University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - UCLA vs. Oregon
POSTGAME QUOTES
Oregon 38, UCLA 35
Eugene, Ore. (Autzen Stadium)
November 21, 2020
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly
on progression of week and status of players who were unavailable
โBen, you get one question. You canโt throw four to start this off, ya know what I mean? How did Chase Griffin play? Iโll answer that one first. I thought he was outstanding today. Heโs a competitor. As I said earlier to Wayne, everybody wants an opportunity, and when you have your opportunity, are you ready? I thought Chase did a heck of a job today. Iโm really proud of how he played. When it was final, I think sometime late Wednesday or Thursday, we kinda knew we werenโt going to have those guys. So theyโre unavailable, theyโre available. We do have a โnext man upโ mindset here and Iโm really proud of the guys that stepped up and played today.โ
on how much game plan changed with switch at quarterback
โWe really didnโt. Chase is a real student of the game and has always been prepared when his opportunity comes, he can step in so we didnโt. He may have liked one route combination higher on his list of likes than where Dorian was but we really didnโt have to change much with Chase. You saw him run the ball today and I thought he did some really good things with his legs. Obviously, you saw him throw the ball so we didnโt really have to change very much. We try to recruit in that mode of our quarterbacks are similar. The big difference is Chase had never played so no one really knew what you were going to get but I was really proud of what he did today.โ
on Demetric Felton
โI thought Felton was awesome. We knew we wanted to run the ball coming in here. Thatโs the part that hurts. I think we tripled their output in the rushing game. If you told me we were going to triple them in rushing and weโd lose, Iโd be surprised at thatโฆor close to it. I know we doubled it. I donโt know Feltโs finalโฆwhat did Felt end up with today? [room answers 167 on 34 carries, about five yards a carry] We were down some other guys. It was just him and Britt toting that for us. You saw Kyle playing a little bit of running back and Ethan Fernea playing a little running back in there. Our depth got hit a little bit but I couldnโt be more proud of Felton in terms of how he played and what he did and his production.โ
on using more option run than usual with Griffin
โNah, that was our game plan going in. Thatโs what we felt what we were going to do. That was our plan so Dorian was executing it. Donโt forget Dorian ran one of 65 against Colorado so I wouldnโt classify Dorian as not a runner himself but we felt like we could exploit the quarterback run and I thought Chase did a good job on it. But that was our plan going in so the plays we ran today were plays we ran on Monday and Tuesday that as a staff, we put in in terms of attacking this defense.โ
on if any players were made unavailable due to discipline
โNo. I think a lot of things get blown out. Dorianโs contact tracing or anybodyโs contact tracing had nothing to do with any party. The fact that his mom comes to celebrate his birthdayโhis mom is also a professor in public health so I think they understand. If thereโs one family that Iโve been around that understands COVID, itโs Dorianโs family. His mom is awesome. Sheโs been a rock star through this whole thing in terms of helping other people and parents understand what it is. She has a really good grasp on it and would never put her son in harmโs way.โ
on effectiveness and attacking style of his defense
โThey, and that was part of our plan to let those guys pin their ears back and let them play, and capitalize on their athleticism. I was really proud of them. To come up short the way we did, itโs hard. If they continue to play hard, weโre going to have a shot. We just have to get the head coach to stop making bad calls at the end of the first half.โ
on how much confidence a quarterback has to have to make Hail Mary pass
โChase has got a great feel, and I think he was trying to throw it to Kyle (Philips). Everybody knows what type of clutch receive Kyle Philips is for us. Theyโve got a good rapport. Dorian and Kyle have a good rapport. It was literally a game of inches. It was close. Felt didnโt feel like he was down on the play before. He thought that he bounced up and never hit the ground. It came down to one play one way or another. As I told the players, when you play a good team, you canโt do that. When all of us have to own this. I own it with a bad call at the end of the first half. But weโre close. But if they continue to play with this effort and this kind of mindset, itโs a really, really good group to be around. Theyโre special, and they play hard and theyโll continue to play hard.โ
UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin
on learning heโd be starting the game
โEvery week we prepare to play, no matter the position. When I found out I was going to be the starter this week, it was no different. Preparation was no different.โ
on the offenseโs performance
โI think it was less about Oregonโs defense and more about how our offense was operating. [Demetric] Felton did a great job, all the running backs did a great job, up front we were phenomenal, and as far as our playmakers on the outside, I canโt ask for any better effort as a quarterback.โ
on if he had nerves in his first career start
โJust the normal energy. I recognized it as a blessing. Everyone on this team works hard, including myself, and anytime you can get into the game and show what you can do, you take it as an opportunity. Itโs God-given, so be grateful.โ
on help he received from Dorian Thompson-Robinson
โDorianโs been great all week. He prepares hard every week. Earlier in the week, we were preparing as if he would be the starter, and when we found out that he wasnโt, he sent me a couple messages keeping my spirit right, keeping my mind right, and giving some helpful advice. Iโm very grateful for the entire quarterback room, I think we showed up today. I can of course be better, and weโll go from there.โ
UCLA running back Demetric Felton
on the last drive of the game
โWe were just trying to do our job โ just execute, finish every run, every catch that we could. We were just trying to as hard as we could.โ
on the halftime message
โJust keep fighting. We had them right where we wanted them and we just had to keep on fighting, keep making good plays on defense and offense, thatโs pretty much it.โ
on the performance of his offensive line
โMy O-line played their butts off today and I was super proud of them. They made it easy for me to get five yards a carry, so Iโm just really proud of them and what they do. Weโre just excited to keep working.โ
on the teamโs trajectory
โIโm really proud of our guys and how we keep on fighting. We just gotta fix a few things, I think we got it. Weโre just excited to keep going to work every day.โ
on Chase Griffinโs performance
โChase is a gamer. Heโs really cool, calm, and collected. Nothing really changed for me, I trusted him and I knew he was going to do his best. Iโm extremely proud of him, and Iโm ready to see whatโs next for him.โ
UCLA defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa
on the defenseโs performance
โI feel like [we have] a lot of guys who can make plays. As you see, thereโs guys making plays all over the ball on defense. So thatโs helping out a lot, helping us stay in the game. Just doing everything we can, we fight hard, we run through the wall. Itโs guys I can go to war with, guys that play hard.โ
on the run defense
โWe know it starts up front. Everyone is fitting in their holes. Weโre just operating in a way where everyone plays off each other and everyoneโs doing what theyโre supposed to be doing, so that makes it a lot easier to play defense.โ
on the defenseโs aggression
โWeโre running the same defense weโve been running all season. I feel like weโre just keeping our DNA the same, and our DNA is that โUCLA Bruins play hard until the clock runs out.โ As long as weโre doing that, we keep the mental errors down to a minimum, itโs gonna make it hard for a team to score on us and run the ball on us.โ