Chip Kelly addresses decision to keep Dante Moore in game after two interceptions

UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly has had questions at the quarterback position all season long and those continued into the final game of the season against Cal, with freshman Dante Moore struggling.

After the game, Kelly was asked if he considered pulling Moore when he was struggling with two interceptions and a fumble on the game. In response, Kelly admitted that he did think about it but didn’t expand on the thought process.

“Yeah,” Chip Kelly said. “I thought of a lot of things, but we didn’t do it.”

When Kelly was asked why he didn’t make the move, Kelly simply said that he didn’t think it was the right choice to make.

“I just didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”

Dante Moore was one of the premier recruits in the Class of 2023. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he was a five-star recruit and the third-ranked player overall in the class. He has played off and on this season, after winning the job in early September but later losing it to Ethan Garbers. In the end, Garbers did come into the game against Cal.

Moore has completed 53.5 percent of his passes in nine games played for 1,610 yards. He has 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions on the season.

In the end, UCLA lost to Cal 33-7. It was a shocking score after the Bruins took care of business against USC just a week earlier. However, it did help raise the question of Chip Kelly’s future.

Prior to the USC game, it was reported that Chip Kelly would be dismissed following the game. That didn’t happen after the win. However, the loss to Cal was a frustrating one and could lead to concerns moving forward into Big Ten play next season with Kelly at the helm.

Ultimately, finding a way to succeed with Dante Moore is going to be key for both Chip Kelly’s future and that of the UCLA program.

Chip Kelly shares what it means that UCLA players dedicated USC win to him

UCLA players dedicated the win over USC to Chip Kelly. After that, Kelly opened up about what it meant for the Bruins players to do that for him.

“Well, I dedicated our performance to them, so we’re on the same page,” Kelly joked.

“I think this team is extremely close, and we love those guys; they love us. There’s a neat connection on this football team. You get excited as a coach when you can come to work every day with the group of players that we have here. They’re awesome. I think this coaching staff is fantastic.”