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10 candidates to replace Jim Mora at UCLA

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UCLA decided it could pay Jim Mora $12 million to not coach anymore. Now comes the hard part: Hiring someone who can successfully coach the Bruins.

There is a feeling among college football pundits UCLA will hire a big-name coach. History tells us otherwise.

So let’s aim high and then look at some more realistic candidates for the UCLA job.

Chip Kelly: This is the dream hire and there is little doubt UCLA would love to hire him. However, let’s consider a few obstacles: Does Kelly want to move to Los Angeles? Does he want to move to Los Angeles and not be at the school that has the best chance of winning a national title?

Does Kelly want to deal with the bureaucracy that is unique to UC schools? Does he want to deal with the myriad compliance issues? Does he want to cater to boosters? These are legitimate issues because Kelly has a prickly personality.

And how much is UCLA willing to pay Kelly? More than Tennessee? More than Florida?

UCLA hiring Kelly would mean the Bruins would have no issues bringing in a coach with an NCAA “failure to monitor charge” for recruiting infractions at Oregon. Kelly received an 18-month show-cause penalty from the NCAA, which expired in 2014.

James Franklin, Penn State: Does Franklin want to leave a top 10 program and go to the No. 2 program in L.A.?

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: Sumlin is on the hot seat with a 7-4 record. That is probably the only way he would come to Westwood. But can UCLA forget he blew a 34-point lead at the Rose Bowl in September?

Mike Norvell, Memphis: This seems like a plausible scenario for UCLA. Norvell’s got Memphis in the top 25 and UCLA would be a step up the coaching ladder. Norvell is also doing more with less, which definitely is a trait you want in a coach. He would also be less expensive than Kelly, Franklin or Sumlin.

Kyle Whittingham, Utah: Once you get past the big, fancy candidates, Whittingham might make the most sense. He lived in Glendora until the eighth grade, has been in the Pac-12 for eight years and keeps Utah competitive despite clear recruiting hurdles.

Whittingham also might be tired of being at Utah, where he was named head coach in 2005. If UCLA fans don’t want Whittingham, what other candidate went 13-0 and beat Alabama in 2008?

Rocky Long, San Diego State: Long was UCLA defensive coordinator from 1996-97. He is 31-8 the past three seasons and right down the freeway. But he is 67, which might be considered too old if UCLA thinks a major rebuilding job is necessary.

Scott Frost, Central Florida: Frost is one the hottest names in coaching but could be returning to his alma mater, Nebraska. He was a longtime assistant at Oregon so a return to the Pac-12 makes sense if Nebraska does not want him.

Tom Cable, Seattle Seahawks: The former UCLA offensive coordinator was the Raiders head coach from 2008-10 and is well-respected in coaching circles. UCLA won 10 games in 2005 and Cable’s offense averaged 431 yards per game.

Jedd Fisch, UCLA offensive coordinator: He is already the interim coach. Maybe if Chip Kelly says no and the Bruins beat Cal and win a bowl game, he gets a look. But will that make the fans happy?

Mike Riley, Nebraska: He won’t be considered an attractive candidate if he is fired soon but Riley was courted by UCLA before and is a Pac-12 institution after two stints at Oregon State. UCLA could do worse.


Jim Mora fired at UCLA: Timeline of his coaching career

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A quick look at sixth-year UCLA head coach Jim Mora, who was fired on his 56th birthday Sunday, one day after a 28-23 loss to USC dropped the Bruins to 5-6 on the season.

Born: Nov. 19, 1961, Los Angeles

High School: Interlake High School (Bellevue, Wash.)

College: University of Washington (walk-on defensive back)

Father: Jim E. Mora, a 15-year NFL head coach

Coaching career

1984: University of Washington graduate assistant

1985–88: San Diego Chargers defensive quality control coach

1989–91: San Diego Chargers defensive backs coach

1992–96: New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach

1997–98: San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach

1999–03: San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator

2004–06: Atlanta Falcons head coach (26-22 overall, 1-1 playoffs)

2007–08: Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach, defensive backs coach

2009: Seattle Seahawks head coach (5-11 overall)

2012–17: UCLA head coach (46-30 overall, 28-26 in Pac-12, 2-2 in bowl games)

UCLA coaching career

2012: 9-5 overall, 6-3 Pac-12.

Won the South Division. Lost 27-24 to Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship. Lost 49-26 to Baylor in the Holiday Bowl.

2013: 10-3 overall, 6-3 Pac-12

Tied for second in the South Division. Beat Virginia Tech 42-12 in the Sun Bowl.

