If you watched Chip Kelly’s interview in our Spring Game preview yesterday, you know that Kelly wasn’t sure yet what format this year’s Spring Game will have. A lot of that has to do with the health availability of players. But, regardless of the format, we’ll get the best look at the team that we’ll get before the season opener against Cincinnati. UCLA Football 2019 Spring Game When: 11:00 am PT, Saturday, April 20, 2019 Where: Drake Stadium, Los Angeles, CA TV: Pac-12 Networks Los Angeles (both hours) and National (first hour only) Live Stream: Pac-12 Now app Radio/Live Audio: None Rebroadcasts (All Times Pacific): 2:30 pm, Saturday, April 20, Pac-12 LA 6:30 pm, Saturday, April 20, Pac-12 LA 10:00 pm, Saturday, April 20, Pac-12 LA 12:30 am, Sunday, April 21, Pac-12 National 10:30 am, Sunday, April 21, Pac-12 LA 6:30 pm, Sunday, April 21, Pac-12 National 7:30 pm, Sunday, April 21, Pac-12 LA 11:30 pm, Sunday, April 21, Pac-12 LA 2:30 am, Monday, April 22, Pac-12 National 6:30 am, Monday, April 22, Pac-12 LA 9:30 am, Monday, April 22, Pac-12 National 1:30 pm, Monday, April 22, Pac-12 LA 4:30 pm, Monday, April 22, Pac-12 National 9:30 pm, Monday, April 22, Pac-12 LA 11:30 pm, Monday, April 22, Pac-12 National 8:30 am, Tuesday, April 23, Pac-12 LA 11:30 am, Tuesday, April 23, Pac-12 National 6:00 pm, Tuesday, April 23, Pac-12 LA 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 23, Pac-12 National 12:00 am, Wednesday, April 24, Pac-12 LA 1:30 am, Wednesday, April 24, Pac-12 National 6:00 am, Wednesday, April 24, Pac-12 National 3:30 pm, Wednesday, April 24, Pac-12 National 4:00 pm, Wednesday, April 24, Pac-12 LA 3:00 am, Thursday, April 25, Pac-12 National 10:30 pm, Thursday, April 25, Pac-12 LA 12:45 am, Saturday, April 27, Pac-12 LA 2:30 pm, Tuesday, April 30, Pac-12 LA We also don’t know how long the game will last. Kelly recently said that last year’s game was only about an hour long because that’s how long Pac-12 Networks had allotted for their broadcast. But, that wasn’t quite true. Last year, like this year, they allotted for an hour on Pac-12 Networks National feed while they were prepared for a second hour on Pac-12 Los Angeles. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding last year. Regardless, the same is the case today. The national network has only allocated time for the first hour because there are four Spring Games across the conference today. So, each one is broadcasting for an hour on the national network, but each has been allocated two hours locally. So, it will be interesting to see how long today’s game lasts. There are a few other things to look for today. Quarterback Battle Austin Burton has been pushing Dorian Thompson-Robinson this Spring. Ben Bolch of the LA Times mentioned in an article yesterday: Speight’s departure opens the way for Thompson-Robinson again, unless Burton beats him out. Both quarterbacks appear more confident this spring than a year ago, and Kelly said he’s noticed something else about Burton’s development. “The key critical factors to being a quarterback [are] being a great decision-maker and accuracy,” Kelly said, “and I think he’s gotten better.” Even without a quarterback battle, the eyes of Bruin fans would be on Thompson-Robinson after he struggled at times last season. It will be interesting to see how much he has progressed. Defense Another thing to keep an eye on today is the defense and, specifically, the pass rush. Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Daily News wrote this week: Every practice for five weeks, UCLA defensive linemen repeatedly ran through the same circuit of drills every morning. They smacked tackling dummies, high-stepped over cones and rushed at a grad assistant pretending to be a quarterback … then did it all over again the next day. The Bruins, tied for the fewest sacks in the Pac-12 last year, hope the extra practice produces a much-needed pass rush. That last sentence is probably one of the most important things to pay attention to. The question that the Bruins need to answer is: “Has the pass rush improved?” Ultimately, today’s grade may end up being an incomplete, however. That’s because the team is a little banged up after five weeks of practice. Injuries and Non-Participation It may seem silly to be discussing injuries at this point in the year, but, as Thuc Nhi Nguyen notes, “UCLA had eight players seen in yellow jerseys during Thursday’s practice: offensive lineman Zach Cochrun, outside linebacker Elijah Wade, receivers Michael Ezeike, Ethan Fernea and Dymond Lee, linebacker Josh Woods, and defensive backs William Nimmo and Kenny Churchwell.” On top of that, Keisean Lucier-South has not practiced this month because of “academic obligations.”, according to Nguyen. That leaves UCLA short-handed at outside linebacker and it might just cause Kelly to modify the format of today’s “game.” This is your UCLA Football Spring Game Open Thread. What are your thoughts on today’s game? Leave them in the comments below. Go Bruins!<doc-sep>UCLA football held its annual spring game with a new format on Saturday afternoon. What’d we learn from the offense’s 3-0 victory? Who would have thought defense would steal the show during UCLA’s spring game? Chip Kelly and the Bruins watched as the offense beat the defense by a score of 3-0. Though the offense technically won, the defense was the real winner on Saturday afternoon. No touchdowns were scored and the red-zone defense stepped up on multiple occasions. Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Austin Burton battled it out for the starting quarterback job and both looked more than serviceable, but there wasn’t enough to make a final decision. There are plenty of question marks heading into the 2019 season after spring ball, but what did we learn from UCLA’s spring game on Saturday. 