While I was in New York finishing my Olympics gig, the UCLA Bruins ran this ad in the LA Times.
I know what you're going to say. Mason is a homer because he hosts the USC Football Radio Network pre-game show and the Trojans play on 710 ESPN. But, I think this is a huge mistake for Rick Neuheisel and the Bruins. Why throw down the gauntlet now? Get your feet on the ground, not to mention a credible starting quarterback, and then challenge USC publicly.
My rule in life is to always under-promise and over-deliver. That way you always win. Tell the boss you're going to make 70% of your sales quota, then come in with 110%. The movie business is really good at this. Warner Bros says, "We'd be happy if The Dark Knight makes $200M." Then the movie grosses $500M domestic. On a personal level, tell your girlfriend or wife that you're running late and won't get home until 10p. Then, get home at 9p and say, "I got done faster because I couldn't wait to see you."
What's the point of Neuheisel raising the expectations like this for year 1 of a rebuilding job? Already, this image is making the rounds online.
Neuheisel and Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow are breaking in a JC transfer quarterback Kevin Craft because both Ben Olson and Patrick Cowen got hurt. The kid is 6'5", 205 and burned his redshirt while his Dad Tom was coach at San Diego State. When Pops got fired, he played in 9 games including 5 starts for SDSU under Coach Chuck Long. The results?
69 completions - 121 attempt - 737 yards - 4 TDs - 6 INTs
He was 2-2 as a starter and got benched in his 5th start against UNLV, which the Aztecs went on to win, but QB Kevin O'Connell again took over as the #1 quarterback for the rest of the season. There were plenty of stories that Craft and his coach Chuck Long never quite saw eye-to-eye.
From there Craft went the Junior College route, landing at Mount San Antonio in Walnut where his dad caught on as Offensive Coordinator. Kevin threw for 4,000 yards and 44 TDs. After his big JC season, June Jones recruited him first to Hawaii and then to SMU after June jumped to Texas. He was also lightly recruited by Arizona St. and North Carolina. He chose UCLA, and it turns out that he'll get his big D-1 chance for the Bruins.
Now, Craft will face #18 Tennessee Monday at the Rose Bowl with a shaky offensive line, and he and the rest of the young Bruins have the added pressure of living up to Coach Rick's big newspaper ad.
Neuheisel has always had that swagger, and every good coach needs to be cocky at time, but this was the wrong time to "call out" USC. Lay low. Under-sell. Under-promise. Because at this point, making a bowl game will require a heroic effort from a young team.
Unless, Rick and Norm know something about Kevin Craft that doesn't show up on his spotty resume...
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