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If the FANS were Coaching the team, Kahlil Bell would have been in the locker room instead of on the field scoring 2 Touchdowns in the Bruins' Comeback in Corvallis.
Bell LOST fumbles on the Bruins' FIRST TWO PLAYS of the game, and the second one was returned for an Oregon State Touchdown.
Internet fans were clamoring for Bell's benching even before OSU extended the lead to 14 to nothing, but Bell's teammates showed no such lack of support. They all came up to him and told him that they still have faith in him, and that he would have to contribute for the Bruins to get a win.
The players were a true reflection of their Coach, who showed confidence in Bell, by putting him back in the game, and calling plays for him repeatedly. In fact, Bell carried the Bruins at times. He also carried several OSU defenders, while carrying 24 times for 80 yards and 2 second-half TD's, and catching 4 passes for an additional 49 yards.
His tandem-mate at Tailback, Chris Markey, also had some effective plays, gaining 71 Total Yards. The tandem's 138 Rushing Yards was a success, when you consider that OSU had the Nation's #2 Defense against the Run coming into the game, and especially after Bell fumbled away the Bruins' very first two touches.
The modest success at running the ball started AFTER the forgettable first quarter, where the Bruins couldn't do anything right. Once the Defense was softened up a bit, Ben Olson was able to develop a rhythm, and execute the Offense efficiently. Despite the rain and the solid Beaver Defense, Olson was able to connect for 220 yards on 14-for-25 Passing, including a short pass over the middle to Brandon Breazell, who slipped a tackle and galloped to a 69-yard TD, and a 30-yard surgical strike to Breazell for another 6 points. That 30-yarder was one of the best passes of Olson's career, especially considering that he stepped up into a collapsing pocket, got creamed by two guys as he threw, and hit the barely-open receiver in stride, in the hands, on the goal line.
It was the kind of pass that made Olson the #1 Recruit in the Country, and the kind of play that has some of us insisting that the "Start Pat Cowan" crowd is a little premature.
That being said, Olson looked pretty pathetic for the first part of the game. He couldn't anticipate the rush, so he was getting beat up, and he wasn't able to get anything going. He looked lost, but he wasn't getting any help from his Receivers, his Offensive Line, or his Coaches doing the Playcalling.
But starting in the 2nd Quarter, and improving steadily throughout, the Offense started to wear down the Beavers, who have been a First Quarter Team all year long. The Playcalls infused more Screens to offset the Blitz (as we pleaded for a few days ago), and a few patterns in the flat, which Olson and Joe Cowan have specifically been practicing.
Olson's confidence grew, and despite 8 penalties for 54 yards and lots of team miscommunication, the Bruins took control of the game.
After trailing 14-0, the Bruins got 2 Field Goals in the 2nd Quarter to go to the Break down only one possession.
Bell's 3rd Quarter TD cut it to 2, but the Bruins failed on the 2-point conversion. Either the PAT pass was horrible, or a pattern wasn't run correctly. Either way, it was fairly indicative of much that preceded it. But afterwards, the Bruins seemed to be on the same page, and were able to explode.
Bolstered by their Defense, which played more like they were expected to play, UCLA rode an uninterrupted 40-point outburst to cruise to victory. Trey Brown led the D with 8 tackles, in addition to snatching 2 Interceptions. Reggie Carter's impact was felt again as well, especially when he broke through for a Sack/Forced Fumble.
People will say that even though the Bruins won as Underdogs, they played like crap, looked poorly Coached and undisciplined, and were lucky to win this ugly, ugly game.
While we don't entirely deny that train of thought, we'd like to point out that Karl Dorrell OUTCOACHED the one guy that he HAD to outcoach on Saturday, and that was OSU's Mike Riley. While the Angels have the "Rally Monkey," the Beavers were "Riley Monkeys," flinging poo instead of Footballs. Like bananas, Beaver miscues came in bunches in the 4th Quarter, with one guy (#5 Lawson) fumbling THREE STRAIGHT TOUCHES.
And before you complain about the Bruins' lack of focus and blame it on the "lousy Coach," check out the stats from sc's narrow 27-24 escape from Seattle, against a team that UCLA beat more convincingly: SIXTEEN penalties for 161 yards, including FOUR dirty Personal Fouls/Late Hits/Unnecessary Roughness calls.
After THAT game, Kirk Herbstreit said that usc is no longer the #1 team in the Country. But don't expect to see a change at the top of the Polls.***
While 5 of the Top Ten teams got upset on Saturday, sc was not one of them, and will NOT get passed by LSU. The Tigers were up on Tulane by only ONE point at Halftime yesterday, before pulling away in the 2nd Half. It will take a better effort than that to leapfrog a team that doesn't lose. Of course, the way Cal and Oregon looked, either of those teams could give sc a run for their money. But keep in mind: Pete Carroll's trojans won't get penalized that much any more, and won't be looking past either of those opponents.
*** - UPDATE: WE WERE WRONG!! LSU passed sc in the AP Poll.
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Beware: Below Be Breazell, Brown, and a Bevy of Bruin Beauties.
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