2014: 10-3 overall, 6-3 Pac-12

Tied for second in the South Division. Beat Kansas State 40-35 in the Alamo Bowl.

2015: 8-5 overall, 5–4 Pac-12

Third in the South Division. Lost to 37-29 to Nebraska in the Foster Farms Bowl.

2016: 4-8 overall, 2-7 Pac-12

Tied for second in the South Division. Did not make a bowl game.

2017: 5–6 overall, 3–5 Pac-12

Currently fourth in the South Division. Can become bowl eligible with a victory over Cal on Friday.

Whicker: UCLA should actually search for a football coach this time

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LOS ANGELES — Yeah, they could have waited until the day after his birthday, but if there is a hatchet nearby UCLA can’t resist swinging it.

Jim Mora got fired as he turned 56 Sunday, the day after his Bruins encapsulated his six unchanging seasons in a five-point loss at USC.

They played spirited, exciting and dumb football, and they will chase bowl eligibility on Saturday with offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch running things, not Mora.

If UCLA does beat Cal and attends the Herdez Salsa Bowl or whatever, Fisch will be the third interim coach to handle those duties for athletic director Dan Guerrero, who hired Karl Dorrell and Rick Neuheisel before Mora.

Guerrero has fired four football coaches. To hire the next one he will be part of a “nationwide search” team. Maybe try another nation?

The next coach inherits glimmering new facilities from Mora, who can buy a lot of candles with the $12 million buyout check. When Mora appeared to be a hiring target for Texas or the NFL, the Bruins kept lining his pockets.

But the next coach won’t have Josh Rosen, who leaves with no New Year’s Day appearances, no Heisman-finalist appearances and an 0-2 record against USC, coached by Clay Helton, the exact type of avuncular fundamentalist that the star-struck Bruins never would hire.

In terms of charisma, Rosen should have been Lonzo Ball. He could have been a perfect representative of UCLA, had UCLA allowed it.

His intelligence and humor and youthful candor were stifled by Mora, who refused to let him attend Pac-12 Media Days, in fear that Rosen might show some personality.

But then Mora was a controller even by coaching standards, and Sunday was like a birthday for some at UCLA who had to tiptoe around Mora’s anger.

Mora could also show perspective and self-awareness, as when he berated himself for losing the Atlanta Falcons’ job because of a radio prank. “I changed the lives of 40 families,” he said, referring to his staff. “I was a (deleted).”

And he made UCLA more aggressive and tougher.

So he’s a complex human being, not unlike 7.4 billion other Earthlings. It’s likely he will coach again.

Mora probably hadn’t even hung up the phone before the Bruin fans were chanting “Chip Kelly,” now with ESPN but formerly Oregon’s coach, and before the Internet was humming with reports that UCLA was meeting with David Dunn, Kelly’s agent.

Guerrero would raise his press conference record to 4-0 with Kelly, who won three Pac-12s in four years at Oregon. Kelly coached in Rose and Fiesta bowls, lost to Cam Newton and Auburn in a national championship game, and went 46-7.

Then he jumped to the NFL and got fired twice in three years. His minimal people skills didn’t help him there. Neither did relatively equal competition. At Oregon Kelly coached only 10 games decided by 10 fewer points and won six.

Kelly was ahead of the college curve. Few others were coaching tempo and the spread like he was, and nobody else had the radical, disposable uniforms and spiffy locker room that Phil Knight financed. Now almost everybody does.

Kelly would please UnderArmour and the other sponsors, donors, marketers and ticket-sellers. If he wants to coach your team you’re almost obligated.

If Kelly wants to come, you’re almost obligated.

But shouldn’t a search committee actually search?

Dabo Swinney wasn’t even a celebrity in Clemson when he was elevated from his job as wide receiver coach. Lincoln Riley was East Carolina’s offensive coordinator two years ago. Swinney won last year’s national title. Riley, at Oklahoma, can make this year’s playoff.

Dave Clawson is 7-4 at Wake Forest. There have been Presidential terms in which Wake Forest hasn’t won seven times. The Deacons laid 587 yards on Notre Dame. Call him.

Pat Fitzgerald is 8-3 at Northwestern. He is headed for his eighth bowl in 10 years. Sure, he’s purple for life, but you never know. Call him.

Matt Campbell is 7-4 at Iowa State and beat Oklahoma. Iowa State should never beat Oklahoma. Toledo should never beat Arkansas, but with Campbell it did. Call him.

