Posts Tagged ‘jim mora’

Every staff has their own way of making sure that their team goes into their bowl game prepared. Because of the 15 on the field practices that you're allotted, a lot of that planning has to do with when, and sometimes where, your bowl game takes place.

Jim Mora explained how him and his staff have set up their routine after their practice on Saturday.

As he explains, him and the rest of the UCLA staff planned a few days last week of just "skills and drills" which mainly consisted of drilll work and 7 on 7. Mora added that they'll also have a couple "generic practices" which will consist of "UCLA vs. UCLA" before they start to focus on Baylor. Beyond that, they'll start to get into to some tougher practices (similar to in season practices), and game plan type stuff the four days before leaving for the bowl game so that they have everything installed when they get San Diego.

That way, upon arriving in San Diego, they can just focus on tightening things up while they're enjoying the rest of the bowl festivities. As Mora explains, it's very similar to the way that teams prepare for a Super Bowl.

After Saturday's 35-17 loss to Stanford, UCLA head coach Jim Mora opened his post-game press conference giving customary credit to Stanford for their win.

Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers nabbed the first question and immediately engaged Mora in a dialogue of whether Mora truly wanted to win the game. Mora, of course, dismissed the allegation wholeheartedly. 

Here's his quote: "Because we're competitors, T.J. Those guys in there don't spend all the time they spend preparing for a game in the offseason, during the week, the sacrifices they make to go out and not try their best to win ... So that's what they did, and they came up a little short. To insinuate that our players didn't give their best effort"

Simers, however, continued arguing in favor of the angle he took in his post-game column. 

"I've never in my life stepped on the field and given less than my best, nor will I ever," Mora continued. 

I give Mora a lot of credit for showing restraint here. I've been in my share of post-game press conferences and have never seen a press conference get derailed quite like that, especially right off the top. 

At the four-minute mark, another media member asked if Mora held anything back for next week. Mora answered, "We're trying to create a culture about winning. You try to win every single time you step on the field and if you don't do that you cheat everybody. You cheat yourself, you cheat your players, you cheat your alumni, you cheat the students the students that suport you, you cheat your fans. We're trying to be great."

At the 5 minute mark Simers again comes back for more and Mora responds a bit this time. Watch the death stare at about the 5:40 mark. Priceless. Mora wins this one. 

Watch for yourself below.

After practice this morning, Jim Mora explained that there are two positions that stick out to him as the hardest to master from a technique perspective. Those two positions are corner, and offensive tackle.

As Mora sees it, you're protecting your side of the ball's most valuable asset, and in many cases, doing it out on your own island. For the corners, it's the goal line that they protect, and for the tackles it's the quarterback.

Both great points.

Hear more from Mora on the subject below. 

This would definitely make for some solid late night debate at the AFCA convention with some cold beverages in hand. What are your thoughts?

The Bruins are off this weekend, but head down to Arizona State to play next Saturday, and Jim Mora wants his guys getting some extra film time in tonight by watching tonight's broadcast of the Oregon and Arizona State game.

At the end of practice today, Mora encouraged his guys to watch the conference foes go at it and to try to get a edge on things like the snap count or get a feel for their offensive and defensive tempo and the overall environment down at ASU. 

Mora also told the players to listen carefully to the analysts when talking with the coaches because coaches have a tendency to "spill the beans" when it comes to philosophy and personnel packages that they may like or dislike.

During his time as an analyst, Mora explained that coaches would often give him nuggets of information on air that would help with the broadcast and that coaches would "send messages through the analysts to people that are watching the game."

Hmmm. Interesting perspective from someone who has been on both sides of the fence.

Just a reminder to listen extra carefully tonight, you may pick up on a few things if you're paying close enough attention.