacks have made this season's breakout performance that much sweeter for UCLA receiver Darren Andrews (LA Times) Page 14: Struggling Stanford still presents big threat for UCLA (Orange County Register)

September 20 Page 15: Rosen still has something to learn about quick decisions (LA Times) Page 16: UCLA coach Jim Mora focused on snapping Bruins’ Stanford skid (Daily News) Page 17: Caleb Wilson brings positivity, versatility to UCLA football (Daily News)

September 21 Page 18: Fifteen-year NFL veteran LB is back at UCLA alma-mater (NFL Player Engagement) Page 19: UCLA defensive lineman returns home to face Stanford (Palo Alto Daily News) Page 21: Jim Mora thinks the key to beating Stanford might be as simple as effort (LA Times) Page 22: ‘Maniacal effort’ will be key for UCLA against Stanford (Daily News) Page 23: Stanford takes on UCLA’s Josh Rosen, nation’s leading passer (San Francisco Chronicle)

No. 25 UCLA comes up short in Memphis barnburner (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/16)

MEMPHIS >> Josh Rosen rescued his team from a 34-point deficit two weeks ago, but self-inflicted wounds proved too fatal on Saturday for the quarterback’s heroics.

UCLA ran out of bullets in a wild shootout against Memphis on Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium as the Tigers knocked off the No. 25 Bruins, 48-45, in a nearly four-hour game that included 21 penalties and almost 1,200 combined yards of offense.

After playing the best football of his life in the past two games, Rosen turned in another prolific day, but mixed in crippling mistakes. His 463 passing yards and four touchdowns were not enough to overcome his first two of the season, including a 60-yard Pick-6, and a struggling UCLA defense that gave up a season-high 560 yards.

“(I was) just trying to play hero ball,” Rosen said. “It’s not needed. You gotta play within the system.”

At times, Rosen flashed the same laser-like precision that he used on 12 straight touchdown drives during the past two games, but he also showed that his old habit of forcing throws isn’t quite gone. The junior looked like the worst version of his freshman self when he rolled out to his right and tried to throw a pass back across his body in the third quarter. He missed an open receiver who would have had the first down. Instead, he watched Memphis linebacker Tim Hart run back for a touchdown untouched. Rosen threw another in the fourth quarter when Austin Hall came unblocked around the edge and forced a bad throw inside the red zone.

“One of the things about a guy like Josh Rosen is, they don’t ever like to concede a play and that’s a mindset that you love,” Coach Jim Mora said. “But it’s a mindset that can get you in trouble at times and so he’s just got to continue to work through that and I have no doubt that he will.”

Rosen and the offense were pressed into action to save a struggling and injury-riddled UCLA defense that was without starting linebacker Kenny Young and starting safety Jaleel Wadood, who were held out after suffering head injuries last week.

Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson was 23-for-38 passing for 398 yards and six touchdowns. UCLA allowed 12 passing touchdowns all of last season.

The Bruins are allowing 6.2 yards per play through three games, well above last year’s mark of 4.9, which tied for the second- best mark in the Pac-12. On Saturday, Memphis turned two short screen passes from Ferguson into 47- and 42-yard touchdowns in the second quarter. Running back Darrell Henderson sliced the UCLA defense for an 80-yard run on his team’s first play from scrimmage.

“In the formula for winning, you can’t turn the ball over and you can’t give up explosive plays,” Mora said. “And we turned the ball over, we gave up explosive plays in the first half.”

The defense held firm on its final drive as Memphis ran a fake field goal on fourth-and-5 from the UCLA 16-yard line. Defensive back Octavius Spencer intercepted a throw from Memphis kicker Riley Patterson on the trick play, but Rosen almost threw the game away on a near interception five plays later. Theo Howard was forced to save the play by drawing an offensive pass interference call. On third-and-25, running back Jalen Starks dragged a pile of tacklers for extra yardage to give UCLA a more manageable fourth-and-5, but Rosen’s fourth-down pass to Darren Andrews was broken up by Jacobi Francis.

After catching 10 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown Saturday, Andrews lamented the one that he didn’t grab at the end of the game.

“(I’m) very hard on myself, very critical of myself so any ball that’s thrown my way, I feel like I should have it,” Andrews said.

The Bruins must quickly recover from their first loss for their conference opener against Stanford in Palo Alto next week. Rosen couldn’t complete the comeback Saturday, but he’s positive the Bruins will be ready for the Cardinal.

“(Bouncing back) is hard to do, but there are two options: You do or you don’t,” he said, “and we will.”

UCLA defense forced to get creative at linebacker (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/16)

MEMPHIS >> UCLA’s defense prides itself on position flexibility and the Bruins had to get extra creative Saturday for its linebackers.

Without senior Kenny Young, who was held out due to injury, and junior Josh Woods, who was suspended for the first half due to targeting, the Bruins transformed defensive end Keisean Lucier-South into a hybrid linebacker for their 48-45 loss to Memphis on Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

The third-year sophomore had one tackle for loss and a forced fumble in his new position. During training camp, the team occasionally had Lucier-South practice the position and revisited the look this week.

“Give Keisean credit, I thought he handled it well,” defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “He did a really good job because a lot of times, there’s things going on there that he hasn’t really had the chance to practice.”

Redshirt freshman Breland Brandt, who was expected to possibly start at strong-side linebacker, was mysteriously not with the team Saturday, leaving the Bruins even more short-handed.

“Our mindset here is next Bruin up,” sophomore middle linebacker Lokeni Toailoa said. “So some guys go down, we all prepare like starters, so we all come in here ready to play.”

Toailoa had three tackles and one tackle for loss as he was the lone starting linebacker remaining for the first half before Woods’ return. Sophomore Krys Barnes got his first career start and had six tackles. After watching the first half from the locker room, Woods tallied four tackles in the second half.

The odd defensive front that often included five defensive linemen and two linebackers gave up 162 rushing yards, but 80 of them came on Memphis’ first play from scrimmage.

“Besides that first run where we missed two tackles, we were right there and missed the tackles,” Coach Jim Mora said. “Those guys did a heck of a job playing the run. But it wasn’t good enough.”

Injuries continue to mount

Jaelan Phillips left the game in the third quarter with an apparent right leg injury. The star freshman defensive end was quickly taken into the locker room on a cart. He watched the remainder of the game on the sideline on crutches with ice wrapped around his right ankle and was seen walking out of the locker room in a walking boot.

Running back Nate Starks was spotted in the second half on crutches on the sideline. Mora did not know the extent of the injury, but said it may have been a knee issue that sent the senior to the sideline.

Quick hits

Running back Soso Jamabo did not travel due to an undisclosed injury. The junior missed his second straight game after leading the Bruins in rushing in their season opener. … Defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa was available, but limited after he suffered a minor injury against Texas A&M. He missed last week’s game against Hawaii. … Defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa drew a targeting penalty in the fourth quarter, so he will be suspended for the first half of UCLA’s conference opener at Stanford on Sept. 23. Josh Rosen tries to will UCLA to win but falters in 48-45 loss to Memphis (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/16)

In the final moments, when he needed to rally his team once more, Josh Rosen found himself confronted by something even more threatening than a defender on the verge of a sack.

His own reluctance to give up on a play.