Beau Baldwin is Cal’s offensive coordinator but, before that, coached Eastern Washington to four FCS semifinals in seven years and won it all in 2010. He also coached Cooper Kupp. Call him.

The Rams had obvious choices a year ago when they canned Jeff Fisher. They called a 30-year-old who had zero name recognition or L.A. connection. Sean McVay has done OK.

Firing a coach is easy. Maybe UCLA will realize that finding the right one, for the long game, is hard, as in $12 million hard.

Maybe not.

What’s next for UCLA football? The Cal Golden Bears

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UCLA (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) vs. Cal (5-6, 2-6 Pac-12)

When: 7:30 p.m., Friday

Where: Rose Bowl

TV/Radio: Fox Sports 1/AM 1150 or AM 570

UCLA update: UCLA’s tumultuous season took another wild turn Sunday after the school announced that it had fired sixth-year head coach Jim Mora following UCLA’s 28-23 loss to USC on Saturday. Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch will take over as the Bruins need a win on Friday against Cal to secure bowl eligibility. This will be Fisch’s first time serving as a head coach during his well-traveled coaching career that’s taken him to five NFL teams and five colleges. … Quarterback Josh Rosen threw for 421 yards on Saturday, the most ever for a UCLA quarterback against USC, but also turned the ball over twice in the red zone. … Receiver Jordan Lasley had a career-high 204 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Of his 11 career touchdown receptions, five have been against the Trojans. … UCLA allowed a season-low 153 rushing yards on 41 carries against USC. … Linebacker Kenny Young had nine tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss to lead the UCLA defense.

Cal’s last game: Cal is also fighting for bowl eligibility under first-year head coach Justin Wilcox after the Bears lost to Stanford 17-14 on Saturday. … Cal running back Patrick Laird rushed for 153 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries while quarterback Ross Bowers was 20-for-29 passing for 182 yards and one interception. … Stanford running back and Heisman hopeful Bryce Love rushed for 101 yards on 14 carries with 57 yards coming on a touchdown run in the third quarter that put the Cardinal up 17-6. … In his first year at the helm, Wilcox, a former defensive coordinator at USC, has taken Cal from the worst scoring defense in the Pac-12 to seventh in the conference. The Bears allow 28.3 points a game this year after giving up 42.6 last year.

UCLA still in bowl hunt amid coaching uncertainty

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Jim Mora always wanted to present a strong face for his team. So whenever UCLA took a loss, which it has done often during the past two seasons, the head coach tried to remain defiant and firm in his proclamations that his team would bounce back. After UCLA’s 28-23 loss to USC, the game that eventually ended his UCLA tenure, Mora showed a small dent in his armor.

When asked about how a bowl berth would change the trajectory of the program, Mora paused and darted his eyes to the side.

“If we can pull this thing together,” he said, leaving the door ajar for doubt, “(and) come back with great energy next week … I think it will mean a lot for these young men given the circumstance of this situation.”

The situation used to just be a laundry list of injuries. Now it’s a coaching change.

The Bruins are an underachieving, injury-riddled team hoping to cobble together an unspectacular 6-6 season without a permanent head coach after Mora was fired Sunday.

Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch was named the interim head coach and will lead UCLA (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) in its regular-season finale against California at home on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Bruins are 5-0 this season at the Rose Bowl, where the Bears have not won since 2009.

UCLA nearly secured bowl eligibility by upsetting USC as 16-point underdogs. The Bruins lost by one score in a game in which they were expected to get throttled. The defense held USC to just 3.7 rushing yards per carry after allowing no fewer than 5.8 yards per carry in any single game earlier this season.

“We weren’t okie dokie to anybody sticking their head here, going out here,” defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said Saturday. “(We were) doing a better with our hands, getting off, taking off. We have some young guys up front, as everybody knows, and they’re playing more, and they get better and better.”

But the Bruins didn’t get the necessary third-and-1 stop in the fourth quarter, allowing Ronald Jones to plow forward for 2 yards and secure the win. UCLA walked out of the Coliseum with its third straight rivalry loss. There were no moral victories.

“It’s no accomplishment losing,” safety Jaleel Wadood said Saturday.

And for Mora, there was no more time.

Jedd Fisch takes over as Bruins push for bowl game

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LOS ANGELES — When Jedd Fisch came to work Sunday morning, the offensive coordinator wasn’t expecting to leave with a new job description.

