Postgame Quotes - UCLA at Colorado (Sept. 24, 2022)
UCLA 45, Colorado 17
Boulder, Colo.
September 24, 2022
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly
Opening statement
“Anytime you get a conference win on the road, I thought our offensive did a really nice job executing. Defensively I thought we played well. We have to clean up the penalty situation that extended drives a few times and I think some of the some of their success was really our guys making mistakes. So, we'll clean that up. I thought they responded well losing Murph early. It's hard a penalty. I thought we did a really nice job just from what you can see from the sideline. So offensively I think we put we didn't punt in the first half, we missed a short fourth down that we went for, but I thought they were clicking. I thought Dorian got the ball to a lot of different receivers today. Now having Zach back, obviously was a big impact for us. And Dorian with his legs. I think we kind of got the ball distributed to the perimeter, and then you have a quarterback who can run and there's kind of the difference.
On second half adjustments
“I think Billy and those guys did a really good job making a few adjustments, from a scheme standpoint, and then our conditioning I think is sharp and all four games that we played. It was a hot game today. I think we wore them down a little bit. I think that's a factor in general, how are players trained during the week. So, we always seem to be going four for four in those opportunities. We've been the freshest team in the second half. “
On conditioning
“It's everything. There's a mindset that we talked about all the time how we fuel, how we train, how we recover. We're pretty dialed in from that aspect in terms of how we do it, and I think it's paid off. You look at the Bowling Green game, and they had 10 or 11 guys go down with cramps, we didn’t have anybody. Look at our conditioning, and I think it's shown up in four games. I think it’s part of what our DNA is right now in terms of how we train and what we do and it benefits you on game days.”
On playing at altitude
“Yeah, well football is an anaerobic sport. So, I think the altitude thing goes out. We're not running cross country. So, some people try to make a big deal out of that, but when you look at the physiological part of it, there isn't really much effect from an altitude standpoint. I think people in Colorado want you to believe that and think about it. There's a big sign of what the elevation is. We don't notice it because we cover it up. So, our players have no idea if we played at altitude or below sea level today, so we don't even talk about it.
On not winning in Boulder since 2014
“I think every win is really important. Anytime you can beat a quality opponent on the road in the league is huge. And if you want to be competitive in the league, you have to win road games. That's really what the most important thing is for us. But, you know, everybody in that locker room wasn't there in 2014 and someone's kids were in elementary school. So, you know those things don't really mean anything. They're facts, but they don't really pertain to this group this team this year. “
On the run game
I think it's a combination of our quarterback is a threat every time he hands the ball off, so I think people have to play him. In terms of being able to run, I think Tim Drevno has our offensive line doing a really good job creating some things. I think our ability to throw off our run game, we had some big chunk plays in play action pass. So really put some of the linebackers in dual conflict they’re runs stoppers, but they got to play pass and kind of make them a little bit indecisive. So, I think the mix up, play action pass quarterback run and running back run, I think is what helped us today.”
On the offensive tempo
“It's important every day, you want to dictate and play football downhill, not uphill. I think our guys understand that. That's just another tool in our toolbox. It's not something that we do all the time, but it's also something that we can use if we if we feel like it's necessary and can give us some looks. I think it’s a credit to our guys that they can handle it, with the volume of offense that we have the ability to run a lot of tempo things I think was really beneficial to us.”
On the efficiency of the offense
“I think it's really the execution part of it. The second drive we have a seven-play drive. It only took a minute and we scored. We're just trying to score and that's what we're trying to do every single time. We probably leaned a little bit more on a template today. But I felt like that was something that we needed to do. It just depends on which week and how the game unfolds. But it was I think the efficiency of the offense was really huge in terms of our execution.”
On preparing for three quarterbacks
“We prepared for all three, because all three had played. Owen, he kind of played at the end of the Minnesota game so you kind of saw what he was going to do. You knew they like to run a little bit of boot to the left where he could roll to his arm side because he's different than in both Shroud and Lewis because those they're both right handed. So, I try to give them a little bit more roll left. We were kind of conscious of that and the boot game and you know move from around in the pocket a little bit and we were kind of we prepared for that. Then once they announced, our coaches work their game plan off of that.”
On the importance of the win
“Everything's important. I think once you can gain you get your first league win, that's obviously important. There's no north south anymore, it's just it's one division. So, every victory that you get is an opportunity to put on the on the right side of the ledger is huge. So that's a big deal for us. It's not whether we're heading into the conference play every game we have from round one as a conference game and we know we all played our out of conference schedules and now we get into league play. So anytime you can get a win in this league because everybody's playing each other so you know six teams are going to have six teams are going to be 1-0 when all the teams are going to be 0-1. It's always good when it comes down to it. When you get a chance to play in the championship game. You can look back at a win like this could be the difference in playing in that game.
On Laiatu Latu
“A gutty a performance by him. Just watched how hard he's worked from a rehab standpoint. It's awesome to see, he's got such a work ethic. He's starting to get a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more confident playing with a little bit more poise. It's something that we thought when we when we him here that he could he could do and now that we're starting to see him. You can see him get better and better each week and that's the cool part of it.”
UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson
ON STAYING IN RHYTHM
“Yeah, I think it’s just staying along with the game plan. Chip does a really good job of allowing me to get the ball out of my hands fast whether it’s my first or second read or if I had to take it to a check down. I think it’s just following the system and trusting my receivers and obviously the offensive line blocking their asses off.”
ON HIS LONG RUNS
“I had to make a read there. They did a good job defensively in the second half, adjusting their defensive ends and not allowing me to pull the ball as much.”
ON THE EARLY SUCCESS
“I think I was more focused on catching my breath after those long runs with the elevation, but like you said, just going fast. That's what we want to do, we want to start fast. I talked to all the boys this morning, letting them know this is the type of game where we need to come up here with the wheels rolling and be able to start fast and trying not to put ourselves in a hole.”
ON ZACK CHARBONNET RETURNING
“Yeah, you know we've rested him and made sure that he's full go for when he's ready. And you saw it today, so I couldn't be more proud of him as well as the rest of the guys. Zack was for sure on point today.”
ON PULLING THE BALL
“Yeah, a lot of those were off tempos. Their answer to tempo was to go to man coverage and when you go man coverage you got to have a quarterback playing in the read zone game. So, they ended up only having one in the back which was a defensive end and there was nobody else left. So I just follow my rules and all my progressions.”
ON COACH CHIAVERINI
“I've personally played against this team for four years now and so for him I think it was more of just letting us know that he's been there before. He told us this is the type of team that they are and he helped us with scouting and all that stuff. So yeah, Coach Chiaverini was definitely a big part of this week for sure. It was big week for him.”
UCLA Wide Receiver Matt Sykes
ON GETTING THE KIND OF RYTHYM YOU WANTED OUT THERE
“I feel like we started off the game strong. That’s something that we've been showing the last few games, but I think today we showed that we can come out strong and really set our pace and not try and play from behind. I think we did a good job today, but we can always improve.”
ON DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON BEING LOCKED IN
“Yeah, Dorian looked locked in today. Locked in with all his reads and our whole game plan. I think it went pretty smooth for us today."
ON WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE TEAM WINNING IN BOULDER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2014
“I think it's telling us that we're turning the edge. We've been struggling especially coming in here. This is a hard environment to play in. I feel like today we came out we gave everything - offense, defense, special teams - and really got the job done.”
ON IF THE EARLY OFFENSIVE SUCCESS WAS BECAUSE OF THE TEMPO OR EXECUTION
“I think was a mixture of both. Tempo was a big part of our game plan coming in this week, just keeping the defense on their heels and watching film of other teams and how they attack their defense. We formed our game plan around that and I think we executed it what today.”
ON IF HE KNEW HIS NAME WOULD BE CALLED
“I didn't know my number was going to be called, but you know I always try and stay ready. Whether it's an offseason fall camp, I just train like I'm ready to go in and make a play. Today, luckily, my name was called so I had to make a play and I did.”
ON THE ALTITUDE
“It definitely plays a factor when we're warming up. You can definitely feel your breath is going a lot quicker. I think it took a lot to adjust to the altitude, but we did a good job.”
ON WHAT GOES INTO WINNING THE CONDITIONING BATTLE IN THE SECOND HALF
“I think it all starts on the practice field. Just the coaches keeping a high standard for us in practice. We run a lot of tempo where we're always trying to make sure that we're working on our conditioning, and then like you said, when it's off the field we're training, we're recovering, we're healing. It's a 24 hour job, it's not just practice, but I think all that our mindset and lifestyle helps.”
ON WINNING THE FIRST ROAD CONFERENCE GAME
“It's huge. Especially like coach said, next game we got a Friday game against Washington at home. That's huge. I think this win is a great one. A momentum causer for next week. So I'm excited.”
UCLA linebacker Laiatu Latu
ON THREE SACK PERFORMANCE
“It felt really good, it felt really good being with the people that I was out there with too. They made it a lot easier.”
ON REASONING FOR PENALTIES
“I think when you get out there and you go on that field you want to make a play. You want to win and I think that's just how we're feeling and we'll clean that up come next week.”
ON NEAR INTERCEPTION
“I knew the call and I knew that I was dropping and I tear my feet. I was playing run. I went back, and I was still looking at the quarterback. That ball came pretty dang fast. At least they didn't catch it.
ON SHAKING OFF RUST
“Knowing me I know I can always get better. And that's what I'm going to continue doing and that's going to be my mentality.
ON HOW PREPARED THEY WERE FOR MCCOWN
“We didn't know the whole week. We just played like one of them was going to be the quarterback and we knew that we just wanted to get back there.”
ON THE STRIP SACK
“I was making an outside move and I read that he stepped up, so I took an inside move and I wrapped them up. My coaches always told me to be ball aware and I put my hand in there and I swiped at it and I got the ball out.
ON IMPORTANCE OF WASHINGTON GAME
“I'm looking at like another game. I know I came from there but we want to win every game just as much and that's how I'm looking at it.”
ON BEING 4-0
“It feels great. It gives us the momentum that we need and we’re going to continue doing that.”