UCLAs Tim Skipper focused on wins, not taking

Fox College Football tweeted that “The Jerry Neuheisel Era has begun with the Bruins.”

ESPN persona Pat McAfee added to the refrain of adoration for UCLA’s new playcaller, tweeting that Neuheisel “just might be a football wizard.”

Other media and sports activities betting websites tweeting about the Bruins’ turnaround from 0-4 to darlings of the faculty soccer world prominently featured footage of the blond-haired assistant coach.

It was enough to immediate the sports activities media web site Awful Announcing to ask: “Does anyone know that Tim Skipper is actually UCLA’s interim head coach, not Jerry Neuheisel?”

Having been preoccupied with saving a season, Skipper acknowledged being blissfully unaware of any narratives about who’s finished what to spark his workforce’s turnabout.

“I guess it’s good that I don’t get on social media and all that stuff right now because I don’t feel that way,” Skipper said Monday when requested about the notion that he wasn’t getting correct credit. “But I don’t really know what’s happening in the outside world [because] I’m in this [practice] building so much.

“But I love what I’m doing, I’m just working, man, and I just try to put us in the best position to be successful on Saturday.”

Part of any credit distortion is perhaps related with Skipper having presided over the Bruins’ 17-14 loss to Northwestern after changing DeShaun Foster. The next week, Neuheisel was elevated to playcaller, serving to the Bruins (2-4 general, 2-1 Big Ten) revive a dreadful offense and roll up a mixed 80 factors during victories over Penn State and Michigan State.

In fact, there have been enough fingerprints on UCLA’s resurgence to depart numerous smudge marks.

Skipper has supplied vitality, meticulousness and drive, and his motivational ways — including leaving printouts asking “ARE YOU A ONE-HIT WONDER?” on gamers’ seats on the workforce aircraft last week — had their supposed impact during a runaway victory over Michigan State.

Neuheisel has undoubtedly elevated an offense that struggled mightily under predecessor Tino Sunseri.

Kevin Coyle, the de facto defensive coordinator who was introduced in before the Northwestern recreation to change Ikaika Malloe, has unleashed an aggressive, disciplined fashion that has largely compensated for shortcomings that have been beforehand uncovered.

There’s also been a host of other contributors, from the scouting workers that helped establish the weak spot main to a profitable onside kick against Penn State, to the security guards exterior Drake Stadium who frequently inspired gamers strolling into observe amid loss after loss to start the season.

And, of course, don’t neglect the gamers — quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s management and poise alongside a slew of others who have risen to the second after so a lot early battle.

The Bruins are favored against Maryland (4-2, 1-2) on Saturday at the Rose Bowl for the first time since they confronted New Mexico, and it is perhaps simple to envision their success snowballing. But Skipper said he wasn’t going to introduce the thought of making a bowl recreation as his next motivational system.

“I’m all about the moment that you’re in, man,” Skipper said. “… This week, kind of, [the mantra] is the standard is the standard and don’t get bored with success. We have to keep doing what we’re doing and always be on the rise, you know?”

As he neared the one-month mark since his Sept. 14 promotion, Skipper acknowledged having initially anxious about preserving his roster intact since gamers might enter the switch portal or redshirt.

“When I first took over, it was, like, every time I talked to you guys, everybody was asking about who’s redshirting, who’s going to the portal?” Skipper said. “That was the theme that was, like, the No. 1 question. And we’ve been able to keep the team intact, you know, and that’s an everyday thing. I think we’ve shown them that, hey, we can make it, make it a good environment here, even though we have all this change and stuff, just stick with us and we’re going to be all right.”

A clean locker room and the grins and pleasure that come with profitable have been among the big modifications in the aura around the workforce that Skipper said he’s seen since taking over.

“It looks like the guys are in good spirits and things like that, and they know that tomorrow’s gonna be a work day and they better be ready to go,” Skipper said. “But I think we’re giving the guys the ‘why’ and the reasons why we do things, and that’s helping them know what to expect.”

Put me in, coach

UCLA unveiled a sturdy offensive weapon late in the third quarter against Michigan State.

It was Siale Taupaki, a 337-pound defensive lineman used as a blocker when the Bruins reached the pink zone. Going in movement on a direct snap to working back Jaivian Thomas, Taupaki flattened a defender as Thomas scored on the second-and-goal play.

“He was begging to be able to do something on the offensive side,” Skipper said of the redshirt junior, who has vacillated between the offensive and defensive strains during his seven seasons with the workforce. “Sure enough, he went out there and did his job, so that gave us some juice on the sideline and it was good to see.”

Etc.

Skipper said the workforce’s improved tackling in current weeks was more of a perform of fundamentals than scheme. “We do drills when we get [individual] time that are specifically to use your weapons — your eyes, feet and hands,” Skipper said, “and we’re learning how to wrap up and move our feet on contact because the hardest thing to do is re-start your feet when they stop.” … The University of California regents are scheduled to meet in a closed session Tuesday in San Francisco to talk about the compensation bundle that might be made obtainable to UCLA’s next coach.