Fisch adopted the interim head coach position Sunday after UCLA fired Jim Mora, leaving the well-traveled 41-year-old who arrived in Westwood only 10 months ago to steer the Bruins through the final stretch of their tumultuous season. Although Mora is gone, Fisch wants to keep the former head coach’s name attached to this season as the Bruins (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) try to secure bowl eligibility against Cal at the Rose Bowl on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

“What we said to our team (is) that (we) will leave Coach Mora’s legacy here that out of his six years here, he took five teams to bowl games,” Fisch said Monday, “and that’s what our plan is.”

The first-year offensive coordinator said “it’s been a very sad 24 hours,” since he received the news in a meeting Sunday with athletic director Dan Guerrero and senior associate athletic director Josh Rebholz. Mora met with the team briefly Sunday. He walked into the room at 11:03 a.m., safety Adarius Pickett said. Mora told his players he loved them, appreciated their journey together and wished them the best.

They were shocked.

The Bruins had just lost a close rivalry game to USC, but still held the surging Trojans to just 153 rushing yards, a season-low for the UCLA defense. Mora received a contract extension less than two years ago. The team had been struggling during the past two years, but it is still in the hunt for a bowl game amid an injury-riddled season.

“I thought they were going to give him a chance and stuff like that to overcome some adversity that has hit UCLA in the last couple years,” Pickett said. “But it’s not my decision to make those type of decisions, who gets fired and who doesn’t. My job is to stay and play.”

UCLA hopes to finish 6-0 at the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2005. Not only would it put a perfect punctuation mark on the team’s home slate that started Sept. 3 with the biggest comeback in school history, it would allow UCLA’s seniors finish their careers at home on a high note.

However, it still won’t be the senior night the players were expecting. Mora won’t be there to greet them in the tunnel.

“It’s going to be emotional,” fifth-year senior center Scott Quessenberry said. “It’s going to be tough. … But we’re going to go out there and get a win and we’re excited.”

Video: UCLA puts up fight but falls to USC

Fisch, who has long held head-coaching aspirations, said he’s not focused on making this week an audition for a future job. He called this “by far the hardest challenge” of his coaching career that’s included stops at five NFL teams and five colleges. He will continue to oversee the offense and put the defense in defensive coordinator Tom Bradley’s hands.

Fisch believes it’s his responsibility to help get the team to a bowl game. Anything that happens after the season will be handled later.

“I think that anybody would like to be the head football coach at an extremely prominent university,” Fisch said when asked if he would like to be considered for the permanent head job. “In this case right now, where my mind is, my mind is 100 percent on trying to get our seniors to 6-0 (at home) and to leave Coach Mora’s legacy as one that he was able to get five out of his six teams to bowl games.”

UCLA QB Josh Rosen: ‘All forever indebted’ to Jim Mora

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LOS ANGELES — Josh Rosen had the hot tub, then the golf course, then the shoulder injury. Then just as his profile started to recede this summer, the quarterback took over headlines with comments about academics and athletics published in a Bleacher Report article.

He was attacked through radio waves, TV screens and social media posts for every misstep. Jim Mora defended him every time.

For that, Rosen is grateful.

“We all are forever indebted to him,” the junior said of his former head coach who was fired Sunday. “He has helped me grow up, mature, get closer to becoming a man. I mean, I’ve made a lot of mistakes and he’s always been by my side when I think a lot of people maybe wouldn’t, so it’s not just with me, it’s with everyone on the team. He’s an incredible person, an incredible coach and we’ll definitely miss him.”

Rosen was Mora’s biggest recruiting victory. The former five-star prospect was supposed to vault the Bruins to their first conference championship in nearly two decades after Mora had taken the team to back-to-back 10-win seasons. Instead, Rosen is a mediocre 16-13 as a starter.

“It’s just kind of disappointing because I feel like you come into a program that’s 10-2, 10-2 and 9-3 and you’re doing any- and everything that you can and you just can’t produce the wins that you want to,” Rosen said. “And it’s a bummer because I’m giving everything I have and then some. and to kind of come up on the short side of it time and time and time again is really disappointing.”

Rosen’s UCLA tenure has, so far, come up far short of the lofty expectations he brought to Westwood. The Bruins had the second-worst rushing attack last year as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. They have the second-worst rushing defense this year. Rosen is widely considered a top pick in this year’s draft if he chooses to declare early, but can barely lift his struggling team to bowl eligibility.

The Bruins (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) need a victory over Cal at the Rose Bowl in Friday’s regular-season finale to reach the six-win threshold. Despite the shock of losing his coach, the program’s unstable future and constant questions about possibly declaring for the draft, Rosen said he’s focused solely on extending this season with a win Friday.

