UCLA Football: Chip Kelly On Full-Speed, Physical Practice Philosophy
Your UCLA Bruins are apparently doing anything but take it easy during team practices, at least if sixth-year head coach Chip Kelly is to be believed.
Kelly recently spoke with gathered reporters following a team practice Sunday, per Mike Regalado of Bruin Report Online/247Sports (video link).
"We see [running back Carson Steele breaking through tackles] full speed," Kelly revealed. "The only thing we don't do [in practice] is we don't take people to the ground. So we're full speed blocking, we're full speed coming off blocks. [We can see] which guys are in position to make a tackle. Not a guy that's sticking an arm out and saying, 'Hey, I got them.' Are they in a position to sink their hips, bend their knees and tap off on the hip? So it's simulating what a tackle would be."
"So how many guys on our defensive side of the ball can get themselves in a position to make a tackle? The only thing we don't do is just take guys to the ground. But if you ask our O-line and D-line, and told them that it's not live, they look at you a little sideways, because we come off the football, we double team... we do everything. It's a tough, hard-nosed, physical practice. The only thing we don't do is we do not cut block our defensive players, because we don't want anybody on the ground, and we just don't tackle them to the ground."
You can't argue with the results so far. In their first game of the season, the Bruins obliterated Coastal Carolina on Saturday with a definitive 27-13 beatdown employing the services of two quarterbacks.
