Chip Kelly, UCLA trying to find the positive in late start time

On3 imageby:Simon Gibbs09/13/21

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UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is clearly not pleased with the No. 13 Bruins’ upcoming home matchup against the Fresno State Bulldogs, as the game was placed in the 10:45 p.m. ET time slot on the Pac-12 Network.

“We do have that late, late, late start,” Kelly said, “We don’t spend a lot of time [thinking] about the start time because we don’t have any control over that. We look at it and try to be positive: It’s prime time in the Philippines, so let’s put on a good show for the people in Manila.

“People on the east coast aren’t going to see us,” Kelly joked. “But at least people in Manila waking up Sunday morning will get the chance to see the Bruins play. So hopefully, there are some Bruins fans there.”

UCLA and Fresno State received the Pac-12’s latest television slot, placing the Bruins at 10:45 p.m. ET — which means a 10:45 a.m. kickoff in Manila.

The UCLA Bruins in Chip Kelly’s fourth season at the helm are now 2-0, with wins over Hawaii in Week 0 and LSU in Week 1. Those two games were Kelly’s first two nonconference wins since taking over as the Bruins’ head coach.

UCLA’s victory over the then-No. 16 LSU Tigers was as big a win as Kelly’s achieved since his hiring. Against LSU, Kelly dipped into the fast, pass-happy offense he loves, aiding in the Bruins’ upset of the Tigers. But the UCLA coach also relied heavily on the rushing attack. The Bruins racked up 223 yards on the ground, 183 of which came in the second half.

Running backs Zach Charbonnet and Brittain Brown each tallied a rushing touchdown, but it was UCLA’s defense that made the difference against the Tigers. The Bruins allowed just 49 total yards on the ground, forcing No. 16 LSU to move the ball through the air.

Perhaps as a result of the Bruins’ Week 0 matchup, they received an early bye week and will enter the game against Fresno State having not played in two weeks. Whether or not that’s a good thing, however, is not something Kelly feels he can answer any time in the near future.

“You can answer at the end of the year whether [the bye week] was beneficial,” Kelly said. “We don’t control the schedule, that’s how the schedule played out. We had a Week 0 game because we played Hawaii; that’s an NCAA rule. … It is what it is. Those are things that aren’t in control.”