ESPN analyst believes Chip Kelly is changing college football again
In his fourth year at UCLA, head coach Chip Kelly is finally having some success reminiscent of his time in Oregon. But the offensive scheme is totally different from his time with the Ducks, and ESPN’s David Pollack made note of it on College Gameday this week.
“Chip Kelly changed offensive football and college football,” Pollack said. “With the run game, with the tempo as fast as he did, and in turn, everybody changed their defense. Everybody started running tight fronts. He made everybody play different because they weren’t going to allow you to run the football in the middle of the defense. I love now the counterpunch [at UCLA] because this is anti-Oregon.”
Pollack went on to show clips comparing the Kelly’s Oregon team and Kelly’s UCLA team, pointing out the wide spread of linemen and the speed Oregon utilized to win with the tight sets, close knit offensive line and tight end formations and pin and pulls Kelly has used at UCLA this year.
“They hit you in the mouth,” Pollack added. “Chip Kelly’s running multiple tight ends? Condensed formations? Like what?”
Pollack added teams and coaches across the country will now need to adjust once again, and offensive coaches will copy, or at least take note of, Kelly’s ways.
When Kelly was at Oregon as the offensive coordinator from 2007-2008 and head coach from 2009-2012, the Ducks led the Pac-12 in total yardage five of the six years. In 2012, they averaged 537.4 yards per game with 315 rushing yards a contest.
So far this year UCLA is averaging 204 passing yards per game and 227 rushing yards per game. The 431-yard total was good for fourth in the Pac-12 after Week 2.
Kelly amassed a 46-7 record in Eugene including two Rose Bowl appearances and a BCS Championship appearance in 2010. His UCLA record looks much different; Kelly is 12-21 in Los Angeles and had not won a non-conference game until this year.
No. 13 UCLA just began their game against Fresno State, and they are searching for their third win. The Bulldogs were tied with Oregon in Week 1 late into the fourth quarter before Oregon scored the go-ahead score and won 31-24.
The Bruins are 11-point favorites after a week off last week following a 38-27 win over LSU at the Rose Bowl two weeks ago. UCLA has trailed for just 14 seconds this season.