“I haven’t really talked to my family about that yet,” Rosen said of how UCLA’s future head coach will affect his draft decision. “That will come in the near future, but I mean, everything matters when it comes to a decision like that, so I’ll take up all the different sorts of variables into the equation, but not quite yet.”

The Manhattan Beach native struck up a close relationship with offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch this year. Fisch, the team’s interim head coach, reinvented UCLA’s offense in a season, turning the unit into one of the top passing attacks in the country with Rosen at the helm.

Fisch’s quick rebuild of the Bruin offense could be a good line on his resume to one day push the longtime assistant into a head coaching position. He already has the faith of his players.

“I think he absolutely deserves a shot here or anywhere,” Rosen said of Fisch. “He’s an awesome coach. I mean, his offense this year is incredibly productive and hopefully we can win this last two for him.”

Miller: Jim Mora’s gone from UCLA but his legacy shouldn’t be forgotten

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He never coached a game on Jan. 1, his team finished ranked in the top 10 just once and he lost his final bowl appearance when the opposition scored 30 consecutive points.

As far as Jim Mora’s legacy at UCLA goes, however, all that really matters now this is:

The job he left behind is better than the one he inherited.

Gone are the days when the Bruins offered a coach more obstacles than opportunities.

Gone is the notion that this job looks better from a distance than from the UCLA sideline.

Gone is the idea that this school hires only on the cheap, that one blown to pieces when Mora was given some $12 million to go away.

Oh, yeah, being the football coach in Westwood still offers plenty of challenges, from the academic red flags to the bureaucratic red tape.

But where, exactly, is winning Saturday after Saturday, season after season, a snap? And don’t say Alabama because, there, Nick Saban only makes it look that way.

Like never before in school history, Bruins administrators should be able to search for their next coach today without feeling like they’re selling hand-me-downs.

In his six seasons, Mora didn’t change the culture of Bruins football. But he certainly helped alter the program’s cachet, a fact as glaring and gleaming as all those windows on the school’s new Wasserman Football Center.

The $75 million facility opened in August, officially rendering as prehistoric the days when UCLA practiced by kicking extra points between goalposts made of yellow-painted PVC pipe affixed to a chain-link fence.

The problem with that, of course, was those ancient days still lingered as late as 2011, immediately before the school hired Mora.

A lack of facilities long had been one of UCLA’s shortcomings. That changed when booster Casey Wasserman decided recruits might be lured by something that appeared to have been built after the outlawing of leather helmets.

Two years ago, Mora made what the school called a “major personal financial commitment” to the center, the coach’s success on the field to that point no doubt also contributing to the overall health of the project.

Now that he’s gone, Mora’s replacement will benefit from something Mora’s presence helped make possible, and remember that if the new guy ever complains about having to start with so little.

During his tenure, Mora also pushed for and received additional money to pay assistant coaches, no small development at a time when being the defensive coordinator at Louisville can be a $1.3 million position.

Mora himself had a base salary this season of $3.57 million, nearly three times that of his predecessor, Rick Neuheisel.

While that’s not Clemson or Ohio State money, it still put Mora in the upper half of Power 5 Conference head coaches, a status that shouldn’t change thanks to the $280 million UCLA is receiving from Under Armour.

Winning at this school isn’t easy and never will be easy. But if sustaining big-time success in college football were easy, they’d do it at Texas, Nebraska and Notre Dame.

There are significant issues in sharing the same market with USC and its massive tradition.

But Michigan State couldn’t be any more in the shadow of Michigan and the spunky Spartans – not the revered Wolverines – were the ones in the College Football Playoff most recently.

Honestly, if proximity to a giant really made life that impossible, how did another school from Alabama rise up through the oppressive aura of the Crimson Tide to win the 2010 national title?

Auburn needed Cam Newton – a quarterback who likes to compare himself to Superman – to achieve this bit of history, sure, but the Tigers did make it happen.

And, as for all those ridiculous academic requirements, UCLA has lost 10 consecutive games to Stanford, another school famous for demanding that kids, you know, go to class.

Limiting enrollment to athletes who project to be successful students and move toward a degree might seem outrageous in parts of the SEC. But is that expectation enough to make playing in a New Year’s Day bowl a fantasy?

Besides, the reality is no one – alumni, fans, media – cares about any additional challenges at a place like UCLA.

All that counts is winning, and that goes for every school. They fire their coaches at Ball State, too.

When all of this is pushed into a pile, it isn’t difficult to see why winning a national championship in football at UCLA is an ambitious goal. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only way for a coach to keep his job, either.