It had become a maddening trend for the UCLA quarterback throughout the second half of the No. 25 Bruins’ 48-45 loss to Memphis on Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Rosen had brought his team back from a 10-point deficit midway through the third quarter with two touchdown passes. He couldn’t complete another comeback in the final minute with the Bruins trailing by three points. He forced a pass into coverage that led to an offensive pass interference penalty on teammate Theo Howard, and a subsequent fourth-down pass was broken up with 56 seconds left, ending the Bruins’ hopes.

“Just trying to play hero ball,” Rosen said. “It’s not needed. You gotta play within the system.”

Rosen’s decision-making was hardly the only culprit on a day when UCLA (2-1) committed a rash of penalties, including another targeting call that led to an ejection, and its short-handed defense allowed six touchdown passes — as many as it had surrendered in its previous four games combined going back to last season.

But Rosen’s regrets were the primary topic after he also suffered his first two interceptions of the season.

“One of the reasons that at times he tends to do some of the things with the ball that he does is because he refuses to concede a play,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “I think the next step for him in becoming a great quarterback is getting us to the next down, and for some reason that’s difficult for him to do right now.”

Rosen had a chance to make up for his mistakes on his team’s final drive after UCLA defensive back Octavius Spencer intercepted a pass in the end zone on a fake field-goal attempt by Memphis, giving the Bruins the ball at their own 20-yard line with 3:01 left in the game.

“We’re going down to win the game,” UCLA receiver Darren Andrews said. “That’s what the thought process was.”

The Bruins picked up two first downs before Rosen, under pressure, forced the pass that prompted Howard to grab a defensive back who was in position to make an interception. It led to a 15-yard penalty on the Bruins.

“He saved me,” Rosen said of Howard. “That was a terrible play by me.”

UCLA eventually picked up 20 yards on third and 25 when Rosen completed a short pass to tailback Jalen Starks, who bulled ahead while being pushed forward by a scrum of teammates. That brought up a fourth and five. Rosen’s pass intended for Andrews was broken up, giving Memphis (2-0) the ball back with less than a minute to play. Game over.

“He kind of came in between me, he undercut it,” Andrews said of Tigers defensive back Jacobi Francis. “Went through his hands and hit me in my chest, so I mean that’s a distraction drill, I’ve just got to be able to come up with that.”

Rosen was alternately brilliant and exasperating on a day he threw for 463 yards and four touchdowns, completing passes into tight coverage while also throwing a couple that unnecessarily ended up in the hands of defenders.

Rosen threw a pass across his body after being chased out of the pocket midway through the third quarter that Memphis linebacker Tim Hart intercepted and ran back 60 yards for a touchdown that gave the Tigers a 41-31 lead.

“We can’t throw it across the body for a pick,” UCLA offensive coordinator said.

Rosen rallied the Bruins, finding receiver Jordan Lasley, who made a twisting 21-yard touchdown catch, and then tight end Austin Roberts over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown that gave UCLA a 45-41 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Memphis retook the lead when quarterback Riley Ferguson connected with Phil Mayhue for a three-yard touchdown that gave the Tigers a 48-45 advantage with 9:56 left. Ferguson completed 23 of 38 passes for 398 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. Rosen quickly drove UCLA back downfield, the Bruins reaching the Memphis 19-yard line. But with a blitzing, unblocked defender rushing toward him, Rosen unloaded a pass that was intercepted by Tigers cornerback T.J. Carter, who returned the ball 42 yards to the UCLA 48.

The Bruins eventually got the stop they needed when Memphis’ fake field goal failed. The Tigers’ holder flipped the ball over his head to kicker Riley Patterson, whose underthrown pass was intercepted by Spencer.

UCLA and Rosen had one more chance. They couldn’t convert.

“I got caught up because I’m trying to play hero ball,” Rosen said. “There are certain play calls where it’s not built to be done. That’s where I’m getting in trouble and I just gotta play smarter football.”

UCLA gets creative with its depleted defense against Memphis (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/16)

UCLA was missing so many players on defense that it forced the Bruins to get creative.

It worked. Sort of.

The Bruins used a 3-4 formation that essentially turned defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Keisean Lucier-South into outside linebackers … and then had to switch personnel again in the third quarter when Phillips went down with an apparent right ankle injury. Phillips was wearing a walking boot after the game.

“You can call it a 3-4, or a 5-2, whatever,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said of the No. 25 Bruins’ hybrid formation after their 48-45 loss to Memphis on Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. “It was an odd front, is what it is.”

Phillips was hardly the only player UCLA missed, prompting a change from its usual 4-3 alignment. Linebacker Kenny Young and safety Jaleel Wadood sat out after suffering head trauma last week against Hawaii, and linebacker Breland Brandt did not play for an undisclosed reason.

UCLA was further depleted in the fourth quarter when defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa was ejected for targeting. Odighizuwa will also have to miss the first half of the Bruins’ game against Stanford next week as punishment.

The Bruins did benefit from the return of defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa and safety Adarius Pickett from injuries. Tagaloa sat out the game against Hawaii with an undisclosed injury and Pickett suffered a right knee injury against the Rainbow Warriors. Pickett, who had barely practiced during the week, intercepted one pass and broke up another against Memphis.

Linebacker Josh Woods also came back in the second half Saturday after sitting out the first half as punishment for a targeting penalty last week. Woods made four tackles.

UCLA’s defense surrendered 560 total yards and six passing touchdowns. But the Bruins made some improvement against the run with the exception of Darrell Henderson’s 80-yard sprint on Memphis’ first play from scrimmage, one in which UCLA missed two tackles. The Tigers gained only 82 rushing yards the balance of the game on 36 carries, an average of 2.3 yards per carry.

Memphis burned the Bruins for two screen passes that went for touchdowns in the second quarter after the Tigers benefited from excellent blocking.

“We weren’t doing a good job really of getting pressure on the guy,” Mora said of Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson, “and they got those two long screens. Boy, those really hurt us.”

Flag football

It was not a clean game for the UCLA defense as far as penalties.

The Bruins were called for two 15-yard penalties on Memphis’ first drive of the third quarter that resulted in a touchdown. Defensive tackle Matt Dickerson was assessed a personal-foul facemask and cornerback Nate Meadors was called for pass interference on third down, sustaining the Tigers’ drive.

Odighizuwa was called for targeting in the fourth quarter and another personal foul on the Bruins on the same drive gave the Tigers a first down at UCLA’s six-yard line. Memphis scored its final touchdown of the game two plays later.

“The penalties hurt us at crucial times,” Bruins defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “We gave them some drives.”

Quick hits

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has completed 13 touchdown passes in his last three games, tying the school record for a three- game span that Drew Olson had set during the 2005 season. … Bruins tailback Nate Starks watched the second half on crutches after suffering an undisclosed injury. Starks finished with six yards rushing in three carries. … UCLA receiver Darren Andrews finished with 10 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown. … Meadors led UCLA with seven tackles.

UCLA will look for redemption next week vs. Stanford after loss to Memphis (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/17)

It’s always difficult, achieving a national ranking only to lose on the road early in the season against a team from a smaller conference.

Having the ball in the final minute with a chance to notch the go-ahead score only intensifies the pain.

UCLA knows this well. So does Stanford.

That makes the Bruins’ game against the Cardinal next Saturday at Stanford Stadium something of a Redemption Bowl for both teams after they were upset over the weekend.

UCLA appeared capable of scoring on any given play, perhaps producing a touch of hubris in quarterback Josh Rosen as he continually forced passes while under pressure during the No. 25 Bruins’ 48-45 loss to Memphis.

Stanford’s grind-it-out approach ran aground during the No. 19 Cardinal’s 20-17 setback against San Diego State, the Aztecs unleashing an even more punishing style.