5. Patrick Jolly is a rising star in the secondary A name that may not have been on anyone’s radar heading into spring ball was redshirt freshman Patrick Jolly. He seemed to have been a forgotten commodity, but he may have just played himself into the two-deep at cornerback this fall with a strong spring game. Jolly had himself quite the day for the Bruins in the defensive backfield. He was all over the field despite getting targeted plenty by each quarterback, even breaking up a 60-yard bomb to the end zone. That wasn’t his only highlight of the game, though. After a 50 yard bomb from Austin Burton to Jaylen Erwin, Patrick Jolly broke up passes on 3rd and 4th and goal to preserve the Blue team's 3-0 win. — Hanson Wang (@hansondwang) April 20, 2019 Guys like Darnay Holmes and Elijah Gates may have locked down the starting cornerback jobs, but Jolly is pushing to join that regular rotation and he’ll be a player to watch when the season kicks off. If you’re looking for a potential breakout candidate on the defensive side of the ball in 2019, Jolly could be a safe choice.<doc-sep>The UCLA football team has completed their annual Spring Practice which has given us a lot of information about the roster and helped GJB construct a projected depth chart for 2019. Spring has come and gone, and now UCLA football fans have to wait until August to see their Bruins in action. UCLA has just completed its 2019 Spring Game which gave us a lot of information about the structure of the roster. RELATED: UCLA Football 2019 Spring Game Recap With the information that has come out in the last two months, the production in practice and analysis of the incoming recruiting class, Go Joe Bruin projects what the depth chart will look like for the 2019 season. Offensive Line LT: Sean Rhyan, Alec Anderson, Zach Cochran LG: Michael Alves, Jon Gaines, Beau Taylor, Stephen DeFranco C: Boss Tagaloa, Sam Marrazzo, Duke Clemens RG: Chris Murray, Baraka Beckett, Josh Carlin RT: Jake Burton, Lucas Gramlick, Mohamed Khalil The Spring Game was not a traditional “us vs. them” setup as head coach Chip Kelly said he did not have enough offensive linemen to field two teams. Instead, he had the Bruins run an offense vs. defense format. The issue with depth on the O-line will be remedied this fall as the Bruins welcome in four new players, one of which, Sean Rhyan, should add some immediate punch to the line. Last season, the offensive line made massive improvements, and a few individuals got better during spring, so despite the lack of depth, they should continue to improve, especially with players like Boss Tagaloa, Chris Murray, Jake Burton, and Michael Alves (all returning starters) leading the charge. What will help this line improve even further is the development of players like Alec Anderson, Jon Gaines, and Baraka Beckett.<doc-sep>PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Head coach of the UCLA Bruins Chip Kelly reacts after a Fresno State Bulldogs touchdown to trail 31-14 during the third quarter at Rose Bowl on September 15, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Knowing what we know after Spring Practice, Go Joe Bruin re-examines the 2019 UCLA football schedule and predicts the Bruins’ final regular season record. Spring is over, so what should we expect of the UCLA football team heading into next season? It is apparent the Bruins are in a better place now than they were after the 2018 Spring Game, which lights the lamp of optimism when analyzing and predicting what they could do in 2019. RELATED: UCLA Football Post-Spring Depth Chart So what can the Bruins do next season? Let us look at the schedule by examining each game… At Cincinnati, August 29 (Thu) Looking at UCLA’s game against Cincinnati from last year (and the Bearcats’ improvement throughout the season), I want to give UCLA the loss, but something is keeping me from going directly to that assessment. The fact that UCLA was so much better in the second half of the season compared to the first shows that this team is making major strides. Add in a more comfortable and confident offense and defense and the Bruins will put up a fight in Cincy. It might be overly optimistic, but I’m giving UCLA the win. W (1-0) Vs San Diego State, September 7 San Diego State is no cupcake, but the Bruins should be well prepared for this game and get the win. W (2-0) Vs Oklahoma, September 14 UCLA will once again be competitive, but the Sooners will have a seamless transition from the Kyler Murray era to the Jalen Hurts era. The Bruins might be able to put points on the weakened Oklahoma defense, but their offense will pressure and put the hurt on UCLA’. L (2-1) At Washington State, September 21 This is going to be a very interesting game for the Bruins as WSU is another team in transition. Though they bring in the talented transfer QB Gage Gubrud, who is currently nursing a foot injury, he needs time to get acclimated to the culture of Cougar football. This early season Pac-12 game could be good for UCLA who could take advantage of the evolving Cougars, who have a history of losing early season games. The optimist in me can see a win, so I’m going with that. W (3-1) At Arizona, September 28 Though the Bruins usually have trouble in Tucson, they should have no problem with this Arizona team who is also going through growing pains with second-year coach Kevin Sumlin. The Wildcats have a lot of issues they need to figure out which might not be solved by the time UCLA comes to town, giving UCLA another win. W (4-1) Vs Oregon State, October 5 It’s Oregon State. W (5-1) At Stanford, October 17 (Thu) It’s Stanford. L (5-2) Vs Arizona State, October 26 If UCLA did not have such