What the Bruins need to be is consistently good and occasionally great. That formula would work just about anywhere. It worked at UCLA, in another era, for Terry Donahue.

Through his first three seasons, Mora was on his way. Then it began to unravel until all that was left was an interim head coach and one last game to secure the smallest degree of achievement: bowl eligibility.

It’s disappointing, the way it evaporated as quickly as an eight-clap. But that matters little at this point, especially when compared to what remains.

The head coach’s office might be vacant at UCLA today, but the head coach’s position hardly is empty.


UCLA survives Cal, clinches bowl eligibility on late field goal

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  • UCLA’s Jordan Wilson #87 hauls in a pass during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jordan Wilson #87 hauls in a pass during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • Cal quarterback Ross Bowers #3 during their game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    Cal quarterback Ross Bowers #3 during their game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Theo Howard #14 reacts after scoring on a touchdown reception as teammate Jordan Wilson #87 looks on during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Theo Howard #14 reacts after scoring on a touchdown reception as teammate Jordan Wilson #87 looks on during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen #3 reacts after throwing a first quarter touchdown pass during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen #3 reacts after throwing a first quarter touchdown pass during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • Cal’s Kanawai Noa #9 is thrown to the ground by UCLA’s Nate Meadors #22 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    Cal’s Kanawai Noa #9 is thrown to the ground by UCLA’s Nate Meadors #22 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 heads up field as Cal’s Luke Rubenzer #8 dives for the tackle during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 heads up field as Cal’s Luke Rubenzer #8 dives for the tackle during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 runs up field as Cal’s Elijah Hicks #3 pursues during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 runs up field as Cal’s Elijah Hicks #3 pursues during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Jordan Lasley makes one of his 12 catches as Cal’s Camryn Bynum defends during Friday night’s game at the Rose Bowl. Lasley surpassed 200 receiving yards for the second straight week with one touchdown in the Bruins’ 30-27 victory. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jordan Lasley makes one of his 12 catches as Cal’s Camryn Bynum defends during Friday night’s game at the Rose Bowl. Lasley surpassed 200 receiving yards for the second straight week with one touchdown in the Bruins’ 30-27 victory. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 looks for some running room as Cal’s Ashtyn Davis #27 moves in during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 looks for some running room as Cal’s Ashtyn Davis #27 moves in during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 hauls in a touchdown pass as Cal’s Camryn Bynum #24 defends during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 hauls in a touchdown pass as Cal’s Camryn Bynum #24 defends during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 is congratulated by teammates after he scored on a touchdown pass during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 is congratulated by teammates after he scored on a touchdown pass during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen #3 during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen #3 during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA players mob kicker JJ Molson #17 after he hit a field goal with seconds left in their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA players mob kicker JJ Molson #17 after he hit a field goal with seconds left in their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Audie Omotosho #11 raises his arms after UCLA scored a field goal in the final seconds of their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Audie Omotosho #11 raises his arms after UCLA scored a field goal in the final seconds of their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA coach Jedd Fisch during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA coach Jedd Fisch during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 is tackled by Cal’s Raymond Davison III #31 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 is tackled by Cal’s Raymond Davison III #31 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 heads up field as Cal’s Raymond Davison III #31 pursues during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 heads up field as Cal’s Raymond Davison III #31 pursues during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 heads up field during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jordan Lasley #2 heads up field during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Theo Howard #14 dives for some extra yards during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Theo Howard #14 dives for some extra yards during their game against Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Christian Pabico #17 attempts to fight off the tackle of Cal’s Elijah Hicks #3 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Christian Pabico #17 attempts to fight off the tackle of Cal’s Elijah Hicks #3 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Adarius Pickett #6 jumps on Jaelan Phillips #15 back after Phillips sacked Cal quarterback Ross Bowers #3 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Adarius Pickett #6 jumps on Jaelan Phillips #15 back after Phillips sacked Cal quarterback Ross Bowers #3 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Jaelan Phillips #15 sacks Cal quarterback Ross Bowers #3 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jaelan Phillips #15 sacks Cal quarterback Ross Bowers #3 during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA players walk off the field as Cal’s Luke Rubenzer #8 hangs his head after UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 scored during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA players walk off the field as Cal’s Luke Rubenzer #8 hangs his head after UCLA’s Brandon Stephens #20 scored during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA quarterback Devon Modster #18 looks to pass during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA quarterback Devon Modster #18 looks to pass during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA’s Jordan Lasley hauls in a pass as Cal’s Camryn Bynum #24 defends during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    UCLA’s Jordan Lasley hauls in a pass as Cal’s Camryn Bynum #24 defends during their game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA., Friday, Nov 24, 2017. UCLA defeated Cal 30-27. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • UCLA defensive back Darnay Holmes is helped off the field after taking a hard hit to the helmet during the first half of an NCAA college football game against California, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