Both UCLA (2-1) and Stanford (1-2) will probably be unranked in the polls released later this week. The Cardinal will be on a two- game losing streak after also getting pummeled by USC in their Pac-12 Conference opener on Sept. 9.

There is also the matter of the Bruins’ nine-game losing streak against Stanford, the longest skid by either team in a series that began in 1925.

The only loss UCLA cares about at the moment is the one against the Tigers. Rosen completed touchdown passes of 65, 22, 21 and five yards on the way to 463 passing yards. He also had two passes intercepted and put himself on the verge of a third interception in the final minutes when he flung the ball into coverage, forcing receiver Theo Howard to grab a defensive back to prevent an interception. An offensive pass interference penalty on Howard left the Bruins in a first-and-25 bind.

“Obviously not a good situation to be in,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said afterward, “when you don’t have a timeout and the game’s on the line.”

The Bruins’ comeback hopes were dashed with 56 seconds left when Rosen’s fourth-down pass intended for Darren Andrews was broken up.

Stanford’s rally fizzled when a Keller Chryst pass was intercepted in the final minute. The Cardinal use a smashmouth style but have been uncharacteristically bullied in each of their last two games.

“I hope we didn’t take them lightly,” Stanford coach David Shaw told reporters Saturday, “but I didn’t do a good job of getting us ready to play a very good, very physical football team.”

Mora lamented his team’s three turnovers—including a fumble by tailback Brandon Stephens one play after the Bruins had forced a turnover—and habit of giving up explosive plays. Memphis notched an 80-yard run and scored touchdowns on plays that went for 47, 42 and 33 yards in addition to a 60-yard interception return.

“I have no doubt that our team will come back strong,” Mora said, “they’ll find a way to put the disappointment behind them and get back at it and work.”

Trying to regroup, Rosen said, leaves the Bruins with two options.

“You do or you don’t,” he said, “and we will.”

Learning curve

Score one for the unheralded guys.

Anthony Miller, a former walk-on turned record-setting receiver for Memphis, repeatedly beat UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes, leading Bruins coaches to bench the highly coveted freshman late in the game. Miller had referenced a matchup against more ballyhooed players earlier in the week, tweeting, “Game Week!!!! Walk-ons vs the 5-stars.”

Miller outmaneuvered Holmes on back-to-back plays before halftime that gave Memphis a 27-24 lead. On the first play, Miller faked outside before cutting back up the field to create the space he needed to make a sprawling, over-the-shoulder catch that went for 41 yards.

On the next play, Miller beat Holmes again on a 33-yard touchdown catch with 42 seconds left before halftime. Miller bested Holmes once more on a route over the middle for a 12-yard touchdown catch on Memphis’ opening drive of the third quarter.

Holmes eventually went to the bench while Miller finished with nine catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

“Things like that happen when you play corner and you’re out there by yourself,” UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said of Holmes’ losing some one-on-one battles. “You know, you’re going to have some situations like that, and throughout the course of his career, he’ll learn how to deal with that and get better.” UCLA defense bent, broken entering conference opener against Stanford (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/17)

MEMPHIS >> It took one snap for Darrell Henderson to set the tone for the Memphis offense last Saturday.

One play, 80 yards, a slew of UCLA defenders grasping at air as the Memphis running back streaked down the field at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Memphis’ first play from scrimmage of its 48-45 win over UCLA.

The UCLA defense gave up a season-high 560 yards in the loss, the most for the team since 2014. Big plays shattered coordinator Tom Bradley’s bend-don’t-break defense and the Bruins face another player with big-play potential this week in Stanford running back Bryce Love.

Memphis (2-0) gained 30.2 percent of its total yards on three plays: Henderson’s 80-yard rush, a short screen pass to Patrick Taylor that turned into a 47-yard touchdown and another screen that went for a 42-yard touchdown in Patrick Taylor’s hands.

The Bruins (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) have given up two plays of 45 yards or longer in each of their three games this season.

“When you have that many big plays, it makes it tough on your offense,” Bradley said Saturday. “You’re always playing catch-up in those situations.”

Love scored touchdowns on 53- and 51-yard rushes in the Cardinal’s 20-17 loss to San Diego State. The junior had a career-high 184 yards on 13 carries and is averaging 12.2 yards per carry, but Stanford (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12) fell from the AP Poll after giving up a last-minute touchdown.

The Aztecs won the game on an 8-yard touchdown pass in the final minute, the same way the Cardinal beat the Bruins last year at the Rose Bowl. Not only will UCLA be playing for redemption after its first loss this season, but also for a chance to get back at their longtime conference bully and break a nine-game losing streak to Stanford.

“I have no doubt that our team will come back strong,” Coach Jim Mora said. “They’ll find a way to put the disappointment behind them and get back at it and work.”

Chip on the shoulder

Before Anthony Miller turned into perhaps the best receiver in Memphis history, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Memphis native was a walk-on. He hasn’t forgotten it.

On Monday, five days before Miller’s Tigers upset the Bruins, he tweeted “Game week!!!! Walk-ons vs. the 5-stars.” With nine catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns, Miller won that battle.

The fifth-year senior was often matched up against UCLA’s five-star freshman cornerback Darnay Holmes. Miller caught back-to- back passes against Holmes at the end of the second half for 41 and 33 yards, helping the Tigers go into halftime with a three- point lead.

“I went up against a five-star guy, I was nowhere near that out of high school,” Miller told reporters after the game. “That’s big for me. I worked for everything I got. I’m not going to let you stop me from shining.”

Late in the game, the Bruins traded Holmes for fourth-year junior corner Denzel Fisher on defense, but Miller carried on with three catches in the fourth quarter.

“They had a good throw-and-catch on him,” Bradley said of Holmes. “Things like that happen when you play corner and you’re out there by yourself. You’re going to have some situations like that, and throughout the course of his career, he’ll learn how to deal with that and get better.”

UCLA defense hits reset after disappointing start (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/18)

LOS ANGELES — It’s been two days and the images of Memphis players slicing up UCLA’s defense are still vivid in head coach Jim Mora’s mind.

He recounts the plays in detail: the two missed tackles that led to an 80-yard run, the pick on Lokeni Toailoa that led to a 47-yard touchdown on a short screen, the defensive bust that led to a 42-yard touchdown on another screen.

He and the coaching staff obsessed over the film since leaving Memphis on Saturday night. They ripped it apart, he said, and now the Bruins are going back to the drawing board to sort out their injury-riddled defense that is giving up 515.3 yards per game heading into Saturday’s conference opener against Stanford at 7:30 p.m. in Palo Alto.

“The problem is when you’re mixing and matching guys, you have to judge what they can and cannot execute and that’s the puzzle,” Mora said. “So you do the best you can. I know this: Our players are all in on defense, our coaches are and we’re going to do our part.”

He paused, looked directly into a reporter’s video camera and repeated: “We’re going to do our part.”

The Bruins used defensive linemen Keisean Lucier-South and Jaelan Phillips as stand-up outside linebackers Saturday to solve a linebacker shortage. Junior Josh Woods was suspended for the first half, and senior Kenny Young and redshirt freshman Breland Brandt were unavailable due to head injuries. Brandt suffered a concussion against Hawaii, tried to practice through it last week, but became nauseated after 15 minutes and was promptly removed from practice.