a mistake-filled performance against ASU last season, they would have won that game in Tempe. With UCLA playing a tighter game, especially with special teams, the Bruins should have no reason to lose to the Sun Devils in Pasadena. W (6-2) Vs Colorado, November 2 After their game last year, I would have picked Colorado to beat UCLA in 2019, especially since they bludgeoned the Bruins in Boulder, but the Buffs’ epic late-season meltdown showed that they are a program that is still not ready to compete for the Pac-12 South. Plus, the Bruins will want some revenge, so I am giving them the win in this one. W (7-2) At Utah, November 16 Utah is always consistent and will probably be the favorite to win the division next season. Add to that the fact that UCLA was beaten to a pulp by the Utes at the Rose Bowl last year doesn’t exactly give me hope that they will bounce back at Rice-Eccles. It will be a closer game, but UCLA still loses. L (7-3) At USC, November 23 If UCLA can beat USC in a rebuilding season, then they can beat them in a season where they know how to execute the now embedded style of Chip Kelly football. Plus, the Trojans are a train wreck. W (8-3) Vs California, November 30 Cal has a great defense, but will still lack a potent offense. Plus, they do not do well at the Rose Bowl. W (9-3) Am I predicting a 9-3 season? Yes, and it is not impossible. Though UCLA will have close games against Cincinnati, Washington State, Arizona State, and USC, this record is entirely attainable, especially when you take into account how much UCLA improved from the beginning of last season to the end. So just think how much they can improve from last season to this season.<doc-sep>
PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 26: Chip Kelly the head coach of UCLA Bruins stands on the sideline while playing the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl on October 26, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) The UCLA football 2019 Spring Game did not give away a lot of info about the next phase of the Chip Kelly era, but it did display a few standout players. If there was anything to be said about the UCLA football 2019 Spring Game, it was that it was more entertaining and flowed better than the 2018 Spring Game. With Chip Kelly having more than a year to instill his style of football, both the offense and the defense had many more exciting plays than they did a year ago. Although, this was an utterly defensive-dominated game. Unlike last season, this game pitted the offense (Blue Team) against the defense (White Team), rather than having two squads go at each other. Though the Blue Team technically won by a score of 3-0 (Kicker JJ Molson had the game’s only points with a red zone chip shot), the defense dominated this game. Rather than say the offense beat the defense, it can be more accurately stated that the D held the O to only three points, disallowing any touchdowns by the offense. Dorian Thompson-Robinson led the first-team offense for the majority of the game. His first drive left much to be desired as he went three and out, but he improved in his next few possessions. Though he tried to go deep on a few attempts, he was a lot more successful in the short passing game, often connecting with Chase Cota and Theo Howard. DTR also had a few tough completions that showed he is slowly imrpoving on his accuarcy. DTR’s day, unfortunately, ended with an interception by Je’Vari Anderson who played the overthrown ball — intended for Devin Asiasi — accurately for an endzone pick. Austin Burton had an impressive Spring Game for the second year in a row. Though he was also unable to get into the endzone, he had several incredible passes, including a 50+ bomb that put Jaylen Erwin down at the 6-yard line. Erwin had to be the receiving MVP for this game as the transfer showed his mettle with several terrific catches in traffic which kept several drives alive. Burton also confirmed that he would be a viable running QB as he had several keepers that went for first downs. Chase Griffin was able to get into the game for a few drives but was not able to make the most of his time on the field as he had a lot of missed throws. He was able to show that he can also run away from trouble as he did a great job of spying the pass rush and avoiding a loss of yards. https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1119669550193070080 As for the running game, Martell Irby was the bright spot as he had several runs that went right up the middle and got him a lot of positive yardage. Irby looks a lot more confident and should be a bruiser running up the middle next season. Joshua Kelley, unless I missed a play or two, did not have any snaps in this game. Kazmeir Allen and Keegan Jones had a few nice runs, but also had a few stops behind the line. The defense, like last year, was the star of the show. Though the Bruins were without a few key members of the defense (Keisean Lucier-South, Josh Woods), the players that did don the white jerseys gave it their all. Even when the offense would break through the line or gain a few substantial yards through the air, the defense limited the yards after contact as they swarmed to the ball on every play. The name that we heard throughout the game was redshirt freshman defensive back, Patrick Jolly. He seemed to be picked on quite a bit throughout the game, but he did not let that deter him as he had several well-timed pass breakups, including a few in the endzone. Jolly, who was injured for most of last season, did a great job of getting his hands in the path of the pass and kill a few potential big plays. A Dorian Thompson-Robinson pass to Theo Howard sets up a close range situation for #UCLA, but can’t come away with a TD.