    UCLA defensive back Darnay Holmes is helped off the field after taking a hard hit to the helmet during the first half of an NCAA college football game against California, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

  • UCLA kick off returner Darnay Holmes, left, is upended as California safety Quentin Tartabull tackles him during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

    UCLA kick off returner Darnay Holmes, left, is upended as California safety Quentin Tartabull tackles him during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

  • California wide receiver Jordan Veasy, top, makes a touchdown catch as UCLA defensive back Darnay Holmes defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

    California wide receiver Jordan Veasy, top, makes a touchdown catch as UCLA defensive back Darnay Holmes defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

  • UCLA running back Brandon Stephens, right, dives in for a touchdown as California safety Luke Rubenzer defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

    UCLA running back Brandon Stephens, right, dives in for a touchdown as California safety Luke Rubenzer defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

  • California running back Patrick Laird, left, tires to run the ball past UCLA defensive lineman Jacob Tuioti-Mariner during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

    California running back Patrick Laird, left, tires to run the ball past UCLA defensive lineman Jacob Tuioti-Mariner during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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PASADENA — Jaelan Phillips ripped his helmet off, his curly black hair bouncing as he jumped into his teammates’ arms. A sea of blue and gold flooded onto the Rose Bowl grass from the UCLA sideline. In the chaos, Jedd Fisch, dressed in a gunmetal gray pullover with a matching visor, thrust a fist in the air.

UCLA and its interim head coach had a lot to celebrate Friday night as the Bruins used a last-second field goal from J.J. Molson to hold off Cal 30-27 and secure bowl eligibility while finishing the school’s first undefeated season at home since 2005. All this just six days after the school fired its head coach.

“It was just fun to see those guys just play so hard to get to that bowl and to be able to honor Coach (Jim) Mora’s legacy as he talked all year about getting to that bowl game,” Fisch said. “A sixth win in college football is huge.”

After Cal tied the score at 27-27 with 2:22 to go, the Bruins (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) drove 55 yards on 10 plays with backup quarterback Devon Modster at the helm to set up Molson’s game-winning field goal. The sophomore, who had never kicked a game-winner in his life before, sent the 37-yard kick straight down the middle.

“Every kicker visualizes a game-winning situation, but you gotta react when it comes up and I’m happy our guys executed when we needed to execute,” Molson said.

Modster, who started the second half after starter Josh Rosen left with an undisclosed injury, threw for 191 yards on 14-for-18 passing.

Rosen was pulled from the game at halftime after taking a hard hit in the final minute of the second quarter. Cal defensive end Alex Funches grabbed the quarterback and spun him to the Rose Bowl turf.

As the half wound down, Rosen, with a large tear in his jersey, talked to trainers on the sideline and slammed his helmet to the ground after the conversation. He was one of the last players in the tunnel before halftime and didn’t return to the field until partway through the third quarter.

Fisch said Rosen’s removal was precautionary, hoping to ensure that the junior would be healthy for UCLA’s bowl game Modster then secured.

“Devon went in there and he did a great job of leading our football team,” Fisch said. “He did a great job of finding ways to get us down there and to be put in that position at 27-all, with 2 minutes and 12 seconds left and the situation we’ve been in all week and not taking a lot of reps in practice, tremendous. Tremendous by everybody.”

Rosen, playing in what might be his final game at the Rose Bowl, torched the Cal defense in the first half as the Bruins built a 17-9 lead at the break. He was 13-for-18 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He fell only 24 yards short of eclipsing Brett Hundley’s single-season record for passing yards, but he could claim the record during the bowl game next month.

Without Rosen, who already missed a game this season because of a concussion, the Bruins went three-and-out on their first two drives of the third quarter. That’s all the time Cal (5-7, 2-7 Pac-12) needed to even the score.

Running back Patrick Laird set up Cal’s first touchdown of the game by converting on fourth-and-2 from the UCLA 21. He hit a massive hole up the middle and rushed for 19 yards. Quarterback Ross Bowers finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown dive on the next play and found Laird for the game-tying two-point conversion.

Modster and the Bruins answered with a six-play, 58-yard touchdown drive on which the redshirt freshman quarterback connected with Jordan Lasley for a 37-yard gain.