UCLA has only three sacks in the past two games after tallying six against Texas A&M. Mora said inexperience and limited personnel have hamstrung the team’s pass rush. Young players are paralyzed by the threat of giving up a big run play instead of just reacting to a pass rush opportunity.

“We need to come off the ball better,” Mora said. “Our linebackers need to strike better and what’s happened is that we’ve had to mix and match a little bit.”

Riley out for year

Redshirt freshman Keyon Riley will miss the remainder of the year with an upcoming shoulder surgery. The reserve defensive back dislocated his shoulder two weeks ago after he slipped in the locker room, Mora said, and played through it against Hawaii, to the amazement of his coaching staff. Riley had four tackles and one pass breakup against the Rainbow Warriors. Riley dislocated his shoulder again last week getting out of a cold tub, which was enough to shut the 6-foot, 200-pound Servite graduate down for the year.

Riley did travel with the team to Memphis and pleaded with coaches to let him play.

“Keyon is such a dang warrior,” Mora said. “He said, ‘Coach, just play me. I’m going to have to have surgery anyway, so if it just blows out all the way, what’s it matter?’ But we’re not going to do that to the kid.”

Starks suffers MCL injury

Senior Nate Starks is expected to miss significant time due to a medial collateral ligament injury he suffered in the first quarter against Memphis. Mora said it’s possible Starks misses the rest of the year, further depleting UCLA’s running back unit that was without junior Soso Jamabo for the past two games due to nagging injuries.

Quick hits

DE Jaelan Phillips could still play Saturday as the freshman continues to get treatment on his right ankle. … LB DeChaun Holiday is “really close” to returning from a shoulder injury he suffered in spring camp, Mora said. … WR Audie Omotosho underwent knee surgery to repair an MCL injury last week. Mora said the recovery usually takes three to four months, so the redshirt freshman is likely out for the year. … UCLA’s home game against Colorado on Sept. 30 is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2.

UCLA players are wounded, some are barely walking after loss to Memphis (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/18)

Jim Mora spent about half of his interview session with reporters Monday providing injury updates, never a good sign given the UCLA coach’s policy of addressing only significant injuries once the season has started.

Tailback Nate Starks could miss the rest of the season because of damage he sustained to the medial collateral ligament in his knee against Memphis on Saturday, Mora said. Starks carried the ball three times before leaving the game and watching the second half of the Bruins’ 48-45 loss on crutches.

There was more encouraging news regarding defensive end Jaelan Phillips, whose right ankle was in a walking boot after he was injured in the third quarter. Mora said Phillips was “fighting to get back” for UCLA’s game against Stanford on Saturday at Stanford Stadium after receiving treatment three times Sunday and twice before noon Monday.

“That’s the kind of guy he is,” Mora said of Phillips, a freshman who is one of the team’s top pass rushers.

Previous setbacks have made this season's breakout performance that much sweeter for UCLA receiver Darren Andrews (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/19)

Sometimes, Darren Andrews wonders where he might be without all the setbacks.

The middling ratings from high school scouting services that initially led him to commit to Duke.

The season lost to a knee injury that was initially feared to be career-ending.

The three offensive coordinators in as many years.

Would the UCLA receiver be leading with six touchdown catches in only three games? Would he have developed this kind of chemistry with quarterback Josh Rosen? Would he not only be attending his dream school but having a season that’s the stuff of fantasies?

“Everything worked out good,” Andrews said Tuesday. “I mean, I look back on it as a blessing.”

It’s working out for the fifth-year senior in large part because of all the work he’s put in. Andrews spent part of his summer on the sand, but he was not lounging at the beach. He ran routes with Charlie Collins, a former NFL receivers coach who has gone from tutoring Chad Johnson and Steve Smith Sr. to helping Andrews perfect the positioning of his hands, feet and hips. Andrews also sprinted on the track with speed coach Carlos Moore, a world-class sprinter.

Just as beneficial were all the balls he caught from Rosen during a host of player-run practices, developing a familiarity that has carried over to the season. Rosen has targeted Andrews a team-high 32 times, according to footballstudyhall.com, throwing 23% of his passes toward the speedy receiver with sure hands. Andrews has made 26 catches for 409 yards, second nationally in yardage.

“He’s just playing very confidently,” Bruins receivers coach Jimmie Dougherty said, “going out there expecting to make plays.”

UCLA’s early season highlight footage could be dubbed the Andrews Files. He made a 42-yard touchdown catch against Texas A&M that helped spark the Bruins’ comeback from a 34-point deficit, maintaining his concentration even as the ball slipped through the hands of an Aggies defensive back before reaching him. He added a career-high three touchdown catches against Hawaii the next week.

Then came a 65-yard touchdown catch Saturday against Memphis, part of a bonanza in which he caught 10 passes for a career- high 175 yards. What wowed his coaches even more was Andrews making three blocks on the same play to help free tailback Brandon Stephens for a 36-yard run.

“This is a guy that’s all in,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “That demonstrated commitment, that play did.”

Afterward, all Andrews cared about was the catch he didn’t make. It was Rosen’s fourth-down pass with less than a minute to play that was deflected by a Tigers defensive back before it reached Andrews, falling incomplete to dash the Bruins’ comeback hopes.

“I mean, that’s a distraction drill,” Andrews said. “I’ve just got to be able to come up with that.”

His perfectionist nature has driven him to make the athletic director’s honor roll seven times, achieving a 4.0 grade-point average in his final quarter before graduating in June with a degree in political science.

Excellent grades and the speed to zip across the field were a combination that initially led Andrews to commit to Duke after being rated a good but not great prospect at La Puente Bishop Amat High. The knock was always the same.

“It was the size,” said Andrews, who was then 5 feet 10 and 172 pounds. “I was too small. I was a three star, just a whole lot of different things.”

Andrews’ plans changed when he earned a scholarship offer from UCLA a few days after a breakout game against Mission Hills Alemany. Becoming a Bruin meant he could stay home for college. But he never forgot what being unheralded felt like, ordering a mouthpiece that said “three star.” He also wore an undershirt during games bearing “3” to remind him of how far he had come. He played with an edge that occasionally led to his taunting after big plays.

“You’ve got to harness that just a little bit, not a lot,” Mora said of Andrews’ feistiness, “because we love that.”

There were fears Andrews’ college career was in jeopardy during spring practice in 2014 when he injured the same knee that had sidelined him for the final two games of his freshman season. Andrews called his parents to inform them of the initial prognosis: He might never play football again.

“He cried, I cried,” said his father, also named Darren Andrews. “I couldn’t let him know that I was crying, but I cried after I got off that phone with him and we were telling him it was going to be OK, it was going to be OK.”

Andrews worked his way back for the 2015 season, making his first career touchdown catch on a 70-yard connection with Rosen during a loss at Stanford. Last season, he led the Bruins with 55 catches for 709 yards and four touchdowns.

He viewed it as just a start, intensifying his training during the off-season. He alternated workouts between his private coaches and his teammates to avoid burnout. He modified his diet, eating pre-made meals prepared by his mother, Regenia, consisting of sweet potatoes, chicken and broccoli for breakfast, lunch and dinner while mixing in snacks of beef jerky, cashews and raisins.

“Sometimes I would switch it up and have steak,” Andrews said, “but that was pretty much the core.”

He gained 10 pounds, making his muscular, 195-pound physique more closely resemble that of his father, a former defensive back at Illinois State who had a tryout in the Canadian Football League. He felt faster and stronger, resulting in personal records in the weight room.

