UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone is known for his up tempo approach and aggressive nature as a playcaller, but in the Bruins' loss to Arizona State last Saturday, he admits that he wasn't as aggressive as he should have been.
"The defense that we played on Saturday did a hell of a job. They're well coached, and they got after us. I was not nearly as aggressive as a play caller as I should be at this point."
"It's like life right? If you wake up in the morning and when you get out of bed all you're worried about is not making mistakes, then you might as well not get out of bed. That's life, you've got to go out and be aggressive, and if you make mistakes, then you make mistakes. "
Asked what he meant by stating he needed to be more aggressive, whether it was the type of plays or passes, Mazzone explained:
"It's just kind of who we are. We're a tempo, aggressive offense, and I just haven't been as aggressive as I should be...it's not the schemes, schemes are schemes, right? It's just a matter of...when you play an aggressive defense, you better be aggressive offensively."
If you've ever tried to play things conservative as an offensive play caller against a defense that likes to blitz and get after it, you know exactly what Mazzone is talking about. If you haven't reach that point in your coaching career yet, take heed of his advice.