Lasley had his second straight 200-yard receiving performance with 227 yards on 12 catches and one touchdown.

UCLA held Cal to only two touchdowns in seven red zone trips. Led by senior Kenny Young’s career-high 15 tackles, the Bruins forced a field goal in the fourth quarter when the Bears had first-and-goal from the UCLA 4-yard line.

“When you get in the red zone and can do what we did there with holding them to field goals, that’s huge,” defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “But great effort tonight, great energy and focus.”

During a week full of distractions, the Bruins locked in on their single goal of earning another game. They don’t know who will be the team’s next head coach, but they wanted to honor their previous one Friday even if he couldn’t be on the sidelines.

“We feel like we owe this win to Coach Mora,” Fisch said. “We wanted to make sure that he was able to end his legacy as the head coach at UCLA as a guy that led five out of the six teams he coached here to bowl games.”

St. John Bosco’s Stephan Blaylock reflects on championship dreams — and making mom proud

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It was the biggest phone call of his life — a football scholarship offer from UCLA. After hanging up, jubilant St. John Bosco football star Stephan Blaylock celebrated with his coach and his mom.

And then he stared deeply at his reflection in the mirror. He thought about how far he’d come. And how far he still wants to go.

  • St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

    St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

  • St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

    St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

  • St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

    St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

  • St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

    St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

  • St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

    St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

  • St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

    St. John Bosco football defensive back Stephen Blaylock in Bellflower Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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Blaylock, raised in Compton and Carson by his single mother, said he usually didn’t allow himself to dream this big. While his football-playing friends boasted of how they’d play in college and the NFL, he kept his thoughts to himself. “I never really saw all this success for myself,” he said.

The senior safety will click off that college dream next year, when he suits up for the Bruins. But he’s got another dream on his more immediate calendar.

Blaylock and his powerhouse Bosco teammates face another school with a high-octane reputation, Mater Dei, in Southern California prep football’s annual classic — the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship, Saturday at Cerritos College at 7:30 p.m.

It’s a big game. But Blaylock’s coach says he’s up to the challenge.

“He’s got all the intangibles of a great player,” said Bosco coach Jason Negro.

Growing up

Blaylock’s mother, Dejavu Perry, never thought about the Pac-12 or the NFL. She just wanted to see her son safe and educated. She directed his focus to schoolwork.

“My mom has always been tough on my because her brothers had been in jail or been hospitalized,” he said. “She just wanted to keep me on the right path.”

Perry worked long hours as a bus driver to provide for her son.

“I just wanted to make sure the house was stable because I knew that would mean a lot to him,” said Perry.

When it came time to pick a high school, Perry went with Bosco because she trusted the coaches would look after her Stephan.

Since arriving on campus he’s blossomed, earning high ratings from recruiters and strong praise from his coaches.

“He’s a real coachable, really intelligent kid who works his butt off,” said Negro.

The phone call

Despite the success Blaylock carved out at Bosco, scholarship offers were slow in coming. Finally, Negro called him into his office and said that then-UCLA head coach Jim Mora wanted to talk to him.

Mora offered a full scholarship. “For a kid like Stephan that moment changes his life,” said Negro. “It was a tearjerker—he got choked up, I got choked up. The best part of that moment for me was when he called his mom and told her he’d achieved their dream.”

Said Perry, his mother: “It was very emotional. As soon as we were both home we were just celebrating. That moment was everything for us. The best moment ever.”

And Blaylock: “I knew that she wouldn’t be able to pay for college, and nobody in my family had been to college before. I was tearing up, she was tearing up.

“It was amazing.”

Next year

Since he was a kid, Blaylock has spent time looking in the mirror, thinking about his goals. He’s achieved many of them already, but has plenty left on the list. First, he wants to win Saturday. Next, he aims to help defend the Braves’ state championship.

Next year, he’s planning on enrolling at UCLA despite the high-profile coaching change that made headlines — and left the man who snared Blaylock standing on the sidelines after his sudden ouster.

Former Oregon coach Chip Kelly, one of the best-known names in college football and the man who led the Ducks to a berth in the national championship game before skipping off to the NFL, was hired.

“I was surprised Mora got fired,” Blaylock said, “but I love Chip Kelly.”

Blaylock would love to play in the NFL some day, but isn’t pinning his future on it. And, of course, first things first.

“I don’t really look at the NFL like that,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just not realistic—I just want to graduate college and find a good career.”

Mom must like the sound of that.





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