Andrews also spent time learning the nuances of not only his team’s playbook under new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch, but also the way cornerbacks might try to stop him during sessions with defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin.

“He made a determination,” Mora said, “that he was going to do everything in his power to be great.”

Now Andrews is on the cusp of Bruins greats, needing only 10 more catches to move into 10th place on the school’s career list for receptions. His six touchdowns have already exceeded the five he had over his first three seasons combined.

“It’s no surprise to us because we know what he’s put into it,” Regenia Andrews said. “It’s just like everybody else is finding out what he’s capable of and what he’s done.”

Struggling Stanford still presents big threat for UCLA (Orange County Register) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/19)

LOS ANGELES — Jim Mora is not fooled by the two-game losing streak or the uncharacteristically porous run defense. The team UCLA faces in its conference opener is still, and will always be, a threat.

“They’re still Stanford,” Mora said. “They’re smart, they’re tough, they’re physical, they’re disciplined.”

For the first time since 2009, the Bruins and Cardinal will meet as unranked teams on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium. Both fell from the AP rankings last week after a pair of upsets and are hoping to steer their seasons back on track.

“In spurts, they can be dominant offensively, in spurts they can be dominant defensively,” Stanford head coach David Shaw said of the Bruins. “They’re doing the same thing we are. We’re just searching for a way to play at your best at all times.”

The typically stout Stanford defense allowed 478 rushing yards in the past two games with a 208-yard average across three games. UCLA is slowly building its running threat, going from a lowly 63 rushing yards in its season opener to 132 against Hawaii to 170 against Memphis last weekend. Against a vulnerable Stanford defense, the Bruins (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) hope to continue their upward trend.

“It’s not so much that they’re struggling with (run defense), it’s just the offenses are executing well,” offensive lineman Michael Alves said. “Every block they’re making perfectly, so all we have to do is make our blocks and there should be holes there.”

Who the Bruins have to run through those holes is still in question. Senior Nate Starks has been ruled out for a significant amount of time with a medial collateral ligament injury. Junior Soso Jamabo has missed two straight games with nagging injuries. However, UCLA got a boost from sophomore Jalen Starks against Memphis, who had six carries for 20 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 70 yards.

“I thought he ran the football well, I thought he protected really, really well,” offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said. “He caught the ball well. … And he’s a big, 255-pound tailback that’s hard to bring down. So everyone’s excited about Jalen.”

PUNTER POWER

Punters are often the butt of football jokes, so even when Stefan Flintoft is, by Mora’s assessment, “killing it,” he can’t escape good-natured ribbing.

The redshirt junior punted only once against Hawaii two weeks ago and the team fell 2 yards short of its weekly goal of winning the net punting average. His coaches and teammates teased him for it, but that was one of the only complaints the Bruins have with their punter now.

Flintoft has placed six of his 11 punts inside the 20-yard line, including three that were downed inside the 10-yard line last week against Memphis. The walk-on has two 50-yard punts, including a 63-yard bomb against Texas A&M.

“We’ve been really happy with him,” Mora said. “Really, really happy with him.”

Flintoft won a tight competition for the starting job during training camp, edging sophomore Austin Kent for his consistency. The Bruins are now third in the Pac-12 in net-punting with 42.4 yards, jumping from 10th last year.

Rosen still has something to learn about quick decisions (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/20)

Some of the game footage that UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen studies is about acceptable failure. A quarterback taking a sack. A scramble that goes for only a few yards. A pass completed short of the first-down marker. They’re all outcomes that are preferable to forcing passes that lead to interceptions. They allow an offense to either keep the ball for another play or punt it away while managing field position. Rosen knows they’re the kinds of plays he needs to make even if they might seem like momentary setbacks. “A lot of it is just playing within the system,” Rosen said Wednesday. “A lot of the guys that play for so many years in the NFL do it because they make really quick, fast, deliberate decisions that all work within the system and have very few incredible insane scramble highlights because that’s not what the system was built for. “That’s why you see a lot of these guys, particularly the pocket passers that last so long in the NFL, because they’re very smart, very efficient, very quick, and that’s what I’m trying to get closer and closer to every single day in perfecting the system.” Most of Rosen’s decisions this season have been sound. He leads the nation with 13 passing touchdowns and ranks second with 427.7 passing yards per game. But a handful of plays in the second half of the Bruins’ 48-45 loss to Memphis illustrated that there’s still significant room for growth. “He’s a junior in college and not a 40-year-old starter in New England,” UCLA offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said, referring to Patriots quarterback . “So we’ll just try to get him to that point here, and hopefully 19 years from now somebody calls and says that he’s now not making those same mistakes.” Rosen threw across his body on one play that resulted in an interception returned 60 yards for a touchdown. Facing a blitzing, unblocked linebacker, Rosen threw another pass that was intercepted after the Bruins had reached Memphis’ 19-yard line. Rosen also threw a pass into tight coverage on the Bruins’ final drive that forced receiver Theo Howard to grab a defensive back who was in position to make an interception, leading to an offensive pass interference call. UCLA receiver Jordan Lasley prevented another possible interception earlier in the game when he quickly changed course on an underthrown pass and nearly made an improbable catch. Rosen acknowledged afterward that he was trying to play “hero ball” while never giving up on a play. “He’s just the ultimate competitor,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “I’ve seen it before with guys, just learning when to say, OK, the play is over, we didn’t get what we wanted, let’s go on to the next play. That’s a hard thing to teach a guy like Josh that’s so ultra competitive and has such great confidence in himself, but I don’t think there’s anyone that didn’t think we’d win that game and we didn’t.” Fisch said he was pleased with Rosen’s performance considering he’s among the most prolific quarterbacks in the country. The two interceptions against Memphis were Rosen’s first of the season. “Those are gonna come,” Fisch said. “I haven’t seen a perfect season yet. But, you know, we continue to just coach him and we continue to talk to him. … He knew he wasn’t supposed to throw across his body. “He’s been really awesome to coach, someone that I’m hoping we have the opportunity to coach for another 19 games or so, and continue to help his evolution to become that elite player which I think he’s able to be.” The job’s all his After wavering over the final half of last season, UCLA has found its punter. Stefan Flintoft appears intent on making it a permanent arrangement after averaging 43.2 yards per punt against Memphis, including two that went for more than 50 yards. The junior walk-on has sent six of his 11 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and his net average of 42.4 yards per punt ranks No. 25 nationally. “Incredible,” Mora said of a player vying to win the team’s last available scholarship. Coaches ribbed Flintoft earlier this month after he lost the battle of net punting average against Hawaii by two yards. There was one disclaimer: Flintoft punted only once because the Bruins scored touchdowns on nearly every drive. “We teased him,” Mora said, “because he’s been killing it.”

UCLA coach Jim Mora focused on snapping Bruins’ Stanford skid (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/20)

LOS ANGELES — At the first mention of the word “history,” Jim Mora knows where this question is going. Does his history with Stanford — six straight losses — have any impact on Saturday’s game against the Cardinal? In a rare instance, the head coach doesn’t recoil from such a question. Yes, he admits, the history does matter. But only to him. “I don’t want that to be transferred to the players. That wouldn’t be fair,” Mora said. “But for Jim Mora? Damn right. And if I told you any other way then you’d know I was lying to you.” Mora understands the half-decade of torment the Cardinal has caused him. Besides Oregon, which Mora has faced only twice, Stanford is the only Pac-12 Conference foe the six-year head coach hasn’t conquered. In the 2012 Pac-12 Championship Game, UCLA had outgained Stanford and won the turnover battle but still lost, 27-24, after giving up 10 consecutive points in the fourth quarter. Last year, the Bruins came within 24 seconds of the victory until Stanford’s J.J. Arcega-Whiteside caught the winning touchdown pass. While Mora continues to bear the burden of a losing streak that predates his tenure, his players say they’re looking at Stanford as a nameless opponent who happens to wear Cardinal and white. Quarterback Josh Rosen, who threw for an efficient 248 yards and one touchdown on 18-for-27 passing last year against the Cardinal, said the team looked at last season’s game film as a normal learning exercise. He’s most concerned about playing up to his own team’s high standard no matter the opponent, but also wants to help his coach secure an important win. “We want to do it for Coach (Mora) because we have each other’s back,” Rosen said. “Every game has to matter as much as possible. No one game can matter more than another because your health is on the line so if you’re not sharp, you’re going to suffer. … But sometimes when certain things are on the (line), you kind of what to fight for your brother on the field, so we’re going to do everything we can to win.” Back in action Since the away team’s locker room didn’t have a TV at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, linebacker Josh Woods had to watch the first half of UCLA’s game against Memphis from the referees locker room while he served his one-half suspension for targeting. He watched helplessly as the Bruins took a 27-24 deficit into halftime. “It was pretty tough not being out there with my guys,” Woods said. He picked up small cues about Memphis’ running game while watching on TV and after debriefing with his teammates and coaches at halftime, Woods tallied four tackles in the second half, which was tied for third on the team. Defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa will be suspended for the first half against Stanford on Saturday after a fourth-quarter targeting penalty last weekend. Woods has already prepared the redshirt freshman on how to handle the situation. “I just said when you come out in the second half, come out hungry,” Woods said. “That’s all you can do.”

Caleb Wilson brings positivity, versatility to UCLA football (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/20)

LOS ANGELES — Everywhere Caleb Wilson goes on the field, he’s covered. The tight end gets shadowed by two defenders. He gets chipped at the line of scrimmage. He’s the target of more attention now than he has ever had. He wouldn’t have it any other way. “If you’re not getting focused on, that means you haven’t earned it and you’re not making enough plays,” Wilson said. “I had to put that in perspective. It is respect to be focused on in the offense.” Wilson has long had the respect of his UCLA teammates and now the former USC walk-on is earning it from his opponents. Since Wilson helped the Bruins mount the biggest comeback in school history with 15 catches for 207 yards against Texas A&M, teams won’t dare let the lanky Dallas native run free now. Wilson was held to six combined catches in the past two games entering UCLA’s conference opener at Stanford on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. But as he’s always done, the sophomore is ready to adjust. “I’m just focusing on doing my job,” Wilson said. “If I can take two defenders and allow one of our teammates to get a one-on- one, I’m more than willing to do that.” Wilson was always one to put his team first, like when he switched from quarterback to tight end as a senior at Serra High of Gardena. He caught 18 passes for 310 yards and seven touchdowns in half a season, but the position change stymied Wilson’s college recruitment. Schools were hesitant to offer the rail-thin, 6-foot-4, 216-pounder who was too big to play receiver and too small to play tight end. He originally committed to Old Dominion as a quarterback before accepting a walk-on spot at USC, where his father Chris was the defensive line coach. After Clay Helton took over at USC before the 2016 season, Wilson’s father went to Missouri before landing with the while USC tight ends coach Marques Tuiasosopo went to UCLA to coach quarterbacks. He didn’t forget about the athletic walk-on and UCLA coaches called Serra coach Scott Altenberg for a scouting report on Wilson before offering him a scholarship. “This kid’s going to be a star at tight end,” Altenberg told the Bruins. Wilson is second in the nation in tight end receiving yards (280) and third in the nation in tight end receptions (21). He caught his first collegiate touchdown two weeks ago against Hawaii. Now at 235 pounds, he can also contribute on running plays as a blocker this year. Wilson’s emergence helped the Bruins become the second-best passing team in the nation with 442.3 passing yards. UCLA has weapons all over the field and if Wilson draws a double team that means Darren Andrews, the nation’s leader in receiving touchdowns (six), is lurking against single coverage. The game always tends to open up for Wilson, whose six receptions in the past two games have all come in the fourth quarter. “It’s always great when you can make them defend the entire field,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “That’s one of the things you try to do and that’s one of the things a really good tight end gives you.” Wilson gives the Bruins a receiving threat on the field and a personable leader off it. After a nomadic childhood spent following his father’s coaching career, Wilson learned to “be versatile” in all social situations. Teammates are drawn to his joyful personality. When he flashes his easy smile that reveals a single dimple on his left cheek, others can’t help but follow. “If you’re having a bad day, he can make you smile just like that,” Andrews said. “That’s a great person to have on your team.” This is the first time Wilson has played on the same team for consecutive years since middle school. He went to three high schools in three years, going from Starkville, Miss., to Athens, Ga., to Gardena, then started college at USC before settling in Westwood. It’s a welcome dose of consistency, Wilson said, as teammates now know to expect his endless positivity. At a recent practice, quarterback Josh Rosen asked Wilson to bring energy to liven up the team. The same way he dutifully accepts double teams, Wilson cracked his dimpled smile and went to work.

Fifteen-year NFL veteran LB Roman Phifer is back at UCLA alma-mater (NFL Player Engagement) By Jim Gehman (9/21)

Everybody's very happy 'Cause the sun is shining all the time Looks like another perfect day I love L.A. Randy Newman

Drafted out of UCLA by the Los Angeles Rams in 1991, those song lyrics could have easily been written for the Bruins’ All- America linebacker Roman Phifer. “It was awesome,” Phifer said. “Going to UCLA, my best friend at the time, Ed Turner, was drafted by Cleveland and he’s a southern California kid. So, him having to go to Cleveland and I got to go right down the road to Orange County, I just thought that was unbelievable.” With the average length of a player’s NFL career being three years, unbelievable may be a fitting way to describe Phifer’s 15-year career with the Rams, New York Jets, , and New York Giants. “I was blessed. I didn’t have a whole lot of major injuries. I did break my ankle my rookie year, but after that I was pretty solid,” Phifer said. “I had a great coach early in my career, Dick Selcer, he was the linebackers coach that came in with (Rams head coach) Chuck Knox, and he really taught me a lot of great fundamentals for the game that kind of carried me over through the years and helped me become a solid linebacker. “I worked hard and had some great head coaches along the way, obviously (New England’s Bill) Belichick, and I had some great coordinators. It was really a combination of those things and great teammates.” Those reasons along with having a supportive family contributed to what makes Phifer most proud of his NFL career. “I was part of three world championships with the Patriots,” Phifer said. “Obviously, those are high on the list, but I’d probably have to say what it did for my family. My parents (James and Betty Phifer) getting to enjoy seeing me play for so long and getting to experience the highs and the lows of my career. They were there the whole time, since I started playing when I was eight years old. “My dad, even in my 15th year, came to see me play. I was with the Giants (in 2005) and didn’t really play, but I was active. I was on my way out the door, but he came to watch me. It was unbelievable, what it did for my family and all the blessings that go along with playing in the NFL. My father passed away in 2010 and those are some of the fondest memories I have of him.” In 2016, the silver anniversary of when Phifer left UCLA for a career in professional football, he returned to the campus and is now the Director of Football Player Personnel and High School Relations. Phifer counsels the young men on their academic responsibilities and life skills as he prepares them for life as a student-athlete and beyond. “I felt it was a great opportunity to give something back to the game. It gave so much to me,” Phifer said. “What I try to do is focus on how I can use my experiences to help with whatever their goal is. It’s about how I can help them. If it is something that I had in my past or if it is some successes that I had, I’ll share that with them. If it’s some failures, I’ll share the failures, as well. “Each kid, they have a different outlook, a different background, a different perspective. I try to gauge each kid individually and approach it on that level.” Phifer oversees UCLA’s Player Enrichment Program, which is very similar to the NFL’s Player Engagement Program. “The original program was basically to encourage guys to think about other avenues outside of football,” Phifer said. “I understand the transition is tough. I understand a lot of these guys want to play in the NFL. But there’s no guarantee and the career is short-lived. There’s no guarantee you’re going to play 15 years. It may be three years. It may be two. It may be 10. “So, I encourage them to plant seeds. I try to connect them with alumni that are in different industries and are doing well and are willing to actually help or hire student-athletes. I try to bridge those connections and encourage the kids along with the thought of going into the NFL to just consider what else they’d like to do. “In the NFL, you could be with one team one year and establish yourself in the community, and then the next season, you’re in a different city. The thing about college, you go to school at a place that will always be your home, you’ll be an alum. These relationships will always be connected whether you go on to play in the NFL or not. It just kind of gives a little more sense of stability as far as those relationships go and the connections go here in college. I want to get kids to recognize those opportunities and take advantage of them.” UCLA defensive lineman returns home to face Stanford (Palo Alto Daily News) By VYTAS MAZEIKA (9/21)

If you ask Serra football coach Patrick Walsh what’s the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the name Matt Dickerson, it takes a moment to come up with the answer.

“I would say happiness and sadness, at the same time — and I have to explain that,” Walsh said. “Happiness because he’s one of the greatest kids, he’s one of the hardest workers, he’s humble and he’s just a wonderful human being. So when I think of Matt Dickerson, that’s how I remember him.

“Sadness, though, because he didn’t play one down his senior year for Serra High School.”

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive end sat out the entire 2013 season, relinquished to spectator status as the Padres went on to win the Central Coast Section Open Division title without him.

A back injury sidelined the four-star recruit heavily sought after by UCLA and Notre Dame, among others.

“It was very clear that all he needed was a lot of rest,” Walsh said. “It wasn’t something that would affect him in the long term.”

Indeed, it hasn’t.

Dickerson played 12 games as a true freshman at UCLA and hasn’t missed a game since.

“I take a lot of pride in it,” Dickerson said of his durability. “Health is a big concern for us and a big priority for all of us. And it’s unfortunate and one of the things that’s going to bother me for the rest of my life, not playing my senior year of high school. But I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

Saturday is a homecoming of sorts for the 21-year-old, as the Bruins (2-1) are in town to play Stanford (1-2) at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s my senior year and I’m glad that Stanford is at their home so I can come back for one last time,” Dickerson said. “Last year it was Cal, and whenever I go back home it’s always a big game. So I’m looking forward to come home and play in front of my family.”

Family is a big reason why Dickerson is coming to Palo Alto this weekend wearing a UCLA uniform instead of two months from now with Notre Dame, his original verbal commit before a change of mind prior to signing his national letter of intent.

“It really came to between UCLA and Notre Dame,” said Dickerson, who felt a strong bond with UCLA defensive line coach Angus McClure. “And when my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, it was in the very early stages, but just going through that whole process just shook me and my family a lot and just kind of reminded me that I wanted to stay closer to home.

“And Coach Angus was always a great mentor to me, always in my ear, and it was the best choice for me and my family.”

His father, Clarence, is in remission — “Everything is great now,” Dickerson said. “No issues with that.” — which means he can focus entirely on the Cardinal, which has not lost to the Bruins since 2008.

“We just need to play to our standard, obviously,” Dickerson said. “It’s a new team every single year and we know what we need to do. We’ve been practicing all week for it and it’s going to be a physical game.”

The standard set by the Bruins includes recent selections in the NFL Draft, players such as Kenny Clark (1st round, Green Bay Packers), Takkarist McKinley (1st, Atlanta Falcons) and Eddie Vanderdoes (3rd, Oakland Raiders).

That type of depth forced Dickerson to continually work on his craft in a fierce battle for playing time.

“Being a student of the game since freshman year, I learned a lot technique-wise, effort-wise and really just how to play defensive line,” Dickerson said. “They really set the standard to how I play and how I rate myself.”

Does that mean he considers himself NFL caliber?

“I need to focus on Stanford and getting better each and every day, and then the NFL will come,” said Dickerson, who is on path to graduate in December with a degree in sociology. “Right now, it’s Stanford.” “Matt is one of the better players I’ve ever had when it comes to technique, so he leads our team by example,” McClure said. “He’s a high-effort guy. He does everything right. And he’s been a very productive player for us throughout the years.”

That’s why Walsh feels sadness at the prospect of what could’ve been four years ago with the Padres.

“Just the opportunity to coach a guy his senior year who is that humble and works that hard and is virtually unblockable at the high school level would’ve been so fun to watch over 13 games,” he said. “But that wasn’t meant to be.”

Instead, Walsh will settle for regular stops each offseason at the campus in San Mateo from one of the hardest workers he’s ever coached.

“He’s always back at Serra lifting in our weight room,” Walsh said. “To see a guy who comes home and could be hanging out with friends or doing whatever he could in his time off, he’s grinding in the Serra weight room, which just says so much about who he’s always been.”

“Serra will remain a big part of my life,” Dickerson said. “I love what they have there and what they instilled in me and the brothers that I made at that school. So whenever I go back home, I always go back to Serra. And Coach Walsh is a great coach. He’s the one who helped me a lot in this recruiting process and really was a big contributor for me to even get to UCLA.”

Jim Mora thinks the key to beating Stanford might be as simple as effort (LA Times) By Ben Bolch (9/21)

What struck UCLA coach Jim Mora most when he watched recent tutorials on stopping Stanford wasn’t so much intense defensive pressure or inventive schemes. It was old-fashioned effort. “I mean, maybe not perfect all the time,” Mora said of the effort by USC and San Diego State in victories over the Cardinal, “but a maniacal attitude to get to the ball. … That maniacal effort is what won it for those teams.” It’s the kind of effort that Mora said had been missing at times from the Bruins’ defense last weekend during a 48-45 loss to Memphis. It was absent on a screen pass that went for a 42-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The defenders couldn’t catch receiver Tony Pollard, which served as an unintended metaphor for the Bruins’ failed comeback later in the game. One issue facing UCLA’s defense was the hesitancy created by players either making their first career starts or slotted into new positions as a result of teammates’ absences. Defensive tackle Chigozie Nnoruka, hybrid defensive end-linebacker Keisean Lucier-South, linebacker Krys Barnes and defensive back Will Lockett were all first-time starters. “When you lack experience and you’re seeing things for the first time and it’s happening real fast,” Mora said, “those instincts don’t kick in because you’re thinking so much.” The Bruins allowed nine explosive plays, which Mora defines as runs that go for at least 12 yards or passes that gain 20 yards or more. Their pressure was also largely lacking, generating only two sacks of quarterback Riley Ferguson. UCLA (2-1) could solve some of its defensive problems against Stanford (1-2) on Saturday at Stanford Stadium with the return of a few mainstays. Mora hopes that linebacker Kenny Young and safety Jaleel Wadood can come back from the head trauma that sidelined them against Memphis. Linebacker Josh Woods will presumably start after sitting out the first half of the game against the Tigers as punishment for targeting the previous week against Hawaii, and defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa is expected to be at full strength after being limited to a handful of plays against Memphis while recovering from a previous injury. “Hopefully that shores up the middle of the defense,” Mora said, “and settles us down a little bit.” The Bruins will face a Stanford offense that has been uncharacteristically inefficient in recent weeks. The Cardinal have juggled their offensive line in a search for consistency, and quarterback Keller Chryst is coming off a two-interception, one-fumble clunker against San Diego State. Stanford tailback Bryce Love averages 174.7 rushing yards a game, ranking second in major college football, but the Cardinal have had trouble sustaining drives with their boom-or-bust results. Of the 184 rushing yards Love had last week against San Diego State, 151 came on three plays; he averaged only 3.3 yards in his other 10 carries. Stanford held the ball for only 18 minutes against the Aztecs after converting three of 11 third downs against a defensive effort that Mora and his players intend to emulate. “We need to go back to hunting and playing the way we play,” Woods said. “I tell [my teammates] that’s something you can control. Even if you don’t understand what you’re doing or you’re lost in the funk, just go 110% to the ball and things like that will erase themselves.” Earning his stripes A week after he was ejected because of that contested targeting penalty, Woods saw things from the referees’ perspective. He watched the first half of the Bruins’ game against Memphis from the referees’ locker room inside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium because he was ineligible to play before halftime. Woods went there after discovering that the visitors’ locker room did not have a television. He returned to make four tackles in the second half after combining what he learned from the broadcast with tips from his teammates once he returned to UCLA’s locker room. Woods has since given advice to defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who must sit out the first half of the Stanford game after being penalized for targeting in the second half against Memphis. “I just said, ‘When you come out in the second half, come out hungry,’” Woods said. “That’s all you can do.”

‘Maniacal effort’ will be key for UCLA against Stanford (Daily News) By THUC NHI NGUYEN (9/21)

LOS ANGELES — It wasn’t the blown assignment that bothered Jim Mora. The thing that irked the UCLA head coach most about the play that led to Memphis receiver Tony Pollard scoring a 42-yard touchdown on a short screen pass was the hoard of UCLA defenders jogging behind the play. It was lack of effort. That is not the way UCLA sent 12 defensive players, including six linebackers, through the NFL draft during the past five years. The Bruins hope to recapture that type of effort against Stanford at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Stanford Stadium. “We need to go back to hunting and playing the way we play,” linebacker Josh Woods said. “I tell them (effort) is something you can control. Even if you don’t understand what you’re doing or you’re lost in the funk, just go 110 percent to the ball and things like that will erase themselves.” Woods said effort was the main focus of the linebackers this week. The junior was forced to watch the first half of last week’s game from the referees’ locker room due to a one-half suspension, and without senior Kenny Young due to injury, the Bruins started two sophomores at linebacker against Memphis. Youth may have played a role in the lack of effort from the linebackers, Woods admits, but it was not an excuse. UCLA (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) is hoping to get Young back soon – he missed last week while still recovering from head trauma suffered against Hawaii. Sophomores Lokeni Toailoa and Krys Barnes combined for nine tackles against Memphis. Barnes’ six tackles were the second-most on the team and he leads Bruins with 18 on the season. “They got thrown right into the fire,” Wood said. “They’re definitely going to get better with the more reps they get. I’m proud of them for stepping up when they needed to.” In preparing for Stanford, Mora studied the defensive performances of USC and San Diego State, the Cardinal’s previous two opponents, and noticed a simple commonality that helped the Trojans and Aztecs pull off wins. “Maniacal effort is what won it for those teams,” the coach said. “Their schemes were fine, but they weren’t complex. They didn’t pressure a lot, but they were on them. So that’s what you’ve got to do.” Jump in line He’s the lone new starter on the offensive line, but Michael Alves is not looking for special treatment. The redshirt freshman would prefer to be treated as any other lineman, and so far, he’s blended seamlessly into UCLA’s starting group. “I came in, they didn’t even look at me, they just said ‘OK, let’s run the plays,'” Alves said. “So they’ve all just been kind of treating me the same and it’s actually beneficial for me.” Alves and tackle Andre James have linked up to create big running lanes for the Bruins on the right side. UCLA is coming off 170 rushing yards against Memphis, the most for the team since last year’s game against UNLV. “He is a powerful player so when we have a combo block, we can drive our guy off,” Alves said of James. “When it’s pass protection, he stays square. He’s really firm in pass protection, so passing off stunts is pretty easy. When you have a good player next to you, it’s a lot easier.”

Stanford takes on UCLA’s Josh Rosen, nation’s leading passer (San Francisco Chronicle) By Tom FitzGerald (9/21)

When David Shaw discusses Josh Rosen, he makes it clear why the UCLA quarterback will be one of the top players in the NFL draft, assuming the junior turns pro. The Stanford head coach started watching Rosen in his junior year at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower (Los Angeles County). He quickly noted that Rosen’s passes were “beautiful.” “It’s how you’re supposed to throw a football,” Shaw said. “Quick release. The ball has the perfect trajectory. He pulls out the howitzer only when he needs it, the cannon that he’s got. A lot of his passes are great touch passes. They’re thrown right in rhythm where a guy doesn’t have to break stride. He can put the ball between defenders. He’s an underestimated athlete as far as moving in the pocket.” Both Rosen and USC’s Sam Darnold are expected to be franchise NFL quarterbacks. Stanford (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12) didn’t have much success against Darnold two weeks ago. The Cardinal hope to fare better against Rosen and the Bruins (2-1, 0-0) in Stanford’s home opener at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. “Everything he does translates to the top pick in the NFL draft,” UCLA radio analyst Matt Stevens said. Both Rosen and Darnold are top-drawer pro prospects, but Stevens thinks Rosen has a slight edge. “Darnold is more like (the Eagles’) Carson Wentz in that he’ll move around. Rosen sits in the pocket; he’s more like (the Packers’) Aaron Rodgers.” Rosen once dreamed of attending Stanford, but that didn’t happen, possibly because he might have been considered too brash for the coaches’ liking. People around the UCLA program say he has been a dedicated game-video student, a brilliant economics major and a fine teammate. On the field, he has been mostly dazzling, but for one game. The comeback that he led against Texas A&M, which led by 34 in the third quarter only to lose to 45-44, was considered legendary. Rosen threw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of the second-biggest comeback in college football history. Unfortunately for the Bruins, he tossed a few extremely ill-advised passes at Memphis on Saturday, two resulting in his first interceptions of the season. UCLA lost 48-45 in a setback to Rosen’s efforts to become the school’s second Heisman Trophy winner, after Gary Beban 50 years ago. Rosen threw a pass that was picked off and returned 60 yards for a touchdown. He threw another interception after UCLA had reached the Memphis 19. Another pass was thrown into such tight coverage that his receiver had to commit pass interference to prevent a pick. “I just made some stupid mistakes,” Rosen said. “I made about 10 points worth of really bad plays. ... I just can’t make really, really, silly mistakes like that. It’s just trying to play hero ball. It’s not needed. You’ve got to play within the system.” Sharpening his ability to read through progressions under new offensive coordinator Jeff Fisch, Rosen leads the nation in passing yardage (1,283) and